66 



PRANCK - AGRICULTTjRAI, ECONOMY IN GENERAL 



Table I. — Disiribution in the Observed Districts of Families 

 according to the Occupation of their Heads. 



II . . 



III . . . 



IV ... 



V , . . 



VI . . . 



VII . . . 



VIII . . 



Total . 



Number 



o£ 

 districts 



Total 

 number 



of 

 families 



64 



78 

 68 

 20 



30 



28 



51 



89 



428 



13,467 



15,899 



17,112 



7,021 



4,55? 



1,345 



11,373 



16,395 



>/,i/' 



Percentasre of families whose he.ad is 



Non- 

 farming 

 landowner 

 of indepen- 

 dent 

 means 



6,1 



7.0 

 6-3 

 6.5 

 4.8 

 4.4 

 II. I 



Man 

 having 

 other 

 occupa- 

 tion 



7-1 



38.1 

 23.2 

 19.9 



8.1 

 7-2 

 82 

 7.0 

 14.4 



18.8 



To these figures, which are only approximate, most of the investigators 

 have added their personal observations as to the chief changes which the 

 last thirty years have brought to the economic situation in these districts. 

 These observations can be resumed as follows : a large number of vineyards 

 have disappeared and it has been possible to build them up again only 

 partially and at great cost ; the cultivation of forage crops, stock farming, in 

 some districts dairy farnaing, i^arket -gardening and forestry have been con- 

 siderably extended; in general small rural industries have declined and 

 in certain regions factories have arisen. 



We will now distribute the facts obtained according to districts : 



Region I (North). — Disappearance of the industrial colza and poppy 

 crops ; decline in flax growing in the north. Considerable development of 

 industry on a large scale. Small holdings tend to disappear and give place 

 to large farms. General fall in value of farm-lands. Formation of pasture- 

 lands. A certain number of rural industries still occupy part of the popu- 

 lation of the villages of Oise, but the rural workpeople who once combined 

 agricultural labour with industry have with some exceptions entirely given 

 up tillage. 



Region II (Kast). — Disappearance of many vineyards, some of which 

 have been replaced by osier plantations (Ardennes and Meurthe-et-Moselle) 

 and plantations of black-currant bushes (Cote-d'Or) and fruit-trees, and 

 many by artificial meadows. Development of stock farming and progress 

 of the dairy industry, especially in the Region of Belfort. There has been 

 some parcelling of large properties, but at the same time a tendency to unite 

 the parcels until their area allows of pasture-grounds and the profitable 



