The daily gazette., 1880-05-19
European. Letter.
From Our Regular Correspondence.
CHFRBURo. France, May ., 1880.

From Our Regular Correspondence.
CHERBURo. France, May ., 1880.
Although Norman farm is, gener-
ally speaking, cultivated according to
long established customs, aud although
these customs or rules are pietty gen.
orally followed, yet they are not hard
and fast, and IL IL seldom that a land
lord requires his tenant to strictly fol-
low such rules. All the regular farm
laborers employed on the Norman
farms live on the premises, they are
lodged and fed, and they hire out tor
one year. Taxing a farm of middle
| size-that is of about 200 acrss-the
regular laborers consist of 2 horse drl-
vers, yard laborers, boys, 1 shepherd,
an1 servant girls, aud the yearly
wages paid TO them are: 10 the horse
drivers, $75 each; to the yard laborers,
500 each; To the boys. S15 TO $40 each;
to the shepherd. Sl75, and the servant
gil Is, S27 10 S38 90. Tne harvesters are
naturally engaged for u CERTAIN time
aud "forfait," that is to say they full
til tbe opertions incidental to the gath
ering IN of all tho different crops, sx-
cept roots, for certain stated sun,
aud take the weather chances. The
price generally is $3.50 per acre. There
are women aud boys employed in plant
ing bee; root and the like, and the cost
is generally reckoned at 81 80 per acre,
o. tor II acres the proportionate area
under such crops, Sl7 80. These items
constitute the whole of the labor ex-
penses of the farm, aud amount, there |
fore, to SS per acre. Then come the
food expenses for tho nine regular la
horeis, a. 81 per head per week, or per
year, s675O, or pes acre, say $3.50. and |
six days planting for fourteen women
and children at the same ratio, $3.50, |
or per acre. S1.26; total expenses Tor
labor, etc, per acre. Sll72; The rent
varies be ween $40 and Sl5 per acre,
say then, $3.50; and We have all the ex-
penditure Norman farmer must bear
before he can put one penny to his owp
account, $24.25.
With such an outlay he yet manages
to support himself and his family well,
but he and his wife ahd children must
aud always do put their shoulders to the
wheel. he lives well, but is far from
beinR eXttavagant. His wife and his
must personally superintend
and work IN the farm yard, IN the gar
den. In the orchar1. whilst he and his
sons are out III tue fields from morning
till evening. They are all up with the
snn in sumner aud in bad at 10 p. III.
ln winter by a. In., AMI in bed at Up.
III. For six months in the pear the cat
lie are grazing in the meadows, which,
Tor the purpose, are divided into sew
sral equal parts wheneve: the cattle are
put in succession. AT night, however,
he whole Vt them are gathered into an
enclosure, which which is
moved from one place to the next
very day, thereby the meadows are
'egularly manured and no patches can
;xist; the dung is spread every morning
~ the cattle boy, and the grass grows
Uniformly every where. The same sys-
em Is followed with the flock of sheep.
they are out grazing from the begin
ling OF March ull ths end OF Noven ber, |
weather permits, but are always krpt
u flock 6nder the continual care of the
hepherd and his dogs. The advahtals
I this system are obvious under many a
eads- Sheop p do not run nor can th.y :
e decoysd away from their master. The l
eldS are Systematically gTazed upon, !
nd II uu- OF the animals tall III, imme- =
late attendance Is at hand. A great
dvantFge OF the enclosure is, OF course /
egularity In mauurIug The farmer /
ha; area flock OF 600 sheep will
manure, aud lie acts accordingly in !
lanurlng the other area coming under =
reatment for tue year. ,