Tlie Poultry of France. 83 



consumed in tliat city rose from 560,000/. in 1852, to 800,000Z. 

 in 1862 ; and that of the eggs from 246,000/. to 480,000/. It is 

 estimated that there is about five times as much poultry as game 

 consumed. The population of the capital had meanwhile in- 

 creased by 300,000 souls. It is calculated that prior to 1789, 

 the Parisians consumed annually 8 lbs. per head of game and 

 poultr}', but in 1862, 30 lbs : a very significant index of increased 

 wealth and prosperity ! 



The next point for consideration is the distribution of this rural 

 wealth, i. e. which departments are most and which least noted 

 for breeding fowls. A long string of names of departments will 

 never speak to a foreigner with the same significance as those 

 genuine old landmarks the Provinces, so it will be sufficient to 

 state that of the twenty leading departments, eleven encircle and 

 supply Paris ; with these two other departments, Calvados and 

 Eure-et-Loire, may perhaps best be classed ; " Le Nord " and 

 Pas de Calais have a large home consumption to meet ; two depart- 

 ments supply Lyons, and the remaining five are in the valley of 

 the Garonne, where both soil and climate are so favourable that 

 chickens form part of the common food of the inhabitants. As 

 a rule the districts that grow buckwheat are famous for poultry ; 

 not so, those which grow rye. 



It further appears that the export has been quadrupled within 

 ten vears. M. Barral when calling attention to the statistics of 

 1852, thus discussed by Lavergne, had further stated the total 

 value of the animal produce of France at 112,000,000/. 



Houdan Fowls and Trade. 

 These statistical inquiries were followed up by a more detailed 

 inquiry by j\I. Barral into the sale of the Houdan poultry in the 

 department Seine-et-Oise. The official returns for the three 

 dstricts which rear these fowls are as follow : — 



Poultry. Eggs and Feathers. 



£. £_ 



Arrondissement of Mautcs 12,593 .... 9,761 



Arrondissement of Dreux 8,937 .... 7,516 



Arrondissement of Nogent 2,278 .... 2,80-i 



23,808 20,081 



or in round numbers the chickens sold may be set at 24,000/. 



But a private return by M. Delafosse values the fat chickens sold 



in the three leading market-towns as follows : — 



£. 



Hondan (chief market in Mantes) 76,800 



Dreux 96,000 



Nogent 67,200 



Total 240,000 



G 2 



