Imple- 
anents. 
_ 1-6th of the w 
698 FRANCE: 
Statistics. most other districts of France. There is not a 
in England closer, thicker, or better inclosed ; 
what is uncommon in France, the and stiles are 
in order. Commons are not met with in France, 
at ect ie tien.namne conse. i Weis AT AIE a 
England; but common fields abound, they are 
cursed with all the mischievous consequences w 
attend them in England, such as rights of common pas- 
turage commencing on given days when under corn, 
and throughout the fallow year. There is a great deal 
of common field land in Picardy, Artois, part of Nor- 
mandy, the Isle of France, Brie, the Pays de Beauce, 
and a ang whole neg aren Loire. E oatk aie 
district, ‘armers are in the practice ing an 
exchange with the poor, who have the right of common 
pasturage. This they buy. off, assigning an acre or 
more to every cottage in the parish. 
It is a singular circumstance, that some of the poor- 
est and least improved provinces, are precisely those 
which are best and most generally inclosed: hence it 
is easy to perceive, that the mere existence of inclo- 
sures is not in France, as in England, a proof of the 
advancing state of agriculture. The chief cause of new 
inclosures in France, is, that the communities in many 
parishes, in different parts of the kingdom, and more 
especially in the vicinity of the Pyrenees, being pro- 
prietors of the wastes, sell them to any person who ap- 
plies for the property, in absolute assignment ; in con- 
sequence of which, the purchaser has the power of in- 
closure: whereas, in the waste plains of Brittany, An- 
jou, Maine, and Guienne, the seigneurs are the sole 
and absolute proprietors, and they will not sell, but only 
feu their estates. Herice the waste lands remain un- 
changed and unimproved. The government of France, 
before the Revolution, took some measures to enforce 
or facilitate a general inclosure with respect to some of 
the provinces, more particularly with regard to Lor- 
raine, in 1764 and 1765; but the ular objections 
and prejudices against inclosures, such weight, that 
at the commencement of the Revolution, strong remon- 
strances were presented against them, and certainly the 
proportion of inclosed land has not considerably increa- 
he cereal vey lem eral F 
icultural implements in use in France 
are very rude and anetliek in seneiats as well as in 
construction ; the plough in most parts is almost entirely 
of wood, and scratches and pushes forward the soil, in- 
stead of penetrating to any depth, or turning it over. 
In the vicinity the Pyrenees, a light imperfect 
plough, similar to what the Romans , and drawn 
by a pair of weak cows, is not uncommon. In the neigh- 
pet of Toulouse, a better plough is seen, Keety 
good construction, to which two strong oxen are yoked, 
theploughman driving them by meansof along staff, that 
answers the double purpose of a goad and a paddle. 
TRS. se, Of Cease She AHeOw, te, PROC Sonn AR 
France, and are yoked in a different manner from 
what is ised in England: A piece of wood, of about 
ight of an English yoke, is put across 
the forehead of the cattle, the extremities of which are 
neatly hollowed out, so as to fit the mould of the head, 
and the hollows lined with a piece of woolly sheep skin, 
to answer the purpose of a soft pad or cushion. This 
light and yoke is braced to the horns with a small 
thong of leather, to the middle of which the beam of 
the h is attached; the animals are thus complete- 
ly eqnipped for their labour. It seldom that 
more than two oxen are yoked in a plough. In the 
north of France, as well.as in some of the eastern, 
western, and middle provinces, horses are more com- 
manner, some farmers havethree binotsto eight 
some two binots to five 
ploughs. Only one and two 
ployed ; the furrow which it makes is from five to si 
es in depth, Its operation is different from that 
the common plough, since it does not turn over 
land, but elevates it into small ridges, by which 
the weeds are exposed i 
the dry weather. After the binot, the land is ah 
det a for the seed furrows, The harrows, in ge- 
neral use, are eaeeny imperfect in principle and con- 
0 
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as 
By 
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4 
5 
2 
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Picts 
i 
France, each drawn by a single horse, with about half 
a dozen drivers a’ 
in common use, consists principally of two parts—the 
carriage and the body ; dhe carriage Gurt vey GEN, 
being composed of two long shafts of wood, about 20 
feet in length, connected together 
sion may require: in the same manner, the sides, a 
front and back may be added at pleasure. The axle 
and wheels are in the usual place and form. The move- 
able body is fixed on this carriage ; it consists ofa simi- 
lar frame work, of two shafts, connected by cross bars. 
This body moves upon an axletree, and extending some 
feet beyond the carriage behind, it is let down with 
ease to recover its load, while the body, moving on a 
pivot, or axle, is easily purchased up from before. 
In France, before the Revolution, and even since that Roads. 
event, the construction and repair of the roads is 
lodged with the government. The great military roads, 
especially that over the Simplon, are excellent, with re- 
to the principle on which they are constructed, 
the materials of which they are formed, and the 
whole of their gn But so bare which were 
not n ‘or military purp ve in 
shaancnelly negl H although it was stated, 
in the year 1806, by the minister of finance, that 
more than thirty-five millions of francs were annu- 
ally requisite for the reparation of the roads and public 
works. - 1809, a nonere of laws was pri 
garding the management e roads ; in-which a lz 
passed in the time of the Republic, for establishing the 
use of broad te 1 ye wheels, is strongly enforced. 
According to this law, the wheels of heavy waggons 
were to be nine inches three lines broad ; and they are 
allowed to only a certain weight, which varies du- 
ring the five winter and seven summer months. It was 
also enacted, that in those parts of the kingdom where 
the roads were paved, the passing upon the pavement 
should be suspended during those seasons when they 
by cross bars, so as _ 
to form the bed ; on this the boards are laid; ‘as ocea- 
