Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-09-19
Nature Made a Slave.
THE GREAT EsrABI1snMENr OF THE
DEcANvIbLEs, NEAR PARIS.

HE WHEAT REIMBURSEMENT OF THE
DEoANvIbbEs, NEAR PARIS.
Tho --latest Refnements IN the Cultivation
Of the Soa--Hop the Rorb Is Laid
Out--A Farm that Pays Bette,.than a
Gold Mtne--An Eean,ple from France
for F1rmcrs.
PARIS, August Two arc not acous--
toned to regard Franco as the land of
agricultural development. She is rather
looked upon as behind the age 10 all that
pertains to Intelligent cultivation Of the
soil. In travelling through the country
you see clumsy, old-fashioned ploughs,
auoiont harrows, and well worn soythes and
sickles; tho modern oultvators, reaping aud
moving machines, self-rakers and thrashing
machines are rarely found. This lack Of
improvement upon the old timo methods is
partly due to tho system Of dividing tho
farms into such very small parcels that
machine labor would be impraotioablc.
Whom there are a thousand contiguous
farms, with an average area for each of less
than ton acres, it is evident that hand labor
alono can be used in their cultivation,
unless some CO. operative ownership of
machinery could be arranged. Eycn then,
there would be endless disputes and disa-
grcements in its management, and it would
be impossible to employ it satisfactorily.
But besides this difficulty there is another,
fully as important. French peasants and
French farmers are eminonty conservative.
They ore satisfied to 20 on in the same way
that their forefathers have always gone.
Even when convinced, by actual observa-
ton, that better results can bo obtained by
adopting somo now idea, thGy rather prefer
not to make tho attempt. They say that
they know what to expect from their old
methods, whoreas tho new may promise
well at first, and yet afterwarl develop such
defects as to bring disastcr upon those who
have adopted them. Nevertheless, it is in
France, and very near Paris, too, that
found tho nearest approach to perfection in
farming that have seen in either Europe
or America, and more interesting illustra-
tion of soiontiGo agriculture can hardly be
imagined. About twenty miles from
Paris, on the Paris, Lyons and Medi
terranoan Railway, is CorbelI, and tho farm
of which l speak is short three miles
distance from tho latter place. Tho farm
is called Le Petit Bourg, and it has the
River Seine on ope side of it and tho rail
road on tho other. NJ. Paul Dcoanyiles,
the oldest son of the first proprietor, is the
manager of tho farm, but he will soon have
the assistance of his three brothers, who
are DOW preparing themselves for their work
at the Polytechniquo, Ecole Central and
Ecolo dcs Mines. The land is situated on
aD extensive plateau, and is therefore espo.
Oially suitable to tho style Of farming
pursued by tho lato NJ. Armand Dcoan-
wis. Tho Chateau Potit Bourg was
originally tho residence of Madame dc
Pompadour. Whom the i,yoSSss Railway was
surveyed, about thirty years ago, the owner
of the chateau and park was so disgustod
at the invasion of his property by the iron
horse that ho sold tho ohatcuu to the
Government as site tor juvenile reform
school, and, after clearing the park of its
timber, offered it on lease for farming. Nj.
Armand Dooanvile, although educated as
lawyer, was anxious to take farm, and he
soon obtained loase of the whole estate,
amounting to about 625 acres. TO this he
added by lease or purchase of the surround
ing farms Whenever occasion offered, until
now thoro arc about 1900 cores uudor the
control of the family. Tho land being
high, with insufficient natural water supply
in many seasons, NJ. Decanylle erected
pumping works on a largo scale, and laid
network of pipos for artificial irrigation all
over the property. The height OF tho
plateau abovo the river enabled him to
drain off quickly any surplus rainfall, while
any deficiency was easily made good by
pumping works. lie also took advantage
of every improvement in machinery, intro,
ducing English and Amtrioon inventions
whoneyor he could thereby economize labor.
Tho stoam plough was first attempted
fifteen years ago, but it was not until after
the Exposition of 1867 that he definitely
adopted it. Flo chose an English invention
which is worked by two stationary engines,
drawing the plough backward and forward
across the field. 1t is very simple, compact
and effective, and, considering the amount
of work done, it is not heavy. There arc
twelve ploughshares sot en- cchclon, 60 that
it has Che appearance Of q hugo oultivator,
in the shape of right anglcd triangle, the
sharpcs being sot in tho bypothonouse.
Whenever thero has been an exhibition of
farm implements in Paris or in any of tho
Northern departments, NJ Docanvilo has
always made point Of inviting the cxhibi
tors to Lc Petit Bourg to test their machines,
and in this way he has been ablc to seloot
tho machinery best suited to his crops and
land. The recent great success Of the
MoCormo self binding reaper renders it
probable that machine will also be adopted
on this model farm. Tho estate is divided
into four separate departments. The frat
includes the farmwork proper, tho animals,
nd M, ,Iop, MO ho