FARMERS' REGISTER. 



265 



In the second place, hirini^ at money rent is 

 mucli more g^nenil since tlie revolution; and il 

 France continues quiet, and recovers li'om the in- 

 jurious consequences of tlie revolution, it may rea- 

 eonabiy be expected that this species of tenure 

 will become more and more prevalent. 



In the third place, leudal tenures are done away 

 as well as liilies, game laws, corvics, &c. In 

 some parts, however, the tenants, by tiieir cove- 

 nants with their landlords, are still bound to per- 

 form some services, but by the law, they must be 

 entirely of an agricultural description. 



In the fourth place, the two other species of 

 tenure, iliat is, monopoly, where men of property 

 hired jfreat tracts of land at a money-rent, and re- 

 let it in small divisions, and ilic s^-siem of metay- 

 ing, still exist, though not nearly to such an ex- 

 tent, or in such an o'ppressive and ruinous Ibrm, 

 as before the revolution. Indeed, when we con- 

 eider that these species of tenure vvere the un- 

 avoidable and necessary consequences of indequate 

 agricultural capital, we cannot expect that they 

 should be abolithed by the mere operation of law, 

 or by the direct effects ol" any revolution, however 

 wisely [)lanned and carried into execuiion, {',', 

 however, we find tliat they gradually die away, 

 which seems to be the case, we may salely and 

 rationally maintain, that the revolution, besides the 

 <iirect benefits which il has bestowed on agricul- 

 ture, by ihe abolition of feudal tenures, and par- 

 tial and oppressive (axes, has indirectly proved ad- 

 vantageous to this first of all arts, by placing in the 

 hands of those who |)ursue it more adequate ca- 

 pital. 



Such are the benefits which the revolution has 

 conlerred on the agriculture of France, and which 

 have manifesled themselves, notwithstanding the 

 military despotism, which, after exhausting and 

 weakening her for the purpose of enslaving the 

 continent of t.urope, has at length brought down 

 upon iier a just retribution for her too leady ac- 

 quiescence m its schemes. These, however, are 

 only partial and temporary evils; and we n)ay I 

 confidently predict, that when they are passed 

 away, the agriculture of France, which, from her 

 excellent climate and easily worked soil, must al- 

 ways be the staple branch of her national industry, 

 and the principal source from which elie must 

 draw her political influence and military power, 

 will be ibuud to have come out from the ordeal 

 purified unci refined, and the condition of her agri- 

 cultural population in every respect greatly ame- 

 horated. 



It is not easy to ascertain the distribution of the 

 land in France. According to Mr. Younff, there 

 are of arable land 70,000,000 acres; under the 

 culture of the vine 5,000,000; in woods 19,850,000, 

 in meadow and rich pasturage 4,000,000 acres; 

 under lucerne, sainlbin, &c. 5,000,000 ; and the 

 pasturesand wastes occupy 27,150,000; thusnrik- 

 ing a total of 131,000,000 acres. This estimate, 

 however, as far as respects the numl'er of acres 

 under wood, is certainly over-rated, though Mr. 

 Young on tills point Ibllows the autliority of Mr. 

 Neckur; for a committee of the first "National 

 Assembly stated the whole extent of territory 

 covered with wood at 13,100,691 arpents, 

 of 100 perches of 28 square French feet each ; 

 whereas, according to Mr. Neckerand Mr. Young, 

 it amounted to 22,289,010 arpents. The general 

 occupation of the land in the northern provinces of 

 Vol. Mil- 34 



France, may be conceived, from the following 

 account of the distribution of a small commune! 

 Woods and meadows in the occupation ofthe pro- 

 prietor, 250 acres; two farms let, keeping two 

 ploughs each, togellier eight horses, 300 acres ; 

 10 freehoklers, ^keeping one plough each, together 

 20 horses, 750 acres ; 28 freeholders, keepmg no 

 horses, occupying 250 acres ; in all, 1550 acres, 

 of which 1300 were arable. These are distributed 

 as follows : under fallow 433, unde.'- wheat 433, 

 under oats 433. Those who have no ploughs 

 pay 40 francs (,33.s. Ad.) per acre to their neigh- 

 bors for the team labor of the whole course, \iz, 

 lour [)loughings on the liillow, and one ploughin"- 

 liar oats ; four loads of dung per acre carted on the 

 liillow, and the harvest carting. Those prop.netors 

 who possess no ploughs are laborers, and in gen- 

 eral work for the person who performs the plouirh- 

 ing of their land. The number of acres ploughed 

 in this commune annually is 2165, or aboiTt 7^ 

 acres per day lor 14 ploughs, leaving sufficient time 

 ibr harrowing, harvest, and the carting ol dung. 



The rent of land is low in most par's of France. 

 Before the revolution, the rent of the arable and 

 lucerne land was averaged by Mr. Young at 15s. 

 Id. ; of the woods at 12.s. ; ofthe vineyards at 3/. : 

 16 : 6 ; o( the meadows at 2/. : 3:9; and the 

 wastes at Is. 9d, At present, extremely good 

 land in jNormandy may be got for 30s. per acre ; 

 ISs. and 203. are more common. In other districts, 

 it is even very much lower. The price of land of 

 course ts proj)orlionally low. Belore the revolu- 

 tion, the average price" of all the cultivated land in 

 the kingdom, was estimated by Mr. Young at 20/. 

 the English acre. In 1814, Mr. Birkbeclc men- 

 tions an estate near Cosne of 1000 acres arable, 

 and 500 wood land, let on lease Ibr nine years Ibr 

 375Z. sterling, which might be bought Ibr 22 

 years' purchase, or 8333/.^ It is proper to add, 

 however, that one-third of the arable land of this 

 farm was poor cold clay, of little value; ivvo-ihirds 

 pretty good wheat lanti ; part dry enouizii for tur- 

 nips. In 1807, Mr. Pinckney states, that the ave- 

 rage rents from Pans to Maine were about 15s. 

 the English acre ; and the purchase from 15/. to 

 18/. The value of lands in the vine districts of 

 France, is much higher, amounting on an average 

 to upwards of 60/. per acre, according to some 

 authors; but others rate it oiily at 41/. per acre. 

 The size of farms is in general smafl ; [aw, even 

 in Normandy and the otiier provinces where agri- 

 culture is conducted on the best plan, and with the 

 greatest capital and skill, reaching 300 acres. 

 With respect to the capital employed by the farm- 

 ers, Mr. Young calculated it on an average ofthe 

 u'hole kingdom, not to exceed 40s. per acre. In 

 this, however, he was probably much mistaken. 

 At any rate, at present, the average must be much 

 higher. In French Flanders, ii is calculated that 

 a fiirm of about 250 English acres will require a 

 capital of upwards of 1500/. sterling, or about 6/. 

 5s. per English acre. In tliis estimate, the live- 

 stock is supposed to cost 716/. : 16 : 8 ; of which 

 15 horses at 16/.: 13: 4 each, 14 milch cows ar, 

 9Z. each, and 180 sheep at 17s. 3d. each, Ibrm tho 

 chief articles. The instruments of husbandry 

 Ibi m the next division olthis estimate, and amount 

 to 138Z. Ol' these the large wagon is rated at 

 upwards of 45/. ; and lighter wagons, of which 

 there are three, at nearly 20/. ; lour ploughs at 2/. 

 10s. each, besides a Dutch plough at 2/. : 12 : 6 : 



