346 
The French Peasant-Farmers' Seed Fund. 
crop, in the proportion of one bushel for every two which they 
had previously received. The balance left was chiefly intended 
for the region immediately south of Paris, which had obtained 
very little assistance in the spring, in consequence of its having 
been cut off from communication with our depot by the second 
siege. In other respects, the Committee resolved to adhere as 
closely as possible to the rules laid down for the guidance of their 
representatives during the spring distribution. 
The principles of distribution having been agreed upon, the 
Mark Lane Committee, through Mr. Pavy, purchased 2780 
quarters of red wheat, and Mr. Odams again undertook the 
shipping department. This distribution, being conducted in 
a time of peace, did not require so numerous a staff of 
English representatives in France as the spring distribution, 
which was conducted under the double difficulty created by 
civil warfare and a hostile occupation of the country. In 
addition, most of the previous representatives of the Fund were 
no longer resident in France, and a new agency was therefore 
unavoidable in those cases. Fortunately, however. Colonel 
Elphinstone was again able to undertake the distribution in the 
district of La Beauce, and the Committee therefore forwarded 
him 800 quarters of wheat for the purpose of giving half-quantities 
to those who had been disappointed of a wheat crop from our 
spring seed. The districts of the North of France and Paris, 
including the departments of the Somme, Aisne, Pas-de-Calais, 
Oise, Seine, Seine-et-Oise, and Seine-et-Marne, were consolidated 
into one, and placed under my own charge, and I was fortunately 
able to secure the assistance of Mr. C. B. Pitman, who had been 
a member of the Paris Committee in the spring. The seed corn 
for those departments, amounting to about 1550 quarters, was sent 
via Boulogne, at which port M. Vaillant displayed the same 
energy in landing and forwarding the corn as he had previously 
exhibited. The remainder of the wheat was sent to the depart- 
ments of the Eure, Eure et Loir, and Seine Inferieure through 
Captain Delf. 
It is unnecessary to enter into further detail in reference to 
this distribution, as its method differed in no essential particular 
from that which has already been fully described. In some 
districts, howcAcr, there existed, not unnaturally, a prejudice 
against English wheat, in consequence of the spring variety 
having too generally failed ; a letter was therefore in the first 
instance addressed to the mayor of every commune which had 
received spring wheat, stating the intention of the Committee to 
distribute half the quantity of wheat previously given to each of 
the peasant-farmers who had failed to obtain a crop from their 
seed, and asking whether those in his commune were desirious 
