60 
[Aug, I, 
Proceedings of Learned Societies, 
liave been introduced, that in t80S 
tl»ere were no fewer than 390 in the 
department of the Upper Sabiie alone. 
Ii! Champagne, until lately, clover, saint- 
foin, and lucern, were never heard of: 
in the department of Gard, white and 
green crops are recurred to alternately, 
and for this purpose artificial meadows 
are used instead of fallows. In the de¬ 
partments of Isere and Drome, the be¬ 
neficial elfects of artificial meadows have 
been obvious to every one, according to 
the account of the senator Count Dede¬ 
lay d’Agier, more especially since the 
introduction of plaster as a manure. 
Perrin-Dulac, sub-prefect of Sancerre, 
thus expresses himself on that subject: 
I am not afraid to assert,’^ says he, 
that if a new Epimenides, after a sleep 
of forty years, were to cast his eyes on 
these countries, he would neither be 
able to recognise men or living creatures, 
or even the snil itself. Anterior to that 
epoch, there was no other manure than 
the dung of animals, no artificial mea¬ 
dows, no canals for the purpose of irri¬ 
gation. The houses appertaining to the 
cultivators were so many huts, where 
the labourers mingled with their cat¬ 
tle, took shelter from the rigours of 
the season. The instruments for the 
purpose of agriculture vvere rough and 
unshapely, while their enormous weight 
was such, that animals badly fed were 
almost unable to drag them alone. One 
and sometimes two years of fallow gene¬ 
rally succeeded to a harvest, which was 
far from being abundant. Few’ men of 
any information then resided in the coun¬ 
try ; and those whose education proved 
superior to that of the vulgar, would 
have been ashamed to inliabit it, or to 
employ their knowledge for its meliora¬ 
tion. Since that period what an as¬ 
tonishing difference! By means of plas¬ 
ter, the most powerful mineral compost 
knowm at this period, the artificial mea¬ 
dows have become more abundant than 
the natural ones; the canals, for the pur¬ 
pose of watering the latter, carry fer¬ 
tility every where, or at least so far as 
thi?v can be introduced; human excre¬ 
ments, employed in the cultivation of 
hemp, have ai gmented both the quantity 
and the quality. The country itself pos- 
sesses a greater number of houses, and 
they too of a better quality, and more 
eonimodious in respect to their structure 
and arrangements; the animals are more 
vigorous, because better fed; the instru¬ 
ments of agriculture have become more 
perfect, and fallows are no longer known. 
In short, men of distinguished talents 
preside over their own agricultural ex¬ 
periments, and instruct the people, by 
means of new processes directed to their 
proper objects, with equal care and 
economy. 
“ Such then is the difference between 
the ancient and present state of agri¬ 
culture in the department of the Isere. 
This happy metamorphosis originated 
with the discovery made by M. Moyer, 
relative to the qualities of plaster em¬ 
ployed as a manure. 
“ The numerous quarries with which 
Daupiiine abounds, will soon enable the 
principal proprietors to derive similar 
advantages; and the benefit resulting 
from the employment of their plaster, 
will soon surpass all their expectations. 
It is to the cultivation of artificial mea¬ 
dows in particular, that this compost 
ought to be applied ; its effects in re¬ 
spect to them are such, indeed, tliat 
they may be considered as marvellous. 
The number of animals is every w here 
augmented, in the express ratio of the 
quantity of fodder; and the necessary 
consequence of the increase of the for¬ 
mer, is an abundance of manure, which 
is the true source of all the grand results 
of agriculture. It is certain that several 
communes at this day feed ten times as 
many animals as before the discovery of 
plaster. Thence we have an increase of 
both produce and population; an in¬ 
crease so great, that on looking back to 
the ancient calculations, one is tempted 
to doubt their authenticity, when com¬ 
pared with the new ones.” 
The next object that comes under the 
notice of the society is the potatoe, the 
introduction of which may be considered 
as the discovery of the “ philosoplier’s 
stone” in - agi iculture. It was formerly 
considei'ed as a poisonous vegetable in 
France, but is now treated there with 
as much respect, and even veneration, 
as the bread-fruit is in more southern 
climates. 
Cultivation of the Potato .—In a long 
dissertation on the benefits derived from 
this branch of Agriculture, we are in¬ 
formed, that in the department of the 
Ardennes, “ Since the year 1760, this 
admirable root is propagated with such 
assiduity, that some farmers produce 
more than one thousand bushels a-yeor. 
Before its introduction,” adds the au¬ 
thor, “ the country was exposed to oc¬ 
casional famines, a scourge no longer 
know n, 
