126 FRANCE - MISCELLANEOUS 



period 1879-1908; finally in 32 there was an increase in the period 1851-1879 

 followed by a decrease between 1879 ^^^ 1908. 



Comparing only the figures for the years 185 1 and 1908, we find a 

 total decrease of 2,061,383 ha. in -,6 departments. This is due in a general 

 sense to the depopulation of the country districts, the consequent scarcity 

 of laborurers and the rise in wages which has led to the abandonment of 

 much poor land, now lying fallow, or to the transformation of cultivated 

 fields into meadows and forests, according to the region. It may however, 

 be due to quite other causes; this is especially the case in Gironde, Herault, 

 and Pyrenees-Orientales, where a portion of the area has been devoted to 

 viticulture, which is more remunerative. 



On the other hand, we find that the area of arable land has increased 

 since 1851 in 27 departments by 1,038,807 ha. in all. This is, as a rule, the 

 result of the clearing of moors and woodlands in regions where the railways 

 constructed facihtate the sale of the produce. It is especially the case in 

 Bretagne and the departments of the centre, as Indre, Creuse and Vienne. In 

 some departments, especially in Gers and the Charentes, it is due to the 

 destruction of vineyards by phylloxera. 



The area of arable land has decreased since 1879 ^^ Alpes-Maritimes, 

 Corsica and Savoy, but only to an appreciable degree in Corsica, where the 

 continually increasing scarcity of labourers is causing a corresponding neglect 

 of cultivation. 



Finally, leaving out of consideration the above mentioned departments 

 not included in the valuation of 1851, the diminished area of arable land 

 is partly balanced by increases, so that altogether today the total area 

 is only 1,022,576 ha. or 4.09 % less than that shown as the result of the 

 earlier valuation. 



5. Area of Meadows and Grass Land. — The fluctuations in the area of 

 Meadows and Grass land may be summarised as under : 



in 1851 4,603,418 ha. 



I 4,998,280 » 



" '^79 U.817.603 « 



i 6,912,^08 » 



1908 >z ^ 



' 6,679,099 » 



As we see, the increase in the area of meadowland, which began be- 

 fore 1879, has continued since then, and assumed far greater importance. 

 This increase is due to the cause already mentioned, the depopulation of 

 the country districts which has led to the conversion into meadow land of 

 much land formerly cultivated in a manner demanding a large number of 

 labourers. It is also a consequence of the extension of Uvestock improve- 

 ment and dairy farming. We must, however, observe that the above caus- 

 es only partially account for the increase in some departments, especial- 

 ly Cantal, Loire and Doubs, where the grazing grounds, now rightly 

 classified with the meadows, were previously grouped with the moors, or 

 with variously cultivated land. 



