41 8 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



contains respecting the south of France, and the great future 

 before la petite culture, are now being realised under the eyes of 

 its author. But it is not in the southern half alone of France 

 that the peasant cultivator finds a perpetually growing demand 

 for all the most remunerative kinds of his produce. The 

 enquete agricole, for instance, shows a great increase in the cul- 

 tivation of the vine in the East, the West, and the Centre, as 

 well as the South ; while in the North where the vine is, on 

 the contrary, giving way before the competition of the plant 

 of more favoured skies the demand for the produce of the 

 market-gardens, the dairy, and the orchard, afford more than a 

 compensation. It deserves, moreover, passing remark that the 

 little gardens and orchards round the cottages of the peasantry 

 form, by reason of their careful and generous cultivation, the 

 greater portion of the class of land which in French agricultural 

 statistics obtains the denomination of terrains de quality sup^ri- 

 eure. For dairy-husbandry, la petite culture, with its minute and 

 assiduous attention, has such eminent aptitude that, even with 

 respect to England, M. de Lavergne remarks : 



Although everything tends to proscribe small farming though it has no 

 support, as in France, from a small proprietary and a great distribution of 

 capital though the prevailing agricultural theories and systems of farming 

 are opposed to it, yet it persists in some places, and everything leads to the 

 belief that it will maintain its ground. The manufacture of cheese, for example, 

 which is quite a domestic industry, is well adapted to it. 



He adds, what is not to be left out of account, for it is not an 

 account merely of pounds, shillings, and pence : 



There is nothing so delightful as the interior of these humble cottages ; so 

 clean and orderly, the very air about them breathes peace, industry, and 

 happiness ; and it is pleasing to think that they are not likely to be done 

 away with.^ 



The raising and fattening of cattle for the market is another 

 great department of husbandry which la petite cjilture has almost 

 to itself in France ; yet it must be confessed that it is though 

 a marked improvement is visible not as yet generally carried 



1 " Rural Economy of Great Britain." 



