The New York herald., 1850-11-16
Agriculture In France.

icy the London Chronicle Correspondent
Between Blois and Tours, on the right bank OF
the river, property Is very minutely sub.diyded,
and isolated peasant dwellings common. In a
singe meadow of moderate size, you will frequently
see hall dozen small square boundary stones
marking out the different lots. The cultivation,
Notwithstanding the great amount Of hand labor
bestowed upon the fields is correspondingly super.
fetal and slovenly; the fact being, that what can
be done with the hands 10 overcome, while what
can be done only by means Of proper and sufficient
implements, and machines, and horsepower, is
neglected, or only very imperfectly performed.
One plough, which | inspected in field within a
the iron with which the wooden coulter was shed,
might lave been shown as a specimen OF the agri-
cultural implements OF South Sea Island. I, con-
sisted Of rough thick pole of wood TO the centre
OF which the plouChshare was attached, furnished
in front with two knotted and twisted branches by
way OF trems, and behind with pair Of stlts OF the
zane rough manufacture, and not three feet long.
The excessive SUPPLY Of manual labor was every
where evident In one field, saw two old women
engaged in scattering manure with their bare
hands; in another, two men were yoked by ropes
10 harrow, end were dragging il slowly and
wcarily ecrors the furrows. The system of plough
ing commonly adopted hereebouts is csrious. A
deep furrow is turned W, and then two very shallow
ones-the field being thus converted. soto speak,
into series of narrow stripes or ribbons OF soil,
with semi ditch.like divisions between them. The
waste Of lard produced by this method must. one
would think, be considerable. In the more marshy
meadows close TO the water side. rows Of closely-
planted poplsrs abound; whole acres Of rich grass
land are abandoned TO these trees, which run in
files al right angles TO the river, with, perhaps,
fome dozen or hfteen feet between each rank.
Occasionally, you find patches OF hemp grow
ing. beneath the shade Of these not very
profitable trees; or, il the land be grass,
an old woman is squatted upon IL watching COW,
and, perhaps, a couple of goats. Rude huts OF wat
tied bushes and straw stand here and there for the
reception Of tools, and in order TO afford shelter in
rainy we ather. In the lleauce, by the way, fire.
quentIy found cavernous looking holes oped out
in the road side for the same purpose. Amid the
yinet, these places are regularly built stone and
lime houses-often, as IL struck me, more substan-
tal looking structures than the dwellings, Of the
latorers. The small farm-budngs were very
much the same sort of things as those | have de-
scribed as abounding near Blois. | came across
one cart shed composed Of a framework Of straw
and wattles, slung by ropes from the projecting
branches Of a tree, and swaying and creakinq as
| the wind moaned and rusted among its supporters
| About Amboise, hedges abound among the mea-
| dows-gererally overgrown sprswlnQ lines ol
bushes, cutting the field into all manner OF irregu
lar seemcnts, very much after the fashion OF some
| parts Of Devonsbire. Ploughing was hereabouts
| being generally conuuctedby means OF one horse =
the first example had seen in France Of such
| economy of power-while the few sewers in the
| fashioned broadcast method Everywhere the fal
| low ground was overgrown with weeds, great tai
bushes Of raqwort covering II, and the same species
/ Of plant was common among the potatoes, which
/ were very widely planted, and left ample room fol
1 the intrusion Of such interopers. Thicky scatter
i ed were the cottages and adjoining farm-building
| of the small proprietors With here and there Al
exception, nothing could be more slatternly ans
uttssT inadequate TO all the purposes Of dwelling