CROPS. THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 373 



CXIV. CROPS. 



The common crops of France are wheat, rye, barley, oats, 

 beans, and potatoes ; but its peculiar crops are, beets for sugar, 

 grapes for wine, and silk. Leguminous crops, or esculent vegeta 

 bles, excepting to a comparatively small amount, for human food, 

 are little cultivated ; oats and barley, it seemed to me, only to a 

 limited extent ; buckwheat, in the poorer parts of the country, 

 in a small measure ; and although the southern portions of 

 France, or more than one half of the kingdom, would produce 

 Indian corn, it does not appear to be largely cultivated, and its 

 value seems imperfectly appreciated. Hay, or grass for hay, 

 cannot be said to be largely cultivated ; but there are extensive 

 meadows, which are left in permanent grass. Of the grasses 

 cultivated for feeding, lucern (if it may be called a grass) and 

 sainfoin occupy the first place. The former, when cut green, 

 forms the principal food of the stock during the summer, and 

 when dried makes also an excellent fodder. Vetches do not 

 appear to be extensively cultivated, the preference being decidedly 

 given to lucern. Beans and lentils are cultivated in some 



o 



districts. Hemp, tobacco, and flax, are likewise grown ; but 

 they cannot be considered as prominent crops. Cabbages are 

 sometimes largely cultivated for stock; turnips rarely; and few 

 fields of ruta-baga, of any great extent, have ever met my eye. 

 I have seen large crops of colza and rape, but they do not pre 

 dominate. It must be understood that I make these observations 

 with great diffidence. France is a large territory : different 

 portions of it, in all their habits, differ much from other portions. 

 It would require years to give a thorough and perfect account of 

 its husbandry, instead of a brief and cursory examination, which 

 is all that my limits admit of. 



CXV. THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



In travelling through France, one is constantly impressed with 

 the immense tracts of land which are in forest. The forest con- 

 VOL. ii. 32 



