FRANCE. 



315 



According to recent statistic*, the total area 

 is about 126,000,000 acres. Of these, natural 

 pastures are estimated to occupy 12,600,000 

 acres ; vines, 5,000,000 ; arable land, 02,500,- 

 000 ; gardens and orchards, 6,000,000 ; woods 

 and forests, 20,000,000; and barren waste, 

 20,000,000. The acreage occupied by the vine, 

 no greater than that of inclosed orchards and 

 gardens, may surprise those who regard France 

 as par excellence the country of the grape. 

 The average wine production of France has 

 lii-en computed at 50,000,000 hectolitres, and 

 the state finds in it resources valued at 165,- 

 000,000 francs. In 1874 the wine-crop was 

 supposed to be nearly fifty per cent, in excess 

 of the average annual production. In 18C2 

 France possessed 2,914,412 horses, against 

 2,882,851 in 1872. The same disproportion 

 exists in the cattle, which were 12,733,188, 

 against 11,284,414; and in sheep, which were 

 30,386,263, against 24,766,496. 



The results of the census of 1872, relative to 

 the religious denominations of the inhabitants, 

 were as follows : 



The separation of Alsace and Lorraine from 

 France has largely decreased the percentage 

 of Protestants and Israelites. 



Educational statistics were for the first time 

 included in the official census of 1866. In 

 order to make these statistics as perfect as pos- 

 sible, the population was divided into three 

 groups : 1. Children below the sixth year of 

 age, who are supposed not to be able to either 

 read or write ; 2. Children and youths from the 

 sixth to the twentieth year of age, the time of 

 life during which instruction of different degrees 

 is obtained ; 8. Persons of more than twenty 

 years of age, who may be regarded as having 

 completed their education. The following ta- 

 ble exhibits the general results of this special 



If the latter class is not taken into ac- 

 count, we obtain the following table of per- 

 centage : 



