566 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



pounds of oats per day. In summer, clover is given instead of 

 hay and straw, seven pounds of oats, and their water whitened 

 with rye-meal. In another district, in winter, about six quarts 

 of oats, thirty-live pounds of hay, or, in place of fifteen pounds 

 of hay, about seventy pounds or a bushel of carrots. In sum 

 mer, seven quarts of oats : eighty pounds of green clover are 

 given. Instead of the oats, about four quarts of bruised beans 

 are allowed. The Flemish are always anxious to have their 

 horses in the best possible working condition. Excepting only 

 the white drink, the keeping of the French horses does not ma 

 terially differ from that of the Flemish. The advantages of 

 cutting and mixing food for horses are universally acknowledged, 

 on the score of economy to the farmer, and of utility to the 

 animal fed. 



5. SWINE. The swine are almost every where on the Con 

 tinent, as far as I saw them, miserable ; lank, lean, gaunt, and, 

 if they have not a good point about them, they certainly have 

 other points in great profusion. If it was a herd of such swine 

 as one meets with continually in France and on the Continent, 

 which were on one occasion driven into the sea and there 

 perished, the owners certainly could have had little ground of 

 complaint. At Grignon I saw some of the improved breeds 

 of England introduced, and it is to be hoped that they will 

 extend themselves ; at present the race seems under a curse. 



6. SHEEP. I shall say little of the sheep of the Continent. 

 The sheep seen on the rich meadows in Holland are of a large 

 size, with long, coarse wool and a heavy fleece. The Saxony 

 sheep are well known for the fineness of their wool, their small 

 size, and their tenderness of constitution. I have already said 

 that I found some excellent results at Grignon and Alfort from 

 crossing the Merino with the South Down, but sufficient time 

 has not been had to decide whether it may be persevered in with 

 advantage a point no where yet determined. 



The pure Merino sheep, which were exhibited at Poissy from 

 the farm of Mr. Gilbert, near Grignon, and originally of the 

 stock at Rambouillet, were, beyond all comparison, the finest of 

 the kind I have ever seen : and, I believe, of the very best kind 

 of sheep, for the United States, which could be raised. They 



