Connecticut western news., 1877-03-09
French I.and- Owners.

In France, an area about half as large again as the United Kingdom is owned by nearly 5,50O0, ,000 proprietors of agri- cultural land, of whom 5,0O0,O00 of of peasant farmers own one third of the whole area, with what result is every day becoming better known and more fully recognized in this country. The industry and thrift of these peasant owners are marvellous, and spread their effect through the whole society of France. The gross farming produce per acre of France may not be so great as in England, but this is equally observable when comparing the large farms of France, of which there are more than 13O, ,00O, with the large farms of this country. As compared with the small farmers of France, hiring the land of others, the small owners unquestionably are vastly better in every respect, and they hold their own even beside the large farmers. There may be some de- fects ill the system of small owners; the process may be carried too far in France; but at least it has raised the status of the lower classes there, has almost abolished pauperism in the rural districts, and has endowed the people with such uni versal habits of thrift as are almost un- known in the people of the same class in this country. It is not the fact, as commonly stated, that the peasant pro- prietors of France are loaded with debt; the average mortgages on these farms are known to be no more than 10 per cent. on the ir value; while the best evidence that they are able to accumulate money, is to be found in the fact that the peas ants have been the main subscribers to the great loans which have been raised in France, and that at the present time the French debt to the amount G1000,- GOO, ,O00 of our money, is held by 4,00O,- 900 of persons, while British ConsoIs to the amount of f7O0.000,000 are held by not more than 250, ,000 persons. It will be said, of course, that the climate and soil of France differ from England so much that no comparison can be drawn between them. This may be admitted as regards the central and southern parts of France, where the cultivation of the vine and olive is specially suited to peasant owners; but its northern and western provinces are in no way difier- ent from the greater part of England. The garden of France is unquestionably Normandy, the climate and soil of which differ in no essential quality from those of the south of England, and which es
 pecially resemble such counties as Kent and Somersetshire. In Normandy there is greater variety in the ownership of property than in any other part of France; large estates with resident owners are numerous, but still more so are small properties; there are immense number of peasant proprietors, but they do not monopolize the land as in some parts of France. elf had to point out the happiest part of France," says Mon sieur de Lavergne, "I should not hesi- tate to select Normandy" Population there increases slowly in proportion to wealth; while its wealth has increased fonr-fold since T7s9 it's population has increased by one-third only. In many rural commune's there is not single pauper. The writers adds: "La plupart des Normands mont pas lu Aalthus, mats Us pratiQuent instinctieeneent ses conseils." The case of Normandy is especially in- structive, as it shows what is the result of happy combination of every vari- ety of large owners and small owners, of land farmed by tenants, and of peas ants farming their own land. In the more northern provinces of France property is even more divided, and gives admirable results, though perhaps the net produce after taking into account the number of cultivators is not so great. l-EnrtninhtLn ReriRlr.