12 RITUAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



Auvergne, Dauphin^, Provence, and Languedoc. As to 

 the clay soils, they are nowhere so stiff as in England ; 

 and in France I have never met with any clay like that 

 of Sussex/' This celebrated agriculturist renders similar 

 homage to the sky of France. " We know" says he with 

 pride, " how to turn our climate to best account, and the 

 French in this respect are still in their infancy!' * But as 

 regards the intrinsic value of the two climates, he does 

 not hesitate to give ours the preference. This conviction 

 is repeated in every page of his book ; and yet, in spite of 

 exceptions of detail Numerous, no doubt, but which do 

 not destroy the broad fact England, even previous to 

 1848, was better cultivated and more productive over 

 an equal surface, than the north-west of France. The 

 Lowlands of Scotland at least rivalled the east ; and 

 even Ireland, poor as it is, was richer in production than 

 our south. The Highlands of Scotland alone, as a whole, 

 are surpassed by their corresponding region, and that not 

 from any fault of the inhabitants. There is, however, a 

 portion of the French territory beyond the Continental 

 bounds, which may be compared to the Scotch Highlands 

 for the actual value of its productions, notwithstanding 

 the great disproportion between their natural resources. 

 I mean the island of Corsica. And this comparison may 

 be extended still further : both countries are difficult of 

 approach, and both were at one time possessed by an un- 

 tamable race of herdsmen and robbers. 



If France has remained behind the United Kingdom, 

 she is considerably in advance of the other nations of the 

 world, excepting Belgium and Upper Italy, which possess 

 superior natural advantages. The causes of this relative 

 inferiority, however, do not originate with our agricultural 

 population the most laborious, intelligent, and economical, 



