28 
The Prize Farms of France. 
checking their influence, and casting doubts on their awards. In 
this case the jury, warned by some earlier misadventures, gave 
no detailed report of the unsuccessful farms, in the vain hope of 
thus silencing objections. As a reward for this chariness, their 
award itself was much canvassed ; whilst happilv other reporters 
have been found to venture on a general survey and critique 
of the contest for the benefit of the public. 
Aveyron is situated in the east of Guienne, to the south of 
Auvergne, and therefore on the southern slopes of those primi- 
tive rocks which there form a vast amphitheatre. It consists of 
two divisions, the Segala or Ryeland district, nest to Auvergne, 
where the granitic rocks have crumbled into a clay soil full of mica- 
schist, abounding in silicates, and wanting in lime ; and further 
south, that of Le Causse, a poor soil abounding in lime. From 
the nature of the soil, and from the climate, this region is ill 
adapted to comcrops ; though bv liming and high-farming even 
the " Rye-land " district may be constrained to grow a fair yield 
of wheat ; but when railroads are more developed, it is antici- 
pated that grazing will still more citensively take the place of 
corn-growing, in which case irrigation rather than the root-crop 
will be the key of the svstem : and alreadv Aveyron has some- 
thing to teach us about irrigation. 
This region seems to know little of the Farmer proper, but 
to be occupied by Half-holders, till the owners, weary of seeing 
everything go back while the world at large is advancing, 
take the land into their own hands. Population has here made 
little or no progress, so that a want of hands is felt as farming 
improves — a singular feature in an isolated agricultural district I 
In Aveyron, in 1842, a local prize of 60Z. was instituted, 
under the auspices of !M. Guizard, the then prefect, to be annually 
awarded " to the proprietor who, at his own cost and risk, has 
by a considerable outlay promoted the experience, changes, or 
improvements judged to be most conducive to the progress of 
agriculture in the Department." This institution had prepared 
the way for the larger " Prime d'Honneur :" the elements for a 
good contest were at hand ; the entries obviously consisted of the 
previous local winners, except where death and change of tenancy 
had narrowed the field. Unhappily the chalky district, Le Causse, 
thus lost its best representatives, the modesty of the son and 
successor preventing him from claiming a reward for work chiefiy 
done by his father. The farms of the late General Tarare and 
M. Giron were thus excluded. It was then an agricultural 
Derby-day, with no dark horses ; and the public were the more 
disappointed at being prevented from " assisting " more largely 
at the a^vard, which, after a somewhat hasty inspection, seems 
to have been published with as little explanation as possible. 
