THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



128 



horses being an entirely separate affair ; but still in the 

 catalogue all appear as one. The horse division of the 

 show is in five categories for horses for different pur- 

 poses, these being divided into sections for different 

 breeds, and then subdivided into animals of different 

 ages, and these still further into male and female. A 

 sixth category is added for mules ; and asses are classed 

 in a category to themselves. The exhibition of breeding 

 stock, implements, and products, is in three great di- 

 visions. The first is in five classes, namely — cattle, 

 sheep, pig8, domestic animals, and birds of the court- 

 yard. The cattle class is divided into categories for 

 different breeds, these into male and female, and these 

 again into sections for different ages. The sheep class 

 is divided into categories for different breeds, these into 

 sections of different ages, and then into male and fe- 

 male. The pig class is in categories for different breeds, 

 divided into male and female ; and so on. The imple- 

 ment division has its entries alphabetical, according to 

 the exhibitors' names ; and the division of products is 

 arranged according to the geography of the country 

 which has furnished the specimens — the departments of 

 France being classed into twelve regions ; the catalogue, 

 however, following the alphabetical order of the exhi- 

 bitors' names. 



In going through the stock classes, I am surprised at 

 the measui'e of improvement apparent since the exhibi- 

 tion a few years ago. I see in the red cattle of Salers 

 and Auvergne, in the fawn-coloured Parthenais of Poitou, 

 in the yellow-brown Gascon, with lyre-like horns, points 

 capable of being developed very quickly into animals of 

 most superior character. The compact Charolais and 

 Garonnais, as well as many of the cream-coloured beeves, 

 are already good sorts ; while the Normandy oxen 

 are capable of giving any amount of good beef, and the 

 Dutch cows are superb for dairy purposes. France ex- 

 ports only about nine million pounds of butter annually, 

 while little Belgium exports more ; and we English re- 

 ceive four times this quantity from Holland. The 

 amount of butter sold yearly in the Halle of Paris ave- 

 rages 15 or 16 million pounds; but in the rural dis- 

 tricts, particularly of the south, butter, no matter how 

 good its quality, is a scarce article ; and in the matter 

 of cheese the English beat the French by long odds. 

 The cattle are so largely used for ploughing and carting 

 that meat and milk are mere secondary considerations. 

 The crosses with our shorthorns show the wonderful 

 improvement to be effected in the native breeds by their 

 use ; and the Government may well derive encouragement 

 from this show to persevere in its patronage, and their 

 exertions In the cause of agriculture and live stock. It 

 is an interesting fact that the £83,000 spent by the 

 Belgian Government some years ago, in the province of 

 West Flanders, in the purchase of Durham bulls and 

 cows, produced the happiest effect ; and amongst the 

 whole herd of cattle in that province, nearly all have 

 manifested the improved form and economical qualities 

 derived from the crossing. 



I see in the pig pens some pretty good specimens, 

 but they are mostly of English breed. France, large as 

 it is, does not feed more hogs than England does, and 

 certainly slaughters them much older. The peasantry 

 don't eat meat, except very rarely ; they live on bread 

 and cider, soup, peas, and cabbage, in the north; and in 

 the south they drink wine, very ordinaire, and have 

 chestnuts instead of apples and pears. 



The merino sheep are in great force, and we have here 

 also many specimens of the French native breeds, and 

 of breeds improved by crossing ; together with many 

 Leicesters and Downs. The south of France produces 

 the fine wool, the mutton coming chiefly from the north 

 and centre. The Paris abattoirs are supplied with 

 sheep from Flanders and Artois, which are the first 



comers after Lent ; then arrive muttons from Brabant, 

 from Alen<jon, Bourbonnois, and Poitou. Sheep from 

 Berri come in June ; then from Hainault and Nor- 

 mandy. During the autumn, the forest of Ardennes, 

 Touraine, Liege, Brabant — all supply fat sheep to Paris ; 

 and they come from Brie and Beauce to the middle of 

 winter, followed by animals from Picardy, Santerre, and 

 Beauvais. Paris draws one-third of its mutton from 

 the country within thirty miles around ; one-third from 

 the Ardennes, Alsace, Lorraine, and the German States, 

 to which Lorraine graziers travel to buy sheep. The 

 hornless white-faced sheep of the lower basin of the 

 Seine are akin to our Kents, and to the sheep of 

 Flanders ; in Normandy, the flocks, with red legs and 

 faces, are of a moderately large kind, and have heavy 

 long wool, manufactured into serges at Valogne. The 

 real French long-wool is a thin-carcased, coarse-fleeced 

 animal, with long legs; but now much improved. The 

 Pyrenees support a black-faced sheep ; and in south- 

 eastern France are immense flocks of short-wools, 

 grazed in winter in the valleys, and in summer on the 

 Alps. The Auvergne sheep are a mountain-breed ; the 

 Berrichons a good sort, capable of much improvement. 

 Some Piedmontese sheep are exhibited, with long lapping 

 ears and short hairy wool : in fact, like huge rabbits 

 more than sheep. One of the most interesting portions 

 of the sheep-show is that of the Mauchamp variety of 

 merinos, having a new kind of wool, glossy and silky, 

 similar to mohair. This is an instance of an entirely 

 new breed being as it were created from a mere sport of 

 Nature ; it was originated by Mons. J. L, Grewx, of the 

 Farm of Mauchamp, Commune de Jurincourt, Depart- 

 ment of Aisne. In the year 1828, a merino ewe pro- 

 duced a peculiar ram-lamb, having a different shape to 

 the usual merino, and possessing a long, straight, and 

 silky character of wool. In 1830, M. Grewx obtained 

 from this ram one ram and one ewe, having the silky 

 character of wool. In 1831, among the produce were 

 four rams and one ewe with similar fleeces ; and in 1833 

 there were rams enough of the new sort to serve the 

 whole flock of ewes. In each subsequent year the 

 lambs were of two kinds : one possessing the curled 

 elastic wool of the old merinos, only a little larger and 

 finer ; the other like the new breed. At last, the skil- 

 ful breeder obtained a flock combining the fine silky 

 fleece with a smaller head, broader flanks, and more ca- 

 pacious chest ; and several flocks being crossed with the 

 Mauchamp variety, have produced also the Mauchamp - 

 merino breed. The pure Mauchamp wool is remarkable 

 for its qualities as combing-wool, owing to the strength, 

 as well as the length and fineness, of the fibre. It is 

 found of great value by the manufacturers of Cashmere 

 shawls and similar goods, being second only to the true 

 Cashmere fleece, in the fine flexible delicacy of the fibre ; 

 and when in combination with Cashmere wool, imparting 

 strength and consistency. The quantity of the wool has 

 now become as great or greater than from ordinary 

 merinos, while the quality commands for it twenty-five 

 per cent, higher price in the French market. Surely 

 breeders cannot watch too closely any accidental pe- 

 culiarity of conformation or characteristic in their flocks 

 or herds. 



In the matter of machinery and implements these 

 French engineers are outrageously ingenious : they are 

 too clever by half. I see here alt descriptions of horse- 

 power, and thrashing-machines for small occupations. 

 Some makers erect a pillar or standard, round which 

 the horses walk, and multiply gear causes a hand- wheel 

 at the top of the standard to revolve rapidly, and so 

 drive a machine by a strap above the horses' head. 

 Another inventor builds his whole thrashing-machine, 

 with dram, riddles, straw-shaker, winnower, &c., upoo 

 the middle of his horae-work frame, and the horses 



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