FRANCE. 177 



This memoir lets us very much into the 

 flate of hufbartdry in Beauce, where the 

 great culture prevails, and where the lands 

 are very good, compared to what they are 

 in many other provinces. It appears, in 

 the firft place, that they are tied down to 

 fallowing one third of their lands every 

 year, which is a pra&ice that is found, in 

 many parts of France, to be totally unne- 

 cefTary ; but, while the fields continue operi, 

 it is unavoidable in a large parifh, as all the 

 farmers and proprietors will never come into 

 fchemes of new management. The whole 

 farm is arable, yet is there, befides the 

 teams, ten cows kept; thefe, and the horfes, 

 therefore, in Summer can have nothing to 

 eat but what thep can pick up upon the fal- 

 lows, or in the roads, which makes it ne- 

 cefTary for the farmers to leave their fallows 

 weedy : hence, therefore, muft refult a lofs 

 in the crop. In the flocking his farm, the 

 French peafant fets out fadly ; three ploughs 

 bought for 4!. 155. and harrows at half a 

 crown a piece : thefe muft be very weak 

 and infufficient tools for the work they have 

 to perform, or elfe the work muft be done 

 in a very incomplete manner. Confidering 

 VOL. IV. N the 



