Agriculture in Algei ia. 
457 
value to upwards of . 6,500,000 francs. Olivc-oil was also a largo 
item ; so also was an article called vegetable hair, which was got 
from the dwarf-palm, and was used for stuffing beds and couches. The 
e.xport of the latter article rose in value from 20,000 francs in 1850 
to 1,500,000 francs in 1860. Up to 1844 there was no export of 
tobacco; in 1860 it reached the value of 5,500,000 francs. He 
might remark that there were about 13,500 acres under cultivation 
as vineyards, producing in value 2,000,000 francs a-year. 
It is calculated that there are about 1,000,000 cattle in Algeria, 
and 10,000,000 sheep. The French Government considered Algeria 
to be the Australia of France, as regarded sheep-farming. He there 
foimd three European shepherds managing about 1400 sheep; and, 
according to the accounts given to him by the proprietor, the sheep 
were extremely healthy. The ewes on an average gave an increase 
of one lamb per ewe. The sheep were never supplied with artificial 
food ; and the only thing that was at all special in their manage- 
ment was that they had to be housed during very hot weather. 
The French had constructed large lines of road in all the prin- 
cipal portions of the country, and they had commenced a very 
extensive system of railway communication, which would traverse 
all the richest plains, and afford easy access to all the most im- 
portant points. 
He would now ask them to follow him in the route which he 
took after landing in Algeria ; and while they did so, it would be 
liis effort to bring before them those points which were most inte- 
resting to the practical farmer. On landing at Oran he found in 
the vicinity of that town a strong red fertile soil, and a countrj^ 
undulating to a height of from 200 to 300 feet above the sea. 
Having just travelled through Provence, he was enabled to state, 
by way of comparison, that the soil of Oran very much resembled 
the rich red soil of Provence. There wei'e large fields of wheat, 
barley, potatoes, vineyards, olives, oranges, and figs ; and he found 
that the price of the land, when cleared of all the dwarf-palms 
which covered all waste lands, was about 31. per acre. From 
Oran he proceeded across the country to the Bay of Arzew, where, 
on visiting a French settlement called the Sig, he found that a 
great advance had been made in agriculture. He met with several 
most intelligent Frenchmen, who had embarked in the purchase 
and cultivation of the soil, and they all seemed quite confident of 
success. They had immense fields of corn, and had also begun to 
plant vineyards, and the cotton cultivation was proceeding very 
favourably. He then went to Mostaganem, a town of about 20,000 
inhabitants, very beautifully situated, and overlooking the sea. The 
land in the neighbourhood appeared very fertile. 
'%\Vhile there he visited one of those establishments which the 
French Government had set up for the improvement of the breed 
of horses all over the country. Great attention is paid to this 
object, and not only the best stallions, but also the best mares, 
are obtained from Syria, and sent to various settlements. Their 
object in this was not merely to improve the breed of horses 
