217 



Salers cows. The sheep are Charruoise. A biennial rotation is used j 

 rye yields 23 bushels per acre and oats 40. The school of Yilleneuve 

 presents cultural* and economic conditions analogous to the two last 

 named ; very unpromising resources have received a considerable de- 

 velopment. The school of Merlieux illustrates the process of redeem- 

 ing lands wasted by previous improvident culture. It follows a five- 

 year rotation : 1, weeded plants ; 2, winter or spring grain ; 3, meadows 

 for mowing or pasturing, maintained for three years. Lime is applied 

 with excellent results. The school of Montat practices a four-year course 

 upon calcareous and permeable soils, and a biennial course, with lim- 

 ing, upon stronger lands. Stolen crops of turnips, carrots, cabbage, 

 and corn-fodder are raised for stock feed. Winter-graiu and grapes 

 are the money-crops. The cattle number less than one head for every 

 four acres. Wheat yields from 23 to 29 bushels per acre ; oats, 57 ; 

 prairie-hay, 4 tons ; sugar-beets, from 10 to 11 tons. The school of 

 Montceaux has replaced its former two year rotation with an intensive 

 culture extending through five years ; the wheat-yield has been raised 

 to 32 bushels per acre ; rye to 29 ; oats to 57. 



The following points have been tabulated from the report of Inspector- 

 General Lembezat concerning nine schools in sixteen southwestern de 

 partments : 



Schooli;. 



Department. 



Vbavaignac 



Moots 



Machorre.. 

 Lavallade .. 



Beyrie 



Tola 



Bazin 



Royat. 



PuilUoreau . 



Haute-Vienne 



Vienne 



Gironde 



Dordogne 



LandeH 



Basses- Pyrenees . .. 



Gers 



Arriege 



Charente-Inlerieure 



Hours of 

 labor. 



Hours of 

 study. 



573 



361 



90 

 333 

 2^9 

 233 

 230 

 202 

 240 



17 to 23 



18 to 19 

 16 to 20 



16 to 23 



17 to 23 

 17 to 23 

 17 to 24 

 16 to 22 

 16 to 22 



The school of Chavaignac, with a sterile, granitic soil, cultivates 

 mostly grass and root crops, producing excellent clover with copious 

 liming. The Jerusalem artichoke has been successfully cultivated. The 

 school of Mouts pursues a very regular eight-year rotation, as follows : 



1, weeded plants ; 2, spring barley ; 3, clover ; 4, wheat ; 5, colza ; 6, 

 wheat ; 7, green forage-crops ; 8, oats. Salers cattle are used. The 

 school of Machorre has nearly 100 acres in vineyard, cultivated accord- 

 ing to the most approved methods. The school of Lavallade cultivates 

 part of its domain by the labor of its pupils, and part by tenant-farm- 

 ers. Tobacco-culture is greatly impeded by a weed exceedingly tena- 

 cious of life. Natural resources are here quite unfavorable, but the 

 course of instruction is superior. The school of Beyrie also lets out a 

 part of its farm to tenants. It follows a six-year course: 1, sugar-beets; 



2, winter vetches, followed by half- summer fallow; 3, winter- wheat, with 

 clover; 4, red clover and forage-plants; 5, corn ; 6, winter- grain, followed 

 by a stolen crop of turnips. Viticulture, in its most improved methods, 

 is a specialty. The status of theoretical instruction is criticised, but its de- 

 fects are excused by the devastations of the war. The school of Tolu ex- 



