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ing -sverc brought to maximum fertility hy judicious fertilization and 

 irrigation ; good pastures were transformed into meadows, and in the 

 ordinary pastures the sod was made to extend itself gradually" over 

 heather and moor. These results have been accomplished by soiling 

 animals, leveling, draining swam]iy declivities, and utilizing the surplus 

 waters for irrigation, &c. The pastures are fertilized successively by 

 shifting the stock-inclosures, and the meadows by stable-manure, which 

 is carelully preserved. In the case of milch-cows with calves, only the 

 latter are kept constantly inclosed; the mothers, being allowed free 

 range, are kei)t by maternal affection near their offspring, thus concen- 

 trating their droppings upon a small surface. The fences are high and 

 close, in order to protect the animals from the severe winds of the region, 

 and consequently to increase their flow of milk. 



The herd consists of 400 animals, of which 200 are milch-cows. The 

 latter are gathered into two large ranges. Of the 400 animals, about 150 

 belong to M. Darand, and the remainder to other parties, who pay for 

 their sustenance and care. He usually charges 25 to 30 francs per 

 head for pasturing young cattle from May 25 to October 13. In the 

 case of milch-cows, M. Darand generally uses the milk for cheese-mak- 

 ing and allows the owners a money erjuivalent. This it is diflicult if 

 not impossible to average, for cows vary in the proportion of caseiue in 

 their milk. His own animals consist of 30 calves, 6 beef-cattle, 24 bulls 

 of one, two, or three years of age, 25 heifers, and 65 milch-cows. Only 

 100 of these animals are wintered on this estate, the residue being sent 

 to another property of his in the department of Aveyron. Defective 

 and inferior animals are sold in October. The small product of milk and 

 butter during the winter season is mostly consumed on the farm. 



Six or seven hands are employed perpetually at 850 to $60 per annum, 

 with board and lodging. About as many more are employed daring 

 the summer, at $30 to $35 for the season, with board and lodging. M. 

 Durand resides on this place about three mouths during the year, usually 

 from June 20 to September 20, and makes occasional visits during the 

 remainder of the year. The farm is in charge of a foreman. All the 

 draught labor is performed by oxen ; half a dozen horses, half Arab and 

 half English blood, are used for the pleasure of the owner and his famil}'. 



The specific industry of Salles-Basses is cheese-])roduction. M. Du- 

 rand, after ten years' experiment, gave up the raising of fat calves. lu 

 winter the dr^^food is too rich and unhealth3\ It induces chronic irrita- 

 bility in the mother and a destructive diarrhea in the calves dropped 

 during that part of the year, very few surviving. In summer the restric- 

 tion of cows to green grass produces other equally fatal intestinal diseases, 

 involving a burden of care and expense which has induced the proprie- 

 tor to abandon calf-raising altogether and to concentrate his efforts 

 upon cheese-making. One of his neighbors, an intelligent agriculturist, 

 criticises this policy, and intimates that the above-named difficulties 

 could be disposed of by proper management. 



The main productive element of M. Durand's enterprise, then, is the 

 cheese-product of 200 cows, which leave the stable about May 25, and 

 return October 13, making the average pasturing and milking season 

 one hundred and forty days. During the first eighty-one days, from 

 May 25 to August 15, the daily average yield of milk per cow is 5 liters, 

 or 1.32 gallons. M. Durand estimates the average cheese-product at 

 113.^ grams per liter, about equal to 15.2 ounces per gallon. The 

 daily cheese-product of the period is then 113.500 kilograms, or nearly 

 250 pounds. The total ])roduct for the eighty-one days is 81,000 liters, 

 or 21,398 gallons of milk, yielding 9,193.5 kifograms, or 20,270 pounds 



