Agricultural Implements and Produce. 35 



comparison is very favourable to this country, I prefer to employ 

 the words of a French author rather than to make use of my 

 own. 



In natural gifts of soil and of climate the advantages are beyond 

 all question on the side of France. It maj^ be that France has 

 relied too much on these excellent gifts, while England, less 

 favoured, has been urged by her necessities to increased 

 exertions. 



Systems of Cultivatiox. 



" France has devoted herself too exclusively to the production 

 of corn crops, which are the immediate food of man, without 

 sufficiently considei-ing the means necessary to uphold the fertility 

 of the soil under this exhausting process. England, on the con- 

 trary, has been led, partly by the nature of the climate, partly by 

 design, to take a sort of by-path, which reaches corn crops 

 through the intervention of green crops ; finding, in the rearing 

 of cattle and the supply of manure, the restorative process which 

 is necessary. 



" The experiment has entirely succeeded, and is extending 

 itself day by day ; and the remarkable fact is, that in proportion 

 as the head of cattle increases the quantity of corn increases also; 

 the gain in intensity exceeds the loss in extent. Thus, on a sur- 

 face of 31,000,000 of hectares, reduced to 20,000,000 by the 

 waste lands, the British isles produce more food for animals than 

 the entire surface of France, of double the extent.* Hence the 

 jsupply of manure is in proportion three or four times greater. 

 The average produce per hectare in France is 6 hectolitres of 

 wheat, about 5 of rye, and 1 of maize or buckwheat ; collectively 

 about 11 hectolitres. In England, 25 hectolitres of wheat (3^^ 

 quarters per acre), more than double in quantity, and three times 

 more in saleable value. Scotland and Ireland are included in 

 this estimate. If the comparison is made with England alone, 

 the results are far more striking. This little country, not larger 

 than one-fourth of France, protluces 38,000,000 of hectolitres of 

 wheat, 16,000,000 of barley, 34,000,000 of oats. If France pro- 

 duced as much in proportion, she would produce, deducting seed, 

 150,000,000 hectolitres of wheat, 200,000,000 of oats and other 

 grains ; that is, at least double her actual production. 



" Taking all products into account, animal and vegetable, it 

 appears that the produce of England, per hectare, nearly doubles 

 that of France. 



" Tlie great lesson which these figures teach, beyond the dis- 

 proportion of the results, is the relation of vegetable to animal 



* I preserve the French measures, together -with the calculations of the author. 

 The French hectare is equal to 2"471 English acres. 



1) 2 



