THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



479 



thus setting at defiance every known law of justice and 

 fairness, leaving alone common prudence, in matters 

 of commercial interest. 



But the worst is, that it is not French commerce 

 alone that may be disturbed by so sudden a revulsion 

 of policy. The English market, from its proximate 

 position and the freedom of its access, as well as its 

 well known dependence updn foreign supply, is the 

 first, if not the only cue, likely to be influenced by the 

 measure. The difference between prices in England 

 and in France must now be equalized between the two 

 countries, the only advantage in favour of England 

 being the transit expenses between French ports and 

 her markets. Low as prices are now at Mark-lane, we 

 must make up our minds to sec them perhaps a little 

 lower, whilst the French markets will probably rise in 

 a similar ratio, until the level is established. 



If prices had been higher in England, so sudden an 

 opening of the French ports would have been severely 

 felt in this country ; but although in the pi-esent cir- 

 cumstances no very material change can be made in the 

 trade, we are nevertheless confident that sufficient 

 harm will be effected to enable people to appreciate 

 the mischievous tendency of that arbitrary power, ap- 

 parently wielded with so little fixity by the French 

 Emperor, who three weeks ago prolonged the most 

 stringent prohibition to export, to the end of Septem- 

 ber, 1858, but who a week later said it was possible he 

 might reverse these laws, and a week later again 

 repeals them altogether. 



No doubt the pressure from French agriculturists 

 has been great and influential. Notwithstanding the 

 thraldom of the press, they have been lately pretty 

 freely discussing the hardships which the strange policy 

 of their government had inflicted upon them ; and it is 

 somewhat curious and interesting to follow them in 

 their calculation of the cost of producing a bushel of 

 corn, in order to determine the limit when that pro- 

 duction is remunerative to the farmer. 



We know not how far this vexed problem has been 

 satisfactorily solved in England. Many attempts have 

 been made, no doubt; but we are not aware that any 

 two calculations ever agreed. Of course local circum- 

 stances must, more or less, exercise an influence over 

 the farmer's expenses, and anything like a similarity 

 in costs is utterly impossible. Still nothing can be more 

 desirable than accurate data which might be easily 

 modified according to local circumstances, for enabling 

 the farmer to form a correct estimate of his expenses 

 in producing his various crops. 



In the Journal d' Agriculture Pratique of the '20th 

 ult., we read a very interesting communication from 

 a M. Briuune, detailing the various items witli which 

 a bushel of corn ought to be debited. Besides the 

 actual primary cost of rent, manure, tillage, and seed, 

 which may be calculated, from the data given, at about 

 28s. lOd. per qr., M. Briaune adds, hail insurance, 

 sundry expenses, personal and furniture tax, road tax, 

 cost of winnowing for market, market expenses, such 



, * In France, after sunset all vehic'es of whatever deacrip- 

 tion must have lighta. 



as conveyance, porterage, town tax, drivers' expense!*, 

 horses' expenses, waggon d'light*, &c. He accounts 

 also for the mortality in herds and flocks, in fact, for 

 every burthen and expense, as well as all accidents and 

 risks to which a farmer is liable. The result of all these 

 calculations is, that in the part of France where he lives, 

 in the Department of Indre, the cost of producing a 

 quarter of corn is about 41s. 6d. 



Another agriculturist, more sanguine it is true, 

 seems to have taken a much more cheering impression 

 of the crisis. With the view of justifying the Govern- 

 ment for the step they had taken of extending the pro- 

 hibition to the year 1858, this panegyrist had at- 

 tempted to demonstrate that the prime cost of a quarter 

 of corn was only 23s. He had, however, forgotten to 

 debit his crop with all those incidental expenses and 

 charges which we have just enumerated. 



From the remarks of many able agriculturists who 

 have published their calculations, we may safely assume 

 that the average cost of producing a quarter of wheat 

 in France is 42s. It is then natural for the farmers 

 of that country to grumble when they are obliged to 

 sell their corn below that price ; and especially when 

 the fall has been so sudden as in this year. The follow- 

 ing table will give an idea of the extraordinary oscilla- 

 tion which has taken place in the price of corn in 

 Fi'anco since the month of January : 



PRICE OP WHEAT IN 1857. 



Jan. 



£ s. d. 

 Average of the northern 



districts 2 17 7 



Average of the central 



districts 3 4 6 



Average of the southern 



districts .. 3 16 6 



Sept. Difference. 

 £ s. d. £ s. d. 



2 2 9 14 10 

 2 2 6 12 

 2 7 19 6 

 In examining the various charges made by the French 

 farmers against their wheat crop, we find an item little 

 known in England, viz., a half-year's rent besides 20s. 

 per acre for the cultivation of fallow land. If our 

 neighbours would grow a root crop instead of a barren 

 fallow, they might save that item of expenditure. 



We find also that they reckon two hectolitres of 

 wheat for sowing one hectare, which is equivalent to 

 two bushels and one-third per acre. Surely, Messrs. 

 Garrett and Hornsby ought to send some of their corn- 

 drills into that country — a great economy in this item, 

 again, would be the result. 



We see further that the average produce of one hec- 

 tare is only twelve hectolitres of wheat, which is equi- 

 valent to something less than two quarters per acre. 

 There must be something amiss in a system which, 

 considering the natural fertility of the Fi-ench soil and 

 the favourable influences of a beautiful climate, leaves 

 so vast a room for improvement. 



One thing is certain, and we may safely deduce it 

 from the facts above — as long as our neighbours can 

 only produce not quite two quarters of wheat per acre, 

 and that at a cost of 42s. per qr., the Emperor may 

 close or open his ports whenever he likes. English 

 farmers need not fear any competition from such a 

 quarter. 



