324 



French Agricultural Inquiry. 



The following table shows the number of farm animals 

 in France at the last three enumerations : — 



Animals. 



1862. 



1882. 



1892. 



Horses 



Mules 



Asses 



Cattle 



Sheep 



Pigs - - - 

 Goats - - - - 



2,914,412 



330 5 987 

 396,237 

 12,811,589 

 29,529,678 



6,037,543 

 1,726,398 



2,837,952 

 250,673 



395,833 

 12,997,054 

 23,809,433 

 7,146,996 

 1,851,134 



2,794,5 2 9 

 217,083 

 368,695 

 13,708,997 

 21,115,713 

 7,421,073 

 1,845,088 



The number of horses and asses thus appears to have 

 declined, while mules show a very considerable falling off. 

 As regards cattle, which exhibit an increase, it may be 

 noted that bulls have declined from 339,000 in 1862 to 

 285,000 in 1892 ; and that draught oxen also show an appre- 

 ciable diminution from 1,518,501 to 1,387,050 since 1882.. 

 Cows (6,406,261 in 1862 and 6,673,460 in 1892), and more par- 

 ticularly young cattle, however, show a marked increase.. 

 The large decline in sheep appears to extend to all classes 

 and ages, but comparison in detail with 1862 cannot be made. 

 Pigs appear to have increased, and goats exhibit a similar 

 tendency. 



Poultry and rabbits formed a subject of investigation, and 

 the numbers of these farmyard animals are returned as 

 follows : — Fowls, 54 millions (showing a progressive advance 

 from 43 millions in 1862); geese, 3,500,000 ; ducks, 3,700,000; 

 turkeys, 2,000,000 ; guinea fowl, 300,000 ; pigeons, 8,000,000 ; 

 and rabbits, 15,000,000. 



Judging from a comparison between the single years 1882 

 and 1892, it would seem that the consumption of meat 

 (home produce), especially pig -meat, is increasing, the 

 total net weight which the slaughtered animals are reckoned 

 to have yielded having been 1,322,893 tons in 1892, as 

 compared with 1,217,818 tons in 1882. Poultry and game 

 are not comprised in these totals, nor is horseflesh, of 

 which statistics are for the first time collected. This latter 

 item amounts to nearly 12.000 tons in the year. So far as 

 a total for 1862 can be given, the total quantity of beef, 

 veal, and mutton (but apparently not lamb) was 571,073 



