Acjricultaral Imj^lcinents and Produce. 37 



men devoted to hard work, eat much, fatten slowly, develop their 

 bony structure, make little flesh, and make it slowly. The habit 

 of inaction, on the contrary, forms races, gentle, tranquil, which 

 fatten early, assume round and fleshy forms, and give with equal 

 food a far larger yield to the butcher. If we look to labour, the 

 ox is killed when he has finished his task. If Ave look to meat, 

 the ox is killed at the moment when he yields the largest amount. 

 Cattle in France are killed too young or too old; among the 

 4,000,000 head killed, figure 2,000,000 calves, giving each only 

 30 kilogrammes of meat. Those which survive are killed at an 

 age when the growth has long ceased, i. e., when the animal has 

 long been consuming nourishment which has not added, to his 

 %veight. 



" In England, on the contrary, animals are killed neither so 

 young, because in their youth they make the most meat, nor so 

 old, because then they make none. The moment is seized when 

 t\ie animal has reached his maximum of'increase. 



"In France the number of animals killed annually is about 

 4,000,000 head, producing 400 000,000 kilogrammes of meat, 

 averaging therefore 100 kilogrammes per head. 



" In the United Kingdom the number killed is 2,000,000, 

 producing 500,000,000 kilogrammes of meat, averaging 250 kilo- 

 grammes per head. 



"Thus, with 8,000,000 head of cattle and 30,000,000 hectares 

 of land, British agriculture produces 500,000,000 kilogrammes 

 ■of meat ; while France, with 10,000,000 head of cattle and 

 53,000,000 hectares of land, produces only 400,000,000 kilo- 

 grammes." 



Such a description of the high attainments of English agri- 

 culture having been placed before the public of France, it was 

 natural that great expectations should have been formed both as 

 to the display of live stock and the exhibition of agricultural 

 implements. Nor, I venture to say, were these expectations 

 disappointed. The cattle of our improved breeds found a crowd 

 of admirers and many purchasers. The Durham short-horns have 

 3)een imported largely into France for some years bv the agents 

 of the French Government, and very good specimens of this race, 

 bred in France, were exhibilcd. The first prize, for young bulls 

 of the Durham breed, was awarded to the Marquis de Talhoust, 

 •for a bull sixteen months old. More surprise was created bv our 

 sheep, especially by the large size and admirable symmetry of 

 our South Downs. Tlie jury decided that a gold medal of the 

 first class should be struck in tlie name of Mr. Jonas Webb, for 

 the collec tion of South Down sheep, bred and exhibited by liim- 

 .self. The cattle show took place before the juries for the Palace 



