The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-07-03 00:00:00

2ffnculture.

THE NATIONAL AND GENERAL AGRI-
CULTURAL EXHIBITION OF FRANCE
IN PARIS, 1860.

There bSI been no general agricultural gathering in
France since the memorable international gathering of
MC The present show thus affords an excellent op-
portunity of judging what progress has been made in
French agriculture during the last four years, and in
some measure of tracing the influence which that
remarkable event necessarily exercised in every branch
of French agricultural industry. There could not have
been a better display of those varied standaras of excel.
knee which, by being compared one with snother, elicit
in the I a true appreciation of what is perfect, and
a right judgment as to the best means to obtain it. The
greatest obstacle to progress is isolation ; that is, the
sant of opportunities to compare what is considered as
a slander,' of perfection in one locality with the stand-
ant of another. The range of our observation is strictly
that of our judgment, and that range expands in the
same ratio as the field of our observations. Previous to
the years 18:Ni and 1858 French agriculture had but
scanty opportunities of judging or even knowing the
gigantic atria(' which English agriculture, fur instance,
had achieved. Each district in France has its own pecu-
liar breed of cattle, no doubt perfectly adapted by nature
to the peculiar local circumstances of soil, climate,
nature of surface. markets, wants, popular habits, and
civilisation. Each province gave the preference to its
own breeds, its own implements, its own mode of culti-
vat , and the thought that by improved systeuis of
husbenilry these local exigencies could be entirely re-
moved, hail never entered into the minds of French
agriculturists, with the exception of a few educated men
who were looked upon as insane schemers fur advocating
improvement and yrogressive changes.
What was so happily begun in 1855 was further
developed by the Great Inkrnational Exhibition of
18.-ei. English implements and stuck of cattle excited
a most eager attention. A vast number of French and
foreign agriculturists docked to the capital of France,
and through the beautiful Industrial Hall of the Champs
Elyseee, wherein thousands of animals were gathered
from the whole of Europe, even from the most dietant
countries, anti arranged in numerous and well-arranged
groups, exhibiting to the eye every variety of shape,
colour, and merit.
Suell an event could not pass without leaving its
influence behind. It was not possible that so favourable
an opportunity of forming one'sj udgruient by compariaon,
could have been offered to the agriculturist of France
and other nations without strougly disquieting their
niitels on the one band with • galling consciousness of
their inferimity. and on the other with an earnest am-
, bitior. to improve.
I It is now our pleasing duty to record the great fact,
that the present show exhibits in the most glowing and
gratifying manner such a step in advance, so conspicu-
ous a progress in every department of agricultural
industry, that those who remember the stork, produce,
, and implements which France contributed to the
I show of 1855 and 1856. could scarcely believe, in
! contemplating the beautiful exhibition of 1860, that
in four short years 60 great an improvement could be
achieved. _ . .

asoois tett.
Th then is • national show, and none but natives can
compete in any class or department, and as regiertis
stock with any other aninisls but those that were born
and bred in France. liouever, it is not difficult to
perceive at a glance, even without the help of the
catalogue, (lly-the-I.y a large Bvo volume of 6:12 pages.)
that Old England is after all well represented in it,
directly and indirectly ; and it may be pleasing to our
national feelings to state that stock of English origin,
implements of English make or design, form by far the
principal and the most
_perfect features of the whole
exhiltition. Out of 14i0 entries of cattle, comprising
all the various and numerous breeds of France, as well
as all other foreign rsces bred in France, no less than
413 belting to English Lionel.
If the Paris exhibition is remarkable for the number
and the unusual merits of the cattle classes, it is not less
so in its other departments. In the sheep classes there
are no less than 546 entries, many of which are cum-
posetl of Its of fine /minis's, so that the number of
sheep exhibited cannot be less than 1,200. This cate-
gory was, like the cattle one, divided into native and
foreign classes. The French native breeds consisted of
tire Merino anti its various crosses, numbering 187
entries; the Maticlisnip breed numbering 7 entries ; the
Charmoise breed numbering 17 entries ; the Barbering 4 ;
and the various other French breeds 44. The crosses
mustered no less than 148 entries.

-...-....-
The foreign breeds consisted almost exclusively of
English breeds, divided into long and short wool. Of
the former the Leicester sheep was represented by 25
entree, the Costa-olds 2, And the Lincoln 1. The short
wools were entirely limited to the Southilowns, showing
by this evclusiveness and the number, together with the
singular merit of the animals exhibittd, what a favourite
this beautiful breed seems to be with the French, snd
how well it seems suited to the require ntenta of French
agriculture, both as !Titan's clinista and modes of culti-
vation. With the exception of five entries the whole of
the 148 lots of cross-bred sheep were the produce of an
English parent • so that out of the whole 540 entries,
no Inn than 317 belong directly or indirectly to English
breeds, which seem to monopolise, with the beautiful
Merino sheep, the attention of French agriculturalists.
If in the bovine or ovine species the prevalence of
Englihii blood is very prominent, it is not less so in the
pig classes, which, for excellence and good feeding.
would have vied with the hest exhibitions we have ever
seen in England. The show of pigs comprises 237 en-
tries ; of these only :12 belong to French breeds, about
which the less that is said the better • no that no
fewer than 205 entries were solely conipri:ted of English
Pigs.
Besides these there were 13 entries of goats, 70 of
rabbits, and no less than 839 entries of poultry, number
ing about 2,500 birds.
The horses were a very attractive feature of this show
—the French Government having decided on the ad-
mission of horses, and prizes amounting to no less than
1:8.000. The entries of implements amounted to nearly
4,000 !
. _ . . .

The various classes of the exhibition of agricultoral
produce comprised 3,615 entries. embracing every possi-
ble article of produce from France and her colonies.
To attempt to deseribe this department would tax a far
stringer endurance than is our share.
The iwautiful Palace of Industry in the Champs
Elyseea is the fitting abode of this truly gorgeous and
nidgnitioent display f agriculturdl riches. Beautiful as
this palace is of itself, it was made still more so for this
interesting occaaion.
With regard to the interest now taken by all claws
of society in the .resent exhibition it may be mentioned
that on Sunday week, the first day the show was opened
to the public, with an admission fee of 1 franc, nearly
28,060 visitors entered on payment ; and if we reckon
the non-paying visitors, consiating of exhibitors,
attendants, and their friends, there were at least 40,000
people in the exhibition on that day. Or, the following
day there were 22,000 paying visitors.
Such are the leading features of this wonderful exhi.
Intim'. Marred though it be by a few unaccountable
blunders Oa the part of inexperienced judges, it ix never.
theleas a great and a 1111. t FAtkfaCtOry and iileasin;:
event. It certifies in the nimt uninistskeable inanuei
to the earnestness of the efforts lately made by the Eau
peror to promote the improvement of the agriculture in
Francis, and it shows clearly how powerful and great are
the sources of that beautiful country, when we =midst

and realize, as this exhibition enablzs us to do, what a
stride ita agricultural industry has made in the short
space of time that liaa elapaed since the year 1836 !
English agriculture may be proud indeed of ttie induence
she has so inandestly exercised in this happy and
glorious revolution. Such achieveuients, although
noiseless and scarcely noticed by the tr ttttt pet iif fame in
the records of history, so lavish of the praise iif success-
ful warriors whose glory rests upon the ruins id their
bliaubstained career has heaped, ate nevertheless far
more worthy f the acclamation* of posterity than
military deeds, because their aim is to tooter good will
and peace among men, prioperity and comfort to
society, and civibzation to the human race.