NEW VALUATION OF UNBUILT ON LAND I35 



The above variations may at the first glance, cause surprise in view of 

 the considerable extension of livestock improvement in recent years, 

 which has led, as we have seen, to a considerable increase in the area of this 

 group. It is, however explicable. 



In fact the increasing scarcity and cost of labour and the increas- 

 ing consumption of butchers' meat induced the farmers to give their 

 attention to Hvestock improvement, and, consequently, to increase the area 

 of meadows and grass land. Of course for this purpose they chose in pre- 

 ference either areas of small value, particularly difficult to plough, or moor- 

 land, which has led to a lowering of the average values, as the meadows 

 thus formed were most usually of inferior quality. Another reason is 

 that in 1908 in the group of meadows large areas of grazing ground were 

 included, which at the date of the previous valuations, had been wrongly 

 classed as moorland, or in the group of areas variously cultivated. Else- 

 where the value of the natural meadows has diminished very appreciably 

 owing to the competition of the continually increasing number of artificial 

 meadows which have the advantage of giving a greater yield per ha. and 

 being formed in the most suitable places. It is easy to understand that, 

 under these conditions, the averages are even lower than in 185 1 when the 

 group was formed almost exclusively of excellent natural meadows. 



(d) Vineyards. — The average value of the vineyards for the whole 

 of France was, as follows: 



Valuation af 



1851 1679 1908 



frs. frs. frs. 



.\verage Rental Value per ha 69 130 76 



.\verage Market Price » •>.... 2,067 2,968 2,033 



The high values in 1879 were due to that year having been preceded 

 by a series of good seasons, both as regards the quality and quantity of 

 the produce and to the extension of the railway system which in itself 

 assured a ready sale. There were only 5 departments that showed 

 a decrease in the average rental value, and 12 showing a decrease in the aver- 

 age market price, and the decrease was only considerable in Charente, where 

 the phylloxera made its appearance in 1873, and where at the date of the 

 valuation only 13,226 ha. out of 100,000 ha, had been spared, and the vine- 

 yards were in consequence only estimated at the value of the bare soil, 



A comparison of the figures for 1908 with those for 1879 leads to just 

 the contrary results ; the decrease has been general, except in Charente, 

 where the reconstitution of the vineyards has led to a rise in the averages, 

 and in a few other departments, where there have been insignificant increases 

 in value (of the rental value in 6, and of the market price in 8 departments) . It 

 is, in fact, more especially since 1879 ^bat the phylloxera has made its rav- 

 ages. It is true that, in many parts of the country, the vineyards have been 

 formed again, but the new vines planted have generally not given a wine to 

 compare with that of the old French vines. Other diseases have also made 



