564 



French Agricultural Budget. [dec, 



crop obtained from 125 acres. In Paraguay the yield is some- 

 what more. As a means of transport there exist at present 

 only the railway named above and the Parana River, and 

 distance from these commercial routes is a most important 

 consideration in the development of the trade. The cost of 

 transport becomes excessive when the distance exceeds 10 to 

 1 5 miles, as the haulage has to be done by oxen and the 

 roads or tracks are usually very bad. In order to shorten the 

 transport and free themselves from the railway monopoly, 

 several firms are endeavouring to construct their own railway 

 connection with the Parana ports. 



Particulars of the total extent of the Quebracho country are 

 not available, but it is probable that large quantities of this 

 timber exist, though at the present time only the smallest part 

 is economically valuable, as the trees are so thinly distributed 

 over great areas. 



The Budget of the French Ministry of Agriculture for the 

 French ^ ear as rev * se d by the Budget Corn- 

 Agricultural mission, amounts to £i 9 755,000. The 

 Budget. various purposes to which the money is 

 applied will be gathered from the following table : — 



Salaries and expenses of the Central Administration 



and 



£ 



miscellaneous expenses 





60,700 



Assistance to agriculturists for losses from hail, 



fire, 





floods, &c 





62,000 



Subventions to mutual insurance societies ... 





36,000 



Agricultural and horticultural education 







Miscellaneous subventions, prizes, rewards, &c. 





84,200 



Bounties for silkworm culture and cultivation of flax 



and 





hemp 





259,100 



Protection of vineyards against phjlloxeia ... 





9,400 



Prevention of fraud in butter and margarine 





5>9oo 



Veterinary schools ... ... 





44,600 



Diseases of animals, compensation, &c. 





42^600 



State horse-breeding establishments 





3r5>7oo 



Irrigation, drainage, embankment, &c 





126,700 



Management of State forests 





552,600 



1,754,600 



