215 



Seven schools are reported by Inspector-General Tisserand in his juris- 

 diction of eleven northeastern departments, as follows : 



The condition and operations of these schools are generally satisfac 

 tory ; but in two instances the inspector-general criticises the lack of a 

 weighing-apparatus, without which it is impossible to test and record 

 accurately the results of cultivation. The school of fitoges maintains 

 a large vegetable-garden, with ample resources for illustrating the pro- 

 cesses of vine and fruit culture. Fertilization is systematically and 

 energetically prosecuted. A neighboring swamp yields about 140,000 

 pounds of muck per annum, while about 10,000 pounds of domestic 

 manures are applied to each acre, besides guano, purchased for wheat- 

 growth, and salts of potash, furnished by the salines of Beer, at fifty 

 cents per hundred pounds, which have made good crops of lucern in 

 calcareous soils. The cows are of the Normandy breed. 



The school of Malgrange, near Nancy, upon its diluvial and easily 

 worked soils, alternates grain and root crops. Its stronger lands, after 

 thorough drainage and liming, are subjected to a four years' rotation : 

 1, roots or half-fallow for colza ; 2, winter-grain ; 3, clover and annual 

 forage-plants ; 4, oats. The farm-animals furnish nearly a million 

 pounds of manure, and about the same quantity of mud is brought from 

 the streets of the neighboring city. The eastern agronomical station 

 performs its experiments on the farm, adding a valuable element to the 

 course of instruction. The school of Saint-Eloi strongly recommends 

 salts of potash for silico-calcareous soils. It uses freely of oil-cake for 

 stock-food. Its sheep-fold contains 450 metis-merinos, served by rams 

 of the silky -fleeced Mauchamp breed; the Dishley rums will be in- 

 troduced hereafter as suited to a more intensive sheep husbandry. The 

 piggery is recruited from the Berkshire breed. The low grade of study 

 here is justly attributed to excessive labors, but the price of hired 

 labor is alleged in palliation. The school of La-Roche is greatly bene- 

 fited by the annual reunions of the Agricultural Society of Doubs on 

 its farm. Besides a regular farm-equipment, it has a flour-mill and 

 circular saw, driven by a portable steam-engine, which also drives a 

 thrashing-machine, a laundry, and a root-cutter. A distillery, a Gruy^re 

 cheese-dairy, producing 15,000 pounds of cheese per annum, and a forge, 

 give considerable extra employment to pupils. A four-year rotation is 

 followed: 1, weeded plants; 2, wheat; 3, half clover and half annual 

 forage- plants; 4, two-thirds oats and one-third rye. This rotation is 

 maintained by heavy manuring. A large number of farm-animals are 

 kept, and oil-cake and sugar-beet pulp are purchased to supplement 



