THE WESTERN COUNTIES. 235 



parts of Belgium, Italy, or Spain, higher rents may be 

 shown, but only for small tracts. 



The average of rents in England, as in France, amounts 

 to about one-third of the gross production. This propor- 

 tion, however, varies considerably, according to the mode 

 of farming. In parts where expenses are high, rents fall 

 to one-fourth, or even to one-fifth, of the gross return ; 

 but, on the other hand, where they are low, the rent con- 

 stitutes one-half, and upwards. This is the case with 

 grass-lands, for the amount of. manual labour bestowed 

 upon them amounts to scarcely anything ; all that has 

 to be done is in a manner to reap. The capital required 

 is small, and the chances of loss small also ; the whole is 

 nearly sure profit. Thus we see rents given of as much 

 as 8 per acre. 



Grass-lands may be turned to account in three ways 

 namely, for breeding stock, fattening, and the production 

 of milk. In England, as well as in France, it is found 

 that breeding is the least profitable of the three. To 

 this only the poorest pastures are devoted ; and the 

 same system of bringing young stock, bred in the moun- 

 tain districts, to the more fertile country to be fattened, 

 is adopted equally in England and in France. But new 

 notions are opposed to these migrations of the cattle ; 

 and wherever such ideas find favour, fattening and breed- 

 ing are combined, for the basis of the system consists in 

 providing abundance of food during tender age. As yet, 

 however, the plan is but very partially adopted ; the 

 general facts point at distinction in the occupations. 

 Fattening is looked upon as the most lucrative and certain 

 where the pastures are of a better kind ; and, in fact, we 

 know, from the experience of our Normandy graziers, how 

 simple and advantageous this system is. But it is 

 the milk which carries the day both in England and in 



