AT TOULOUSE. 
605 
Economy and natural science, are establishing themselves in 
every part of the country. The knowledge which they have 
acquired will be widely disseminated, through the medium of 
daily intercourse with the country people, and much similarity 
of habits and pursuits. Their disinterested counsel will often be 
listened to, while the advice of other teachers belonging to various 
learned societies, and even the precepts of their immediate supe¬ 
riors or landlords, less familiar with the language, and habits, 
and prejudices of the lower classes, will be disregarded, or 
be received with distrust, or obstinately opposed. It is among 
the inhabitants of the country, where the most contracted views 
on a thousand subjects connected with husbandry and the 
commonest scenes of life prevail, that the lot of the veterinary 
surgeon will be cast; and there he may be useful to an extent 
that can scarcely be appreciated. There is a natural, a most be¬ 
neficial alliance between our pupil and the agriculturist. 
At this period, when every art is overburdened with professors, 
and when crowds of aspirants present themselves in every public 
office and in every liberal profession, the simple life of the country 
is comparatively abandoned; but the time, doubtless, is not far 
distant, when all these votaries of ambition, their expectations 
totally deceived, will return and seek for an assured refuge 
against the vicissitudes of fortune and the storms of public life. 
Already agriculture counts in its ranks one distinguished class of 
men, to which she is indebted for many improvements: these are 
our old warriors, who, after having valiantly fought for their 
country, are come to repose in their native fields after the 
fatigues of war, and perhaps the illusions of glory. 
Our legislators well comprehend the importance of this epoch ; 
for while they weigh every other branch of the public service in 
the balance of severe economy, their hands are liberally open 
when the word agriculture is pronounced. 
It is, in fact, as M. Deprod has said, that the true philoso¬ 
pher’s stone is alone to be found in the improving cultivation of 
our fields; and, to continue the comparison, that is the crucible 
whence is elaborated the grand material which constitutes the 
basis of all art and industry throughout the world. 
M. Yvart, the newly-appointed inspector-general of the veteri¬ 
nary schools, and of our various studs, is at this moment departing 
for England, in order, a second time, to steal from our neighboui s 
some of the secrets by means of which they have perfected their 
noble breed of cattle. Before this he had naturalized among us one 
of the breeds of long-woolled sheep, which will prove a source of 
inexhaustible wealth to the French manufacturers. By what 
treatise on any branch of pure veterinary science could he have 
\oi.. XI. 4 I. 
