232 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



M. DE LAVERGNE'S NOTES OF A JOURNEY OF FOUR :DAYS WITH M. DE VOGUE. 



TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH. 



30th May, 1858.— I arrived at Bourses at half-past 

 three o'clock, and aet out with M. de Vogue for hia 

 factory at Mazitre3, which is only half an hour's ride 

 from the city. This factory, now one of the most im- 

 portant of Berry, has been entirely established by him 

 on the site of an old domain. Its principal employment con- 

 sists in making turnplates for railways, of which it can produce 

 one per day, at an average price of 4,000 francs. Two fine 

 hot-air blowing machines, a handsome finishing factory, and 

 forty houses for the workmen, built by M. de Vogue at an ex- 

 pense of 1,700 francs each, and let at a rent of^8 francs per 

 month, with 15 ares of garden, complete the establishment. 

 We esamiued several of the houses, which are commodious and 

 well furnished. 



The ancient domain has become a farm 'managed by a 

 farming bailiff. It contains 80 hectares of land. M. de Vogue 

 calls it his menagerie, because he keeps choice animals at it. 

 1 saw there again the Ayrshire Bull, which obtained for him 

 the second prize at the laat show at Blois. I also found there the 

 Southdown ram, which had the first prize at the same show : 

 it then belonged to M. ('e Bouille. There were handsome 

 cows produced by an Ayr-Berrichon cross. An Ayrshire cow, 

 which obtained the first prize at the Universal Exhibition ; 

 fine lambs, of the Southdown-Berrichon cross ; and an Alder- 

 ney cow, which gave abundance of milk, the cream of which 

 appeared to us very yellow and buttery. 



31st. May. — After passing the night at the handsome house 

 of the manager of the factory, we set out for another forge at 

 Ivoy-le-Pre. We crossed the forest of Saint Palais, which coa- 

 tains 2,000 hectares, a noble forest, which belongs to the 

 State. On leaving it, we visited the ancient abbey of Lorois, 

 which now belongs to M. Lupin. The proprietor was absent, 

 having gone to see the works of an artesian well which he has 

 had sunk at one of his farms. We found his steward, who is a 

 Belgian. He showed iis the dairy, composed wholly of Dur- 

 hams and a Durhara-Norman cross. A steam-engine, fixed, 

 works the thrashing machinea and other agricultural im- 

 plements. We crossed some fine fields of wheat and oats, to 

 inspect in a pasture 300 Southdown and crossed Southdown- 

 Berrichon lambs. M. Lupin is probably the largest cultivator 

 in France. He farms himself 1 ,200 hectares (nearly 3,000 acres), 

 divided into six domains. We saw the ruins of the old church, 

 where were interred the Seigneurs de Sully, and the fine 

 cloisters of the abbey with its columns covered with ivy. 



In passing the chapel of Anguillon we visited the half-ruined 

 manor which formerly belonged to Sully. It is one of those 

 unpretending castellanies of the sixteenth century, which, pro- 

 perly speaking, were only turreied farm-houses. Become 

 quite a domain, it has not much cliauged its appearance. 

 From the high and narrow terrace is a pretty view of the mea- 

 dows, irrigated by the little Sauldre river. 



We arrived at the Foundry of Ivoy, where I recognized one 

 of those ancient forges, established at anmknown epoch, upon 

 B fall of water in the middle of the woods. There are pa- 

 triarchal families of workmen, who manufacture iron of a 

 superior quality. It serves for artillery, the fabrication of 

 which they overlook. New houses are built for the workmen, 

 as at Maiiferes. We took a road which M. Vogud haa opened, 



and which brought us to a high furnace which he has con- 

 structed, with all the new improvements. It has' a hydraulic 

 wheel of 10 metres diameter, a forge-bellows of great velocity, 

 and a steam boiler heated by gas from the furnace. Other new 

 houses for workmen constitute the whole of the village, with 

 the dwelling of the Registrar, with whom we passed the night. 

 Near to Ivoy there is a small curious town named Henriche- 

 mont. It was the chief town of an independent principality 

 which belonged to the house of Sully, and was united to the 

 Crown in 1769, being about twelve leagues in circumference. 

 Heurichemont was founded by Sully, and named, thus after 

 Henry the Fourth. The foundation of the great minister haa 

 prospered, for it no-v reckons more than 3,000 eouls. 



June Ist. — The industrial part of our journey is finished, 

 and we shall in future ouly see cultivation. We shall begin 

 with a domain which has been worked for,: forty years by the 

 same metayer. M. de Vogue accuses him playfully of abusing 

 his position by resisting all kinds of change, because he is sure 

 of not bemg turned off. He is a good specimen of the old 

 cunning peasantry, dull and obstinate. We saw, however, fine 

 English wheat dressed with guano, and a nice dwelling, quite 

 new, where this metayer is, according to^his own expression, 

 lodged like a ci-devant. " You see, now," said M. de Vogui 

 to him, " that you were wrong not to hire my domain of me 

 when I offered to let you have it for 1,100 francs." "But, 

 Monsieur Je Marquis, I am not at all sorry about it." " How 

 is that ? my half now brings me in 2,000 francs." " And mine 

 does the ..same, but I have not the purse of M. le Marquis." 

 " lu fact," said M. de Vogne, ," he is right ; for I have made 

 many improvements of which he takes the profit." We left 

 this old reasoner, baptizing him " the agriculturist in spite 

 of himself." 



^rom Lorois we had still in view the plain of the Sologne, of 

 which we followed the boundary without entering upon it. We 

 touched upon it, however, and found the lands of the domain 

 which we saw, cold and bilicious. A little further we found 

 ourselves upon an extensive table land, which three 3 ears only 

 ago was covered.wiih heather. Now, that heather is replaced 

 with rye and oats further than the eye could see. The rye 

 extends over 50 hectares, the oats over 90. The roacl_^opened 

 by M. de Vogue, for the transport of his minerals, crossed this 

 desert, where the flint appears everywhere upon the surface, 

 and no other dwelling ia seen than a station for the carmen 

 The primitive condition of the soil is still seen upon 8ome< 

 scattered points, which bristle with heather and small furze. 

 The rest is one entire mass of green and waving verdure. We 

 are at a loss to conceive by what hands these fine harvesta 

 have been raised. With five hectolitres (about 13J bush.) of 

 charcoal, they sow upon a single ploughing, and ihe oats spring 

 up to a miracle. 



;;;. These heaths were formerly burthened with customary righta; 

 the neighbouring proprietors had the privilege of sending on 

 them their flocks. Nothing being possible., with such liabili- 

 ties, M. de Vogu(5 conceived the idea of dividing then ; and, 

 by dint of perseverance, he has succeeded in it. Surveyors, 

 nominated by both parties, have amicably remodelled the can- 

 tonment. There were some contests for the boundaries ; but 

 all ia now finished, and each ia master of his own land. The 



