BRITISH AND FRENCH AGRICULTURE. 161 



It may be convenient to recapitulate these facts in 

 tabular form : — 



But if the extent to which the land of the two countries 

 is utilised for agriculture is not very dissimilar, the 

 methods of its utilisation differ very widely. In France 

 four-fifths of the agricultural land is under arable cultiva- 

 tion, whereas in the United Kingdom the plough holds 

 sway over not more than two-fifths. The variety of 

 crops capable of successful cultivation in France is no 

 doubt one among the many and diverse reasons for this 

 wide difference. It has been said that France is the only 

 country in Europe where the soil and climate are capable 

 of producing everything that is required by its inhabitants, 

 whether for food or raiment. Arthur Young divided the 

 country into three zones : the most southern being 

 bounded by the line north of which maize will not produce 

 corn as a farm crop ; the central, situated between that 

 line and the northern limit of vines ; and the northern 

 zone, of course, lying beyond that limit. 



The principal crops grown in the two countries may be 

 shown concisely in a table, giving the acreage under each 

 in parallel columns, it being remembered in appreciating 

 their relative importance that the proportion of, roughly, 

 two to one represents the difference in the agricultural 

 area of France and the United Kingdom. 



1 " Mountain and Heath Land used for grazing " — Great 

 Britain only. 



2 For Great Britain in 1895, for Ireland in 1903. 



A.F. M 



