SHEEP. 27 



millions of kilos the total produce. I have raised all these 

 averages, as appearing to me too low.* 



It is easy to foresee how this result, which appears 

 already so great for the British Isles, becomes enormous 

 when speaking of England alone. England feeds two 

 sheep per hectare, whilst the average for France is only 

 two-thirds of a head ; and the produce of the English 

 sheep being besides double that of the French, it fol- 

 lows that the average return of an English sheep-farm is 

 six times greater than a French one. 



This sad disproportion does not hold good, doubtless, 

 for some French farms, where the rearing of sheep is as 

 well understood as in England, and where they are even in 

 the way of excelling our neighbours by a judicious mix- 

 ture of English and Merino blood. It is sufficient to refer, 

 among others, to the magnificent flocks of M. Pluchet at 

 Trappes (Seine-et-Oise), that of M. Malingie' at La Char- 

 moise (Loir-et-Cher), and the crossings which are being 

 carried on in the State folds, particularly at Alfort. But 

 France in general remains far behind. Ireland, alone of 

 the British Isles, is on a par with us as regards sheep ; 

 even Scotland is superior ; and these figures, in themselves 

 so striking, are far from showing the full amount of bene- 



* These calculations are no doubt perfectly sufficient, up to the measure of the 

 information we possess, to warrant the striking result as to the superiority of 

 British agriculture at which M. Lavergne arrives ; and we have been surprised, 

 from the nature of the materials with which he has had to deal, on this as on 

 other occasions, at the superior discrimination he shows in the estimate which he 

 adopts. It is well known that in this country no means have hitherto existed 

 capable of affording correct data as to our agricultural wealth ; and the vague 

 and various statements upon many points which our best statisticians put forth, 

 attest too truly that we are more indebted to individual ingenuity and bold 

 assumption for attempted definite results, than to any opportunity of access, on 

 the part of those who hazard such conclusions, to superior information. It is 

 believed they manage these matters better in France. We have no means of 

 showing precisely the total number of live stock maintained in Great Britain, far 

 less of ascertaining the numbers annually slaughtered ; and we know this has 

 been variously estimated at from a third up to fully two-fifths of the whole 



