The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-08-28
sunny FRANCE IN BAN FOG.

The plague of rain ths, has fallen on
the north OF Europe has been disas-
trious thing for all the products Of the
French soil The flowers were late
coming IN the year. aud the bes. OF
them were soon gone. TIE strawberry
beds have given out . scanty yield Of
fruit, watery 10 favor; nov the wheat
harvest is threatened. and things look
badly for the vines. Every part Of
France is given over TO husbaudry Of
some sort, and an inclement season
makes more sad hearts here than in
any other country. For miles around
Paris, even TO the beautiful valley of
the Loire. stretch the orchards and gar
dens al the cultivators who supply not
only the French capital. but, to some
extent. London also. with fruit. vege-
tables snd fowers. The quantities of
these things which are brought daily
to the Halles Centralss or hurried on TO
the seaports to dispatch to Covent Gar
den. can scarcely be calculsted. aud in
years when the sun has kindly fostered
the fields. so that they give Of all their
treasures in abundance. there seems 10
be no limit TO the producing power Of
France Prices fall then, and then the
poor as we'll as the rich can taste Of the
dainties of summer. Bayeux has .
reputation for its strawberries. Mont
moreucy for cherries. Montreuil for
peaches, Pute.uX and Poissy for mel
ons, Sceaux for apricots. Pantin and
Argsn.euil for asparagus. Vincennes
and Anteuil for lettuce, and Fontepay
for roses. All these places are within
hail Of Paris. but If you gos little fur
ther afeld you reach Fontainebleau.
where tho dinner table grapes are 50
good; Blois. where they bring straw.
berries. raspb.rries. aud perhaps goose
berries. too. to giant size; Orleans
where the figs aud nectarines are 80 lus.
cious; and Tours. where they garner
plums by the million. and convert all
that are not sold off at once into prunes
There exists q gastIonomic map Of
France. where each city and distric.
are marked with pictures Of the good
things which they are famous for max
ing-tbo Rheims has its champagne
and biscuits, Perisu.ux it's truiiled pies.
Abbevllle i's snipe ditto. Rouen its
barley sugar. D'j n its mustard, ana
80 forth; but III IA country 30 fertile as
thi' /, Is almost impossible to say that
one lJCrlity IS more successful In rear
ing u particular product Of naturc than
another Doubtless there are rs good
cherries TO be got at Surcsnes as at
Montmoreucy; st; Cloud would put its
green peas against those OF Brunoy and
V,llcneuve. All one can do Is to divide
France broadly into the provinces which
grow the vine and olive and those which
arc given up to wheat, barley, COLA.
and beetroot. At this moment all tbs
provinces north Of Paris should be COW
cred with yellow corn ready for the
sickle, and III Touraine and the Orlean-
ais the harvest should he going on. 1t
has barely commenced even in the
sunny south. where the fields Of wheat
alternate with the vineyards. the great
wave Of heat which has been passing
over Italy seems not to have touched
Provence, where the lands are all
soaked. and where the peasants are still
scanning the sky In vain for g.impses
of clear blue amid those besetting
masses Of gray clouds which pour out
water all day ani night long Prayers
have been offered up in the churches
for fair weather; aud in the districts
where faith is strong the peasants have
been carrying their votive gifts to those
roadside images Of Virgins and Sain's
which look so quantity benign when
the sun shines on them. 30 grave aud
tca'ful when the rain Is dripping on
their wooden heads.