460 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 
whicli contained a population of about 100,000, and was now a com- 
plete French town. It was beautifully situated, and is the resort 
of many English and Scotch families, being recommended as a 
winter residence in cases of pulmonary disease. 
The French had been greatly blamed for their policy and manage- 
ment of Algeria. It should, however, be remembered that Algeria 
is not merely a colony, but a conquered country. Little more than 
ten years have elapsed since it was subdued; and within that 
period roads and bridges have been constructed, harbours been 
improved, towns been built, and railways commenced. The French 
Government naturally believes that Algiers will prove the granary 
of France, as in former times it was of Rome. It is remarkable 
that seasons whicli are imsuitable for the production of large crops 
in France are favourable in Algeria — that is, very wet years. 
Algeria is a very fine wool country ; and it was more easy for the 
French Government to improve the growth of wool — a branch of 
industry which was already established — than to develop the 
growth of cotton, which was as yet a comparatively new branch. 
The sheep were generally of native races, but some were crossed 
with European blood. 
In 1841 Abd-el-Kader boasted that the French occupied only the 
soil which they covered with their feet; now the traveller was 
considered qiiite as safe in any of the cultivated parts of the country 
of Algeria as he would be in France or England. The Government 
now gives every encouragement to individual enterprise. They 
were adopting as far as possible the system which prevailed in this 
country, of leaving individixals to carry out their enterprises un- 
fettered by needless regulations on the part of the state. Their 
new system of laws with regard to the sale and transfer of land, 
no doubt, would be productive of great advantage both to the emi- 
grant and the native population. The revenue of the country was 
already 6,000,000 francs more than its expenditure, exclusive of the 
cost of the army, which is an imperial affair. The people of the 
country, fonnerly subject to the Turks, had changed only their 
rulers. Previous to 1830 the whole value of the export trade under 
Mahomedau rule was but 7,315,000 francs; under French rule it 
was now 166,000,000 francs. So vast an increase must have been 
beneficial to every one. With civilisation progressing rapidly, and 
every advantage offered for the development of a great country, it 
must be gratifying to them to know that not less than 600 miles of 
the southern shore of the Mediterranean had been rescued from the 
rule of barbarism, and was now placed within the reach of the 
enterprise of every man of any country who was willing to avail 
himself of its advantages. 
The Discussion. 
The Chairman expressed his thanks to Mr. Caird for introducing 
the subject, and inquired whether the meeting was to understand 
that every part of the coTmtry was now subjected to the French 
dominion ? 
Mr. Caird said, it was all under French rule ; but there were 
