86 
Franco-Swiss Dairy-Farming. 
In comparing the value of sugar with that of other foods in 
the market, it is somewhat difficult to arrive at their actual 
composition ; for instance, I found that the starch used in the 
Rothamsted experiments contained 20 per cent, of water, while 
the sugar only contained 3 per cent. Generally speaking, the 
ordinary dry foods in the market contain about 14 per cent, of 
water, and for practical purposes the deduction of one seventh of 
the weight would be sufficiently accurate. The present price of 
lentils in the market is 5/. 15s. per ton, and beans may be pur- 
chased at about the same price. Assuming that sugar and beans, 
or sugar and lentils, were used in the proportion of one of sugar 
to two of the other foods, the mixture would cost about 11. per 
ton. When ordinary barley can be purchased at 4/. 10^. per ton, 
and Rangoon rice-meal at 3/. to 4Z. per ton, it would appear that 
sugar is too dear to compete with starchy foods at their present 
extremely low prices. 
There is another point in regard to the use of sugar which is 
somewhat important. I refer to the attractive character of the 
substance amongst all those who work on the farm. To ensure 
the animals their full modicum, it would require the eye of the 
master to be very close to his stock when their food was given 
to them. 
In the case of animals which are off their feed, or to induce 
animals to eat their food which they would otherwise reject, 
sugar may probably be useful, but in such cases every one must 
use his own judgment. As a food for healthy stock, even at its 
present low price, sugar does not appear to be an economical 
substance to use, when brought into comparison with other foods 
which are available to the farmer. 
III. — Franco-Siciss Dairy- Farming. By H. Ling Roth. 
Last summer I spent several months at Divonne, a watering- 
place in the department of the Ain in Trance, close to the Swiss 
frontier, I was interested in the peasantry, and this paper 
is the result of my investigations into the dairy-system of 
portions of that department, and of the adjoining Swiss cantons 
of Vaud and Geneva. 
The soil is partly heavy and impermeable on a limestone 
bottom ; and partly a light soil on gravel, easily dried up. 
From the permanent meadows three crops are obtained. The 
first towards the end of June; the second, called the regain, 
cut towards the end of August ; a third, called the paquis, 
which is eaten off during the six weeks from the beginning of 
September to the middle of October. There are a Large number 
