, 1874-02-01

cold winds, and supplied With water,-
arc tie spots that we're selected ceptu-
rjes ago for those clueterB Of farn,-houscg,
Thousands OF villages llave stood for ten or
more centuries; and there is little pcrceptible
change in the manners, customs, or patois OF
the inhabitants. since the days OF the Crusaders,
or, for that matter, since the conquest OF France
By Julius Cmsar, 800 years ago. havo looked
Ct hundreds of these ancient rural villages, and
observe they are all alike.
DESCRIPTION OF ONE
Is description OF all. Generally, there ia only
one street, but sometimes a second. crossing it
ut any angle except right one. The street il
about rs to 35 feet wide; has no sidewalk; is
clean: but crooked as q rams horn. Each house
is built OF brick or stone, and covered with tile,
having steep roofs, with gables fronting tho
street. In the rear Of each house arc stable for
tue Ehcltar Of cattle; somo other farm buildings:
atack-vard; place for farn1-implemcnts; little
cellars in the ground for vegetables, wine, etc.
duced) cut ehort md assorted into twiss for
lindliugs, and split wood for heating wv or
other creeping vines grow up tho sides of the
houses,-on the aouth front, generally grape
vines: Frequently . pretty little garden may be
aeen between the house on the front aud the
Etabing on the rear of the lot. Everything ia
old aud quaint The universal vehicle OF the
farmor ls cart, or rather the body of dray
mounted on high wheels. II more than ono
horse is used, they are driven tandem. This
ployment OF pgck-mules and donkeys, which
carry enormous loads for their size. Ono will
often see fat old woman going to market
mounted on a little donkey not much larger
than sheep, which hobbies and sta5gers aloug
under its overload OF ancient da1no and
OF stradde-haskots filled with poultry aud yeGcta
bles, with all the patience and gravity OF an
ass. In addition to tho farmers, each village. or
commune. has its wine-shop ltB little variety
store, blacksmith, tailor, and some other
0rt5 nd
schoolmaster. Some OF the villages contain
several hundred houses, and transact little
local trade. But noticed that, no matter
whether the town WIS largo or sunll, portion
Of it's inhabitants
WE'RE FARMERS.
This is as true Of city OF 100000 population as
of q commune Of 500 souls. However,, i'll somo
parts Of France cav separate farul-houses
after tho English style That is, whero mn1l
owned considerable tract OF land Say 200 or
400 acrcs,-ho lived on it, and l!od built III prox
unity to his own dwelling number Of smaller
dwellings for lis hired laborors. There arc said
to be Sc 600 Of these Turnl hamiots and villages,
called communcs. III Ffance, containing, in the
aggregate, upwards Of IS 000 900 OF Hou1s,-:eav-
ing about u 900, 600 in the larger towns aud
cities.
Since writing tho foregoing, an inteiligens
Freuchman informs mo that in parts Of Brit
tapy and in portions OF the country south OF the
Loire, all the way south to the Pyreuees. tho
farms are incoeed with ledge-fcnces, and that
many OF the farmers live on their lands, as in
America but those are parts Ut Franco rarely
visited by travellers. and only have his word for
it. 1 have travelled at leaSt 500 miles IN
Franco in various directions, and have seeu i'll
all that distance, no fenced farms, and but few
farm-houscs away from villages.
Another thing that arrests the attention OF the
tourist is tbs
uSHEpsALLY-cAREFUL1 HAMMER
in which the country ia cultivated. There seems
to bo not ali acre Of ground IN France that Is
not devoted to some useful purpose. There IS
to be drained and reclaimed; the brooks and
creeks have been Strengthened, aud. where they
would be likely to wash way the earth, tho banks
thereof are carefully vailed up; md the same
is done with rivers where. in making bends.
they would cut away the adjoining fields stone
walls protect the land against such apprehendod
loss. Whore streams large or small, overflow
their banks, levecs are raised to prevent 1t, aud
protect The adjacent lands from damagc- Fine
stone arch bridges cross AL the streams lha
largest rivers in France have been thus spannea.
Before the era Of railways, the Government
bu lit those bridges for military purposes, and
they will endure for centuries.
All the couut1y-roads have seen ara
SOLID TuRSPIKEs,
paved with the hardest -procurablo stone. The
French take great pains with their roads ard
keep them carefully repaired. Ride out Into the
country in any direction, from any city, and you
are always sure Of finding smooth, solid, clean
road. At intervals OF . milo or two Will be
ing spots needing it. AL along. At short dis.
tancos apart may be seen piles OF " Macadam ="
on tho road-sides, ready for use when required.
Where the country is billy or the ground un-
even, the track Of the road is crooked, but runs
where the easiest grade can bo found.
WHEREVER TREE CAN BE PLANTED
without injury to graln-cropS, there it Will be
found. Along the sides Of tho road, along lanes
leading into the farms, along tho banks
Of brooks or streams OF any size, will be-
fonnd beautiful rows Of trees OF different kinds.
Wherever there is patch or strip OF ground
MT arabic or tit for yine grass, it Is sure to
ba planted With trees, unless it be naked roek.
The northern uoountaiu-slope8 are oil covered
| them and the same Is true Of the stoep hill
Sides Tho sunny sides OF al activities are Kept
for the growth Of grapes, mulberry, olive peach,
and other valuable trees; but the shady sidos are
given to the fre-wood trees the WHO" 1s
crown on the vet or low lands, for baeket-n1ak-
ing and for fuel. Trees ayo encouraged to pro-
duca large tops and many branches; and these
are clipped of for fuel as regularly and aystem-
! atically as sheep arc shoru in Wisconsin Tor
their WOOL The Lombardy poplar Is large!y
crown for tho sake Of the biennial or the tr1en-
NAL crop Of limbs they produce; and 80 OF
mauy other varieties OF trees. ~
In addition to the trees grown By tho farmers
for fuel. Shade, and ornament, thero arc many
large forests owned by the Government: ;:on IN
There are eeyeral of those forests in the vicln-
ity OF Paris, containing each from 5000 to 5o
O0O acres, aud which lave been carefully pre-
served as gtate timber-lnnds for ceotrr1eH. rams
ja mainly supplied with fuel from those forests.
They are full OF deer. hares, and other game.
MANURE
in collected and saved with s much care IN FRANCE
AZ anyt1,ing else All the leaves Of the trees are
| carefully raked together and conveyed TO the