The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-26
THE PEASANTRY OF FRANCE
Inquiry Shows the Existence of Errors
as to Land-Holding in that Country.
Owners Of Small Farms Are Not so Numerous
as Has Been Supposed, but the French
Agricu.turisi Is Ccn;enled Person.

sneetal Correspondence Of the sunday Journal
PARIS. March 1.-Some of our notions
about rural France will have to be revised.
II has been popularity supposed that the
extensive subdivision of agricultural land
IL this country was due primarily to the
revolution of q hundred years ago. There
can be no doubt that the popular uprising
of that period. with its political and ma
terial changes, were somewhat of help
toward this end. but that they could not
have been the chief factor Is shown con-
clusively By the single circumstance that
when the revolution broke out IL found
amongst the twenty five millions of the
population at that period about half as
many small landowners as there are esti-
mated TO be at present in n population of
thirty-eight millions. Asa matter of fact
peasant proprietorship as IL exists in
France Is . legacy from the far distant
past. IL existed and was recognized side
by eide with feudalism. and il has reached
Its present unparalleled dimensions be-
cause. since feudalism was abolished, the
political and material conditions of France
have become gradually more and more
favorable to il.
that which cOncelves of small proprietors
rs holding larger area OF the agricultural
land of France than Is held by proprietors
of more Importance. 1t is easy to be mis-
led in this matter. There are portions of
France, and the fairest and richest por-
lions. of which such q conception would be
nnquestionaDIy true. and the notion re-
eeives additional favor from those general
ptatements which are afloat. like that. for
Instance. which puts the aggregate or land
owners at 100000. and ano. her which
ptates that one-half of the agricultural
Durface Is titled by the families TO
whom it belongs. When. however, we dive
INTO figures little. what We discover 10
that holdings of less than fifteen acres
amount 10 only about fourth of the conn
try's surface. while those exceeding 40
acres cover more than a third of 1t. We
Also find that holdings which range be-
tween these ngures exceed considerably in
The acreage they cover both the smaller
and The larger estates; making IL obviously
true. as French statIstioIans have repeated
~ aintaIned that France, a. regards the
division OF ITS land. may more properly be
cIassed as u country OF medium holdings
than as q nation which is either dominated
by big landlords cut up into peace al
for the sole benefit of little ones.
PRoDUCTIvESESS OF THE FARMS.
Two other notions challenge attention
both of which will have 20 be changed
somewhat if they are TO harmonic strictly
with the facts. One is the popular idea
that under q system Of small and medium
holdings the land will be cultivated better.
and hence be moro fruitful than under q
different system-such a system. for in
stance. as that obtaining In England. In
new country like our own. where the soil
has only TO be tiekled with the piow To
Y U a N
ouch result from small propretOrship
fplght be naturally counted upon. but where
the coil 10 old and so nearly exhausted as
DO need artificial stimulus. and, therefore,
capital and skill. to bring it into u state of.
even moderate fruitfulness. it Is very easy
to see. upon reflection, that the small,
owner. who must rely
bolely upon bis own limited resources, Is at
disadvantage. Not only. is this what
might reasonably be expected. but the fig
ures show that it is the actual result; that.
too. whether shall holdings IN France are
compared In their prOductiveness with
larger holdings of the same sort of land in
The same country, or whether agricultural
France Is Jumped together and compared
In this matter with nations w lch pursue
their farming under different system.
so likewise must our notions to the
negree of material prosperity accruing to
Dmall proprietors be modified somewhat.
Settled upon few acres. small family
nay manage to live, but If they depend
"
affords them. they will live hard life, with
scarcely any comfort. and In mean and
Bqualid surroundings. This Is the condi-
tion of q large part of the French peasentry
at the present day. 1t is quite true that
most of them lay by little for the future.
but they do this by sort of instinct. and
the reason they are able 70 do 1t Is that
rather than leave the ture IN uncertainty
they will steal q little from present neces-
Baries. Allowing for exceptions, We
have not found that, AS regards tho supply
Of their material wants. the French peas
Bntry. as n whole. are much, If any. better
Dff than the farm laborers of Great Britain.
Their food Is coarse IN the extreme and
they are often very meanly domiciled. The
rleanIiness and brightness one sees so gen.
orally in laborers' cottages in England are
rare indeed in France. NJ. Blouet, who Is
surely good authority, tells us that the
average French peasant Will live on
10 cents day. and another writer. Nj. Beth
am Id ards. who has traversed the entire
country, says that thousands of French
peasants must have seen Tor the hrst time,
at the Paris exposition of 1889. those con-
veniences OF modern life which. In all well
regulated families are held essen tial 10 both
health and decency.
IMPROVEMENTS IN RURAL LIFE.
Perhaps we are laying too much stress
upon these things. For fear of being mis-
understood. We hasten 10 soy that rural
life in France has undergone vast improve
ment within twenty years. and that the
trend Is now more decidedly onward and
upward than ever before. You can still
find sections where the rude bed adorns an
alcove IN the kitchen. and where. as in the
earliest times. horses used to- tread out
the corn; and also many parts where IIlIt-
eraey Is common. and where the people live
In the coarsest manner and do their
work without the leas. regard for
modern improvements. But in these DAYS
education penetrating into the most re-
mote hsmlets. and jacques Bonhomme
under the influence OF this and other
eivilizing forces Is beginning to think that
there 10 moro In this life even for him than
to grub and save, ana then die, leaving
similar conditions TO his offspring. More
over, farm wages are improving. For the
lowest form of farm drudgery they have
quadruDled within fifty years. the ruling
rate now being from $50 10 $40 year with
board. the latter sum, Viii Oh Is very high
for France. being the wage commanded by
those "aristOc-ats of the farm" the sheD-
herds. After all. too. there Is hardly any
psuOerism in agricultural France. though
there Is poverty and plenty of hard scratch
ing. And when you consider that Honest
Hodge. II ne lives tn be very old, Is very
likely 70 end hIs days in the poornouse.
while jacques Bonhomme Is almost certain
20 breathe his Lie away under mis- own
roof tree, with his own kindred about him.
IL wOuld seem As though any substantial
comparison between the peasantry of
France and the farm labOrers of England
were quito out of she question.