DEVEI.OPMENT OF AGRlCUIvTURE IN DIFFEREN'T COUNTRIES I407 



carrots and salads or carrots and swedes, turnips, mustard should be 

 taken, as the land will produce two good crops per annum if generously 

 manured. 



Its vicinity to the sea-shore makes this possible as the necessary 

 seaweed can thus be obtained at low cost. 



III. Gorse is a characteristic wild plant of all granitic or schist soils. 

 About 15 species are known including Ulex europaeus, U. Gallii, U. Rich- 

 teri, U. nanus, U. parviflorus, and the two chief cultivated varieties are 

 the Dinan and the Foxtail which is almost spineless. Gorse not only 

 yields valuable fodder, but affords shelter and may also be used as litter or 

 for green manuring. It has also been suggested as raw material for pa- 

 per-making. As fodder it may be fed to all kinds of stock and cattle do 

 particularly well on it either when fattening or producing milk. 



For its growth a good tilth is required and the land must be clean. 

 Seed may then be broadcasted at the rate of 18 lbs. per acre or drilled at 

 the rate of 9 lbs. per acre as is customary in Kngland. Average yields run 

 from 10 to 12 tons of green stuff per acre which woidd be equivalent in 

 feeding value to 4 to 5 tons of good hay. Exceptional yields are said to 

 reach 20 to 24 tons per acre. Seed may also be harvested and amounts to 

 80 to 120 lbs. per acre of the common varieties (worth lod. per lb.) or 40 

 to 50 lbs. of Foxtail (worth about is ^d per lb.). 



Gorse leaves considerable residues of nitrogen in the soil and its deep 

 roots break up the subsoil to a great depth. Plantations are easily broken 

 up even after being kept down from 6 to 8 years which is the usual dura- 

 tion of their life ; some however are kept down as long as 15 to 20 years. 



IV. The cultivation of early potatoes occupies an entire tract of 

 coast land known as " the golden belt of Brittany " where the cHmate is 

 specially favoiurable. The most popular varieties are Royal Earlies (frost 

 resistant), Mayette, Sutton, Giant Fluke, Fin de Siecle. Sets are carefully 

 selected and sprouted in boxes or on floors during the autumn. Planting 

 out begins at the end of January and the sets are placed very close together 

 (10 in. X 14 in.), so that about 18 cwts. of seed potatoes are required per 

 acre. Yields are high, the total crop varying from 4 to 6 tons per acre 

 and being worth anything from 3s 6^ to 12s per cwt. In an average year 

 the gross profits run from £24 to £32 per acre, but the crop is an expensive 

 one to grow and would hardly pay if it were not for the fact that the 

 potatoes can be followed by mangels, swedes, cabbages or cauliflowers and 

 then by two successive corn crops without any further maniuring. 



V. The Ivcon district is not a purely market gardening district except 

 in the Roscoff commune. Elsewhere the market gardening is run together 

 with a horse breeding industry and fodder crops have to be provided 

 for the live stock. Though modified for the special requirements of these 

 farms, the principles of market gardening still obtain and the crops are 

 rarely grown ptue. For instance parsnips are interplanted with cauli- 

 flowers or artichokes, onions with parsnips, artichokes or cauliflowers, and 

 cauliflowers harvested in February would be followed by spring wheat in 



