22G CHYMISTRY APPLIED TO AGRICULTURE. 



the country, have necessarily increased the number of 

 land-owners ; but will this increase be unlimited ? No ; 

 it will stop when the advantage of extensive agricultural 

 operations is more fully realized, and when the produce 

 of the soil can no longer liberally pay the labor of which it 

 is the object. 



To elucidate this question, let us see what has taken 

 place hitherto. 



In districts devoted to the greater crops, the division of 

 land has had no sensible effect; everywhere we find the 

 same extent of agricultural improvement, and the supplies 

 of cattle, corn, fodder, and wood for the market have 

 suffered in no way. 



In a very large number of communities, of which al- 

 most the whole territory belonged either to the nobles or 

 to the clergy, those of the inhabitants who were already 

 proprietors have bought as much as suited their con- 

 venience, and those who were not proprietors have be- 

 come so. 



But it is particularly in districts devoted to the lesser 

 crops, that the division of property takes place; there, 

 almost all the labor is manual. The culture of the vine, 

 and that of the different kinds of pulse, require particular 

 care and intelligent superintendence. To this the small 

 proprietor consecrates all his time; he labors at the best 

 times and the most favorable seasons ; he employs the rest 

 of his time in laboring for the public. 



Let us now observe the results of the division of the 

 soil into small estates. 



These results may be considered with reference to three 

 points : the interest of agriculture, the welfare of the state, 

 and public morality. 



1. The interest of agriculture. 



When a large proprietor directs his information and 

 his wealth to agricultural improvements, this is without 

 doubt advantageous to agriculture ; but these examples 

 are rare. The cultivation of a large domain is usually 

 entrusted to farmers, who follow step by step the received 

 methods, and do not venture to adopt useful changes, be- 

 cause the shortness of their leases does not permit them 

 to hope to reap the benefits of them. It is rare, too, that 

 in a very extensive tillage, there is enough of hands, of 

 manure, and of working cattle, to carry cultivation to its 

 perfection. 



