FRANCE. si 



wealthy : yet the richnefs of the foil feems 

 to have reduced the people to become indo- 

 lent, rather than induftrious. 



One farmer I met with on the road, whofe 

 farm is at Thiecour, gave me the following 

 defcription of it, which I think well worth 

 inferring, as thofe who are acquainted with 

 the ftate of hufbandryin England may com- 

 pare the circumftances: he has 432 acres; 

 of which 416 are open field arable land, 16 

 are grafs inclofure, and he has liberty of 

 turning what cattle he pleafes upon fome 

 confiderable commons near his farm; his 

 houfe is a very good one ; and for the whole 

 of this he pays a rent of 147!. The land 

 is, in general, good and loamy ; all the arable 

 is in the common management of his neigh- 

 bours ; that is, firft making a fummer fal- 

 low of three ploughings, upon which they 

 fow wheat. His product varies between 

 two quarters and three and an half, but the 

 latter only, in very favourable years : his 

 manure he lays all on for wheat. Upon 

 my afking what incrcafe of product that oc- 

 cafioned, he replied, but little; in foinc 

 years, none; but that he had ufe4 wood 

 to better advantage; which, fown 

 C 3 over 



