The Agricultural Features of the Paris Exhibition. 
215 
at once admit he well deserved. In a letter we received from 
him he sa^s : — 
" The elite of this race is centered in this locality, but it occupies a great 
part of the centre of P'rance, extending over the Departments of Nievre, 
AUier, and Stine-et-Loire, and branching into Cher and Yonne. The im- 
proved race is called the Nivernais-Charolais. The stock, it is true, came 
from Charolais ; but since coming to Mifevre, the breed has been so niucli modi- 
fied and ameliorated in the form of the animals and their aptitude for work and 
fattening, that they are now completely transformed. The best specimens of 
the Nivernais-Charolais are now very much sought aft^r, not only by Fiench- 
men, but also by foreigners. The Germans, in particular, take away a number 
of our best young stock, to be re-sold in their own country by the agricultural 
societies. Some are also bought for the F'rcnch colonies. The merits of the 
race being now fully recognised, prices have risen greatly. Choice cows and 
heifers sell at from 1000 to 2000 francs— from 40^. "to 80?. a head. The bulls 
are usually sold at the age of from eight months to a year, and bring prices 
ranging fiom 800 to 3000 francs — Z'll. to loOZ. I sold a bull of my own 
breeding for 48C0 francs — 232Z. — at the age of 11 months. An annual sale of 
bulls has been instituted at Nievres, and is held in February. From 200 to 
300 bull-calves are usually sold there." 
The cows are only moderate milkers, but it is maintained 
that the Shorthorn cross effects a slight improvement in this 
respect. Though all seemed pure white in colour, and without 
3pots of any kind, a good many exhibited two strange, sand- 
coloured, waiving lines running one on each side of the backbone. 
They are from six to twelve inches apart, and stretch from the 
tail head to the shoulder-top. The lines could be seen only 
when viewed narrowly, but, once caught, could be traced quite 
distinctly. This is jocularly said to be a " harking back " to 
lines that were. 
Gascon and Carolais. — The first of these two races is to be 
found in the largest numbers in the district of Carolles, in Upper 
Ariege ; and the second in the Department of Gers. Both are 
derived from the Swiss cattle, and still present many points 
of similarity to the parent stem. Their leading quality is 
aptitude for work, at which they are very enduring. They are 
very strong and healthy, and are frequently preserved to the age 
of fifteen years. Their body is cylindrical and even, their chest 
broad and deep, bones coarse and strong, muscular development 
great, tail very high at the source ; colour usually a sort of grey, 
sometimes a sort of dun, and often tinged with black. The 
cows are fair milkers, and the quality of the beef is good. It 
cannot be said, however, that they are valuable, or indeed 
profitable, butchers' cattle. They exhibit too much bone, too 
much muscle, and too little flesh and quality. The section 
contained twenty specimens, the majority being of the Gascon 
variety. They were, as a whole, perhaps barely so large as the 
Swiss, but, on the other hand, were a trifle neater. 
