64 EXTRACTS FROM DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR [June 1895. 



REPORTS. 



six years ago with the means of easily buying land without 

 having recourse either to their own pockets or to those of the 

 Jews. This was done by the extension to the Kingdom of 

 Poland, of the " Peasants' Land Bank " of Russia, with facilities 

 infinitely greater than those given to the Russian peasants. 

 This bank, however, has not yet had the desired result, but 

 a reform of the statutes, with a view of removing the difficulties 

 which prevent the institution from working properly in Poland, 

 was announced by the official organ of the Government of War- 

 saw, the Warschaivski Dniewnik of the 22nd December 1893, 

 and the deep interest taken by the Government in the question 

 makes it probable that the reforms will before long be effected. 



One of the great difficulties is that when an estate is sold, 

 and subdivided in lots among the peasants, the statutes of the 

 Bank require that the amount advanced should be mortgaged on 

 the whole property, each holding thus becoming responsible for 

 the others. This solidarity, which probably has its origin in the 

 system existing in many parts of Russia, where the peasants 

 hold property in common, is repugnant to the Polish peasant^ 

 who does not want to answer for anyone but himself. 



[Foreign Office Report, Miscellaneous Series, JSlo. 355. Price 

 2id] 



Agriculture in France. 



A Report on the Agriculture, Bounties, and General Trade of 

 France, compiled by Sir J. A. Crowe, Her Majesty's Commercial 

 Attache at Paris, has been issued by the Foreign Office. 



The Report states ihat the position of agriculture in France 

 is, no doubt, better now than it was in 1893, but the progress 

 which has been made is by no means satisfactory to persons 

 connected with the management of land. Not that in France 

 depression has been felt without energetic artificial means being 

 applied to its cure, but that in spite of the energy and variety 

 of the remedies applied, recovery is not anything like what 

 sanguine people expected. 



Notwithstanding all efforts, the general and universal com-, 

 plaint is that agjicultural produce — viz., cereals, butter, cheese,'i 

 wine, sugar, cattle, sheep-— has fallen in price to such an extentq 

 that little or no margin of profit remains to the producer. 



Reference is made in the Report to the discussion on agri- 

 cultural depression in France during the debate, in February 

 last, in the French Chamber of Deputies, on the Budget of 

 the Agricultural Department. In this debate, the principal 

 speakers pointed out that the continued depression of agri-^ 

 culture was proved by the absence of all trace of cultivation^ 



