THE CULTIVATOR. 
137 
AGRICULTURE IN FRANCE. 
The agriculture of France differs in some respects from 
that of most European countries, particularly from that 
of England, an J tvhile the husbandry of both is flourish¬ 
ing, the causes and means of making it so are very dis¬ 
similar. We have gleaned from various sources, prin¬ 
cipally from an article in the English Agricultural Jour¬ 
nal on the State Aricultural Establishments of France, 
some facts which we think will interest the American 
farmer. 
In traversing France, the first thing that strikes the 
agricultural observer, is the almost total absence of 
fences. One may travel from the Belgian frontier to the 
Pyrenees, from Calais to the Rhone, and scarcely see 
a hedge or a partition fence of any kind. The eye 
ranges over vast plains, or sloping hills, covered with 
every description of crop ; the pieces occupied by each 
kind varying from one fourth of an acre, to two acres. 
The owners of these plots do not reside near their lands, 
but are congregated into villages or towns; these ham¬ 
lets constituting another singular feature of the coun¬ 
try. The reason of this state of things is found in the 
fact, that in France the land is almost infinitely divided 
among small proprietors, while in England, and the other 
countries of Europe generally, the land is owned by 
large proprietors, and cultivated by tenants possessed of 
capital and skill. 
In England and in this country, agricultural improve¬ 
ments are introduced and carried forward by individuals, 
or by associations ; in France, the government “ steps 
in, and partly by establishments maintained entirely at 
its cost, and partly by aiding local institutions with pa¬ 
tronage and funds, leads the way in the path of improve¬ 
ment.” In this respect France is imitating Prussia, and 
the public agricultural establishments of each, are such 
as do honor to the comprehensive minds that planned, 
and the skill whieh directs them. The advantages and 
beneficial effects of these institutions are so palpable, 
that no objectors in those countries are found to such a 
disposal of the public money, and we think that our 
state governments might take some useful hints from 
the interest these countries take in the promotion of agri¬ 
culture within their limits. 
The establishments maintained entirely by the French 
government, are—sheep farms, model farms, veterinary 
schools, and haras or studs. 
The government sheep farms are three in number, 
Rambouillet, Perpignan, and La Hayevaux. There ex¬ 
periments are made in crosses, and the best breeds of 
sheep are reared. The kinds to which attention is 
chiefly directed, are the Merino ; the Naz, a race with 
small frames, fine wool, but more hardy than the Meri¬ 
no ; and the English long wooled sheep. The annual 
sales of wool and sheep nearly cover the expenses of 
these establishments. The principal cross is the Naz 
Merino, and the object, to ascertain how far increased 
weight of carcase and fleece can be carried without 
sacrificing the fineness of the wool. Rambouillet has 
715 head of sheep, Perpignan 504, and La Hayevaux 
312. 
Of the model farms, Grignon is the chief; and con¬ 
sists of 1,100 acres of different qualities, arable, pas¬ 
ture, meadow, water meadow and wood. Here the best 
implements from all parts of the world are collected and 
proved, the best systems introduced, and under the guid¬ 
ance of able professors, theory and practice go hand in 
hand. 
The pupils of this agricultural school are classed as 
u external” and “ internal ;” or those that find food 
and lodgings for themselves, and attend the courses of 
the institution, and those that reside within the walls of 
the establishment. The charges of the first vary from 
$50 to $100 annually ; the last from $150 to $250 annu¬ 
ally. The shortest course is two years. The pupil 
passes a close examination, and if qualified, receives a 
diploma, giving him rank as a sort of M. A. of Grignon. 
There are three veterinary schools, at Alfort, Tou¬ 
louse, and Lyons. The course of education lasts four 
years ; and includes botany, chemistry, as well as the 
anatomy and diseases of animals. Being in the vicini¬ 
ty of Parts, the school at Alfort has abundant opportu¬ 
nities of investigations and dissections in the diseased 
animals of that metropolis. From 230 to 300 scholars 
attend this school, and are boarded, lodged and instruct¬ 
ed for about $70 per annum. In order to give informa¬ 
tion of consequence on all diseases of animals, estab¬ 
lishments of sheep, pigs, and dogs are connected with 
the institution, A few years since the French govern¬ 
ment purchased a herd of Durhams in England, part of 
which are kept at Alfort, as specimens of the improved 
breed. The favorite color in France is red, and that 
color is preferred perfect, or not broken with white or 
roan. 
The greatest and most expensive of the government 
establishments is the haras or studs ; of these three are 
kept as breeding establishments,Du Pin, Rozieres, Pom¬ 
padour. Du Pin is the most important, as here great num¬ 
bers of horses are bred from the pure English blood ; 
at Rozieres the attention is directed to a mixed breed 
called the “ race ducale;” and at Pompadour, the breed 
is almost exclusively Arab and Persian. These estab¬ 
lishments contain 1,300 horses; of which about 400 are 
thorough bred. Connected with these government es¬ 
tablishments, is the system of providing covering stal¬ 
lions for the departments; and the last report shows 
that of these stallions there are 870, covering on an ave¬ 
rage 35 mares each, or a total of 30,450. These do not 
travel, but are kept at their respective stations. The 
influence of so many carefully selected horses, is visible 
in the rapid improvement of the French horses general¬ 
ly, having the effect of crowding out of use the misera¬ 
ble animals that formerly there, as here now, are kept 
for the purposes of propagation. Every thing relating 
to these horses is recorded at each station with the 
greatest precision; their stations, posts in winter, feed 
in summer and winter, in short, every thing is the sub¬ 
ject of minute regulation, and carefully adhered to. As 
an example of the mode of feeding these horses, we se¬ 
lect the three first of the 23 stations. 
Ordinary allowance. 
Allowance in the season. 
Oats. Hay. 
Straw. 
Oats. 
Hay. 
Straw. 
Pints, lbs. oz. 
lbs. oz. 
Phils. 
lbs. oz. 
lbs. oz. 
Abbeville, 
16 6 11 
17 10 
21 
6 11 
17 10 
Angers, 
14 11 0 
13 4 
174 
11 0 
13 4 
Aurillac, 
14 11 0 
15 7 
16 
11 0 
15 7 
The second method in xvhich the French government 
aids agriculture, is in contributing to the support of lec¬ 
tures, agricultural societies, and local or departmental 
model farms. Application is made by the prefect of the 
department to the government for aid, and when it is 
ascertained that a society has been organized, a model 
farm provided, and a subscription secured, government 
grants such assistance as is deemed proper, to carry out 
the plans of the society or association. 
In the year 1834, there were 17 societies, and 41 as¬ 
sociations receiving aid; in 1839, 154 societies, and 468 
associations. The societies, the chief of which is in 
Paris, are chiefly engaged in theoretical matters; while 
the associations are very much on the plan of our coun¬ 
ty agricultural societies ; holding meetings, distributing 
prizes for good management, improved implements, im¬ 
proved cattle, &c. Sec. Agents under the direction of 
government are engaged in the various regions of the 
globe, in selecting such plants and animals as may be 
deemed worthy of introducing into the culture of France; 
in Brazil, in China, in America, they are found ; while 
at home, entomologists and botanists visit the depart¬ 
ments to ascertain the habits and history of the insects and 
plants, useful or injurious to the farmer, and give infor¬ 
mation respecting their increase, or their extermina¬ 
tion. 
The expense of all these aids to agriculture amounts 
annually to a considerable sum, but it is deemed on the 
whole one of the most decidedly beneficial expenditures 
of government, and is cheerfully voted by the Chambers. 
The latest report classifies the expenses as follows : 
Sheep Farms,...- - £2,303 
Veterinary Schools,. 11,263 
Haras or Studs,. 70,526 
Other items of expense,. 32,000 
Management,.*. 3,360 
£119,452 
Or not far from half a million of dollars annually ; a 
sum literally nothing when compared with the resources 
of the kingdom, or the great good it is effecting 
GRINDING CORN IN THE EAR. 
“ Messrs. Editors —Can you, or any of your sub¬ 
scribers, give any information on the additional value 
that would be conferred by grinding the cobs with the 
corn for feeding animals ; and if any, what kind of mill 
would be the best for grinding ? A Corn Grower.” 
Some experiments have been made in this country to 
test the value of the cob when ground with corn, as an 
article of food, and we believe they have uniformly 
proved successful; but the difficulty of providing fix¬ 
tures for grinding, and the little attention usualy paid 
in this country to savings of this kind, has had the ef¬ 
fect to prevent the attention of farmers from being much 
directed to this mode of preparing food for animals.— 
That a great saving would be made in feeding corn meal, 
by grinding the cob with the grain, might be reasonably 
inferred from the fact that when corn meal is fed to 
horses, it requires to be mixed with some coarser food, 
such as cut straw or hay ; and that so mixed, a smaller 
quantity causes the animal to thrive better, and perform 
work as well, as a larger quantity of meal without such 
mixture would. Pure corn meal does not appear to suffi¬ 
ciently distend the stomach to bring into exercise its di¬ 
gestive faculties fully, without taking so much as to clog 
that organ and impair its functions eventually. For this 
reason, a mixture of less nutritive materials is desirable ; 
and one of our most successful feeders of pork has assur¬ 
ed us, that he always mixed oats with his corn, in the pro¬ 
portion of one-fourth, previous to grinding, and thinks he 
should find a profit in exchanging corn for oats, bushel 
for bushel, rather than feed the former to his pigs clear. 
It appears, from recorded experiments, that the cob, 
though doubtless possessing no inconsiderable portion 
of nutriment in itself, makes about the requisite mix¬ 
ture with the grain, and hence is of great value for the 
purpose of feeding. 
In the N. E. Farmer, for 1825, may be found a com¬ 
munication from the Rev. H. C. Perley, giving the his¬ 
tory of some experiments made by him in feeding with 
corn and cob meal. Mr. Perley broke his corn and cobs 
together by pounding, and the mixture was then ground 
in common corn millstones. “ Meal made of this com¬ 
position, I scalded, and made about as thick as common 
hasty pudding; or mixed about one peck of meal with 
three pecks of boiled potatoes, thickened to the consis¬ 
tency of pudding. With this kind of food and what 
wash was made in the family, I constantly fed my swine; 
there were none in the neighborhood grew so fast, or 
were fit to kill so early in the autumn. The neighbors 
were surprised that my hogs looked so white and grew 
so well, being fed as they were, with cob meal, potatoes, 
and the wash of four cows. Some ridiculed the notion, 
others disputed and disbelieved the account; but finaly 
all were obliged to believe the fact, though reluctant to 
repeat the experiment. I am this year using the same 
discovery and process of the cob meal, and can show 
better swine than any of my neighbors can produce of 
the same age.” Mr. Perley had one batch of bread 
made of this mixed meal, combined with rye flour in 
the usual proportions, and found it as light, moist, sweet 
and palatable, as that made from pure corn meal. 
According to Dr. Mease, the practice of grinding 
corn with the cob, is common among the German inha¬ 
bitants of Pennsylvania. They consider the practice as 
a great improvement in the feeding of corn, and many of 
their mills have an apparatus for grinding. Dr. Mease 
adds, that “ corn meal alone is too nourishing or heat¬ 
ing, and it is therefore, by those who use it, mixed with 
a portion of cut straw, and coarsely ground rye or shorts, 
and in this state constitutes the daily food of that fine 
body of draught horses that do so much credit to our 
carters and draymen of Philadelphia, and the indus¬ 
trious farmers of the state at large.” 
That the cob of corn contains considerable nourish¬ 
ment in itself, is very probable ; indeed, instances are 
on record, in which poor people, in times of a scarcity 
of food for animals, have converted them to a good use 
by pounding and boiling them, and feeding them out 
with a small quantity of cut corn leaves or straw. On 
such food cattle have for some time subsisted, and even 
seemed to be in good heart, if not to thrive. 
In the Mass. Agric. Repos, for 1823, is a communica¬ 
tion from Mr. Rice, of Shrewsbury, on the subject of 
feeding cattle, which constituted a part of his business, 
in the course of which he gives an account of one of 
his experiments in using cob meal. 
“ The second year, if I mistake not, in which I made use 
of cob meal, I thought I would try an experiment by feeding 
one ox with corn and oats ground, the other with corn ana 
cobs, having a yoke of oxen so even matched, that no one 
who viewed them was satisfied which was best; accordingly 
I fed them as above. The cob is computed to make a little 
more than one third, therefore I mixed the other with one- 
third oats as was my former mode. I gave each ox an equal 
quantity at a time, except the one which had corn and oat 3 
sometimes became dainty, and would not eat his allowance, 
while the other kept a regular course. The allowance for 
both was a little over three pecks per day. When taken to 
market and killed, they weighed twenty-eight hundred and a 
half'; the one fed on corn and oats weighing half a hundred 
the most, while the one fed on corn and cob meal was con¬ 
sidered half a dollar per cwt. the best beef. The one fed on 
corn and cobs had 163 lbs. of tallow, the other 262 lbs.” 
From this, and other experiments, it would seem that 
cobs ground with corn, add to its value for the purposes 
of feeding, nearly or quite as much as would the same 
quantity of oats. If such is the case, there can be little 
room for doubt as to the propriety of making the prac¬ 
tice of grinding the cob with the corn general, where 
this grain is used for feeding. 
The mill used in Pennsylvania, is one invented by 
Evans, and much resembles the ordinary plaster mill in 
its operations. A cast iron screw revolves over a grate 
fixed in the bottom of a strong hopper, iron lined. The 
ears of corn thrown into the hopper are taken hold of by 
the screw, broken to pieces, and then they fall through 
the grate into a spout, by which they are guided to the 
millstones. Dr. Mease, however, strongly condemns the 
use of the same mill for grinding both plaster and cobs, as 
without great precaution, the plaster will be mixed with 
the cob meal, and produce dangerous concretions in the 
intestines of the animal eating it. In some parts of the 
country a common pair of millstones are used,the opening 
in the upper being made larger than usual, and the stones 
being more bosomed out, or made to fit less close in the 
inner part, than when used for grain. It is believed 
that corn in the cob might be broken sufficiently fine in 
a common iron bark mill, to admit being ground in or¬ 
dinary millstones without difficulty. We should think 
that in any district where Indian corn is extensively 
grown, a miller would find it for his interest to attach 
a cob cracker to his machinery, as we are confident the 
farmers would find themselves well repaid by the great 
saving and superiority of the meal so made, for feed¬ 
ing. 
KICKING COWS. 
It is not unfrequently the case, that cows, excellent 
for milk, acquire some habit that materially lessens their 
value, and of these injurious habits, that of kicking, is 
perhaps, the most common. Bowing up one fore leg, 
lying both hind legs logether, holding by the horns, and 
various other means have been resorted to, in order to 
break up the practice, but frequently without avail. 
Mr. Kidder has communicated to the Hancock Agricul¬ 
tural Society, a mode which he pronounces an effectual 
cure, and which he thus describes: 
“ Noticing the position of a cow while kicking, which was 
to drop the head and curve up the back, I thought I would 
try a new and simple method to cure her. After tying her 
in the stanchels as usual, I made one end of a rope fast round 
her horns, and put the other end over the girt, which was 
about two feet higher than the top of the stanchels, and about 
the same distance in front; drew it pretty tight and fastened 
it to a stud. This so effectually secured her, that she was 
milked with the most perfect ease and safety; and after prac¬ 
ticing this method of tying a few times, she gave me no more 
trouble. Several subsequent trials have proved this method 
not only superior to all others as an effectual remedy, but it 
is so easy and simple that a female or a boy can secure a cow 
without difficulty.” 
