324 



FARMERS^ R i: G 1 S T E R 



In some parts of Brittany, parsnips are culti- 

 vated. The eeerl is povvn in February or March, 

 and the parsnips are raised out oi' the ground in 

 October or November. 'J'hey are chieHy employ- 

 ed in ftittenlng cattle and huirs. Lupins ([trinci- 

 pally lupinus albus) are grown very extensively 

 in tlie southern districts, either on the wheat stub- 

 bles, as winter food lor their Hocio ; or for the 

 sake of the seed, which is eaten by the inhabi- 

 tants. Of all the species of clover, irefijil, or yel- 

 low clover, is most, abundant, especially in the 

 south. It is generally sown as Ibrage on ihe 

 wheal stubbles. In the district of the Pyrenees, 

 these are ploughed in tlie beginning of August, 

 and the clover seed is harrowed, or rather runbed 

 in, by means of a piece of word fixed to the plough. 

 This clover produces much luxuriant and valua- 

 ble Ibod ibr sheep and lambs early in the spring, 

 al'ter vvliich it is watered, and produces by the end 

 of May a full crop of hay ; it is then ploughed up, 

 and haricots, maize, or millet planted, either of 

 which is ort' in tinie for putting in wheat. The 

 other kinds of cluver, till very lately, were scarce- 

 ly met with any where, except in French Flan- 

 ders; but within these very lew years, what the 

 French call prairies artijicielles, which were less 

 pro|)erly artificial gras^ses, have been introduced 

 jutn several districts. Still these and turnips, the 

 two grand distinguishing Jeatures of good hus- 

 bandry in Great IJritain, are comparatively little 

 known or valued in France. 



The case, however, is very diRerent with re- 

 spect to lucerne and sainlbin. The culture of the 

 Jbrmer is one of the principal features of French 

 husbandry. It is the medica of the ancients, so 

 called because it came originally from Med.a ; and 

 and spreading I hi ough Persia, it became at length 

 known to the Greeks, who cultivated it assiduous- 

 ly, and recommended it highly. From Greece it 

 was transferred to Italy, and before the lime of 

 Cato or Virgil, it was in the highest credit with 

 the Romans. It flourished with them as loni^ as 

 their empire flourished. Belbre the destruction of 

 the empire, it seems to have been carried into 

 Spain; orperha|)s it was introduced there by the 

 Moors, with whom, durinij their abode in that 

 country, it was in hiizh esteem. When Ihe aits 

 revived, it returned again into Italy, and was as- 

 siduously cullivaled in that country, especially 

 in the kingdom of Naples ; 1 hence it aiivanced 

 into the southern part of France ; and from the 

 place where it was first or princi|)ally cultivated, it 

 was called grand trefle, trefle, ov Join de Bour- 

 gogne. The era of its introduction into France is 

 not accurately known ; but as it passed from that 

 country into the Pirlatinate upwards of 250 years 

 ago, it of courf^e must have been longer cultivated 

 in France. It is now grown in Picardy, Isle of 

 France, Rousillon. Lniguedoc, Gascony, Poitou, 

 Touraine, Artois, Normandy, Daupbiny, and Pro- 

 vence, 10 a great extent, and partially in other 

 districts of tlie kingdom. It is invariably sown 

 broadcast, and generally without corn, though 

 sometimes with oats. It is cut for the first time, 

 in the southern districts, about the end of April ; 

 in the northern districts o! course later. Where 

 irrigation is practised, it is watered every 40 days 

 after the first cutiing, to the extent of five cuttings 

 in all. If" the land be not watered, it is cut thrice 

 with a lull product, where Ihe soil and climate are 

 favorable, and the mamgcmcnt good. Tlie wa- 



tering, however, brings it to maturity, or rather 

 decay, comparatively quickly, since in this case 

 its duration is not above seven or eight years, but 

 on other lands twelve, six'een, twenty, and even 

 thirty years. In some parts of Rousillon, they 

 take throe crops of wheal alier lucerne. This crop 

 is ;i[)t to get weedy. In which case, in some of' 

 the southern districts, it is cleaned by means of 

 ploughing it in the winter wiih a narrow pointed 

 share, during frosty weaiher. This operation, per- 

 formed at liiis season, kills the weeds, but does 

 not injure the lucerne. Where the land is not 

 very rich, or where it is not intended to crop it 

 severely, the practice of sowing wheat after it, is 

 not pursued ; but barley and oats cut green, or 

 made into hay, and not suflered to ripen, are taken. 

 By this management, the roots of the lucerne, 

 which are not easily or soon eradicated, and which 

 would prove injurious to crops of corn, are turned 

 to advanlawe. the shoots from them mixing with the 

 forage of the barley or oats. The produce of 

 course varies considerably in weight, in the 

 neighborhood of Liancourt, where ii is well man- 

 aged, tliree cuttings will yield 1600 bottles of hay, 

 each of 12 lbs. or 19,200 lbs. which is above seven 

 ;ons the English acre. In general, the crop may 

 be estimated at 12,000 lbs. or rather more than five 

 Ions the English acre. The hay made from the 

 two first cuttings, is generally given to horses. 

 The hay from the three cuttings to cows. We 

 have been thus particular in our account of the 

 lucerne husbandry of France, since, as we have 

 already remarked, it forms one of its best and most 

 ditinguishing filatures. 



Sainfoin is not nearly so generally cultivated, ^ 

 and certainly by no means so well mtinaged, nor 

 so valuable a crop, either in its actual produce, or 

 as a preparation Ibr other crops, as lucerne is. In 

 England, sainlbin generally lasts from eight to 

 twelve years. In France, it seldom lasts more 

 than lour or five years. It is usually sown 

 with a second or third crop of corn; and, in 

 some places, the farmers do not think of ihia 

 grass till their lands are so full of weeds, and 

 so exhausted, that ihey will produce corn no long- 

 er. This management, and the circumstance that 

 their leases are generally short, iseldum extend- 

 ing beyond nine years, suflicienlly accounts for 

 this crop not being kept in the ground so long as 

 it is in England ; for certainly, with respect to 

 soil, France is peculiarly liivorable lor this crop; 

 and yet in some of the districts where it might be 

 introduced with great advantage and profit, it is 

 not grown. 'J'he culture of tobacco was Ibrmerly 

 prohibited in France, except in certain parts: as 

 Pont de I'Arche, Normandy, Vertus, in the de- 

 partment of the Marne, Picardy, Mont Auban, 

 Tonnnnir, a small town in the department of the 

 IjOt and Garonne, Clerac, another town in the 

 same department. Hainault, Artois and Franche 

 Compte were similarly privileged ; bul the soil of 

 these [irovinces was decidedly hostile to the cul- 

 tivation of the tobacco plant. At present, it is 

 principally cultivated in Alsace. The average 

 produce of France is estimated at twelve millions 

 pounds annually ; but the quality is not good. 



It has already incidentally appeared, that mil- 

 let is cultivated to a considerable extent in the_ 

 southern districts of France. In some parts of 

 Gascony, it is sown on three feet ridges, with 

 three irregular rows on each ridge, and carefully 



