Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-02-28
French I.aud.OW ners.

In France, az area about half as large
again as the United Kingdom is owned
by nearly 5000, 900 proprietors of agri-
cultural land, of whom 5,o00,0O0 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
l30, 600, 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-
feets in 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
pauperisn in the rural districts, aud
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. 1t 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 their 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 fl0O0,-
COO, 900 of our money, is held by ,OtO,-
Go of persons, while British COnsols to
the amount of f7OO. .000, 900 are held by
not more than 250, GOO persons. Ii viii
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 differ
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 Comersetshire. 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. ''If had to point out
t8e happiest part of France" says Mon
sieur de Lavergne, ~ should not hesi-
tate to select Normandy" Population
there increases slowly in proportion to
wealth; while its wealth has increased
fo"r-fold since 1873 its population has
increased by one-third only. In many
rural commune's there is not a single
pauper. The writer's adds: ala pllpGTt
des NormdRds mont pas lu 14dlthus, nadis
lis prGtiQueHt iRstiHctirenleHt ses coRseils."
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.
Reuielc.