THE ECONOMIC LIFE OF FRANCE. 291 



of the Rhone, which forms the highway across western Europe from 

 the Mediterranean to the northern plains. The Rhone Valley is a nar- 

 row one. In the south the culture of silk-worms forms a special in- 

 dustry. At Lyons the manufacture of silk is located. Between these 

 two regions there are detached areas suitable for agriculture. The 

 Rhone is a beautiful stream of transparent blue water and swift current. 

 The Saone Valley forms the northern continuation of the Rhone. It 

 is transitional in character, having in the east the characteristics of the 

 wooded Jura, in the west those of the parched Cote d'Or, and of the 

 vineyards where Burgundy and Champagne are produced. Here also 

 are blended the races and dialects of the north and south of France. 



In the southwestern corner of the Republic spreads out the valley 

 of the Garonne. The winds from the Atlantic which blow up this val- 

 ley are caught as in a sack, and a rainfall is precipitated, which reaches 

 each of the tributaries of the Garonne. Because of this, the river is 

 subject to great variations of depth. It is not amenable to commercial 

 uses, and has been paralleled by a canal. The region about the lower 

 course of the river is devoted to wine producing, the product being 

 named after the market 'Bordeaux/ South of the Garonne extends 

 the level barren moor of the Landes, reaching as far as the foot-hills 

 of the Pyrenees. This region is, in summer, a baked steppe; in winter, 

 an almost endless morass. Steps are now being taken to reclaim the 

 soil by drainage and by planting forests of cork oak. The chances are 

 good that it will soon be converted into a habitable country. 



From the northern slopes of the Central Highlands flow the waters 

 which form the Loire River. This river flows first north, and then 

 westward, through a long, narrow fertile valley, emptying into the At- 

 lantic south of the peninsula of Brittany. Its course, at Orleans, lies 

 through the grain fields of France. At Angers are extensive nurseries 

 and market gardens, while hemp-growing and manufacture are promi- 

 nent. On the lower course of the Loire is the port of Nantes, the tra- 

 ditional receiving station for such groceries as are called 'colonial 

 wares' on the Continent. 



Preeminent among the rivers of France is the Seine, which gathers 

 the streams of the gently sloping northern plains of France and flows 

 with even tide into the English Channel. Early in its course it passes 

 the centers of manufacture, and is cut up to afford water power. From 

 Paris to Havre the banks are so closely built up that the Seine has 

 been called a river-street. The largest river basin of France is that 

 of the Loire; the most diversified that of the Rhone. The most fertile 

 is the Garonne Valley, and the most densely populated the Valley of 

 the Seine. The Seine has those qualities in a river which render it 

 useful to man. As Michelet says: "It has not the capricious, per- 

 fidious softness of the Loire, nor the rough ways of the Garonne, nor 



