Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-10

d
If he wish, may die well off. The life
leaves little time for reading and instruction
And 50 the Norman farmer is a mixture OF
great shrewdness and great ignorance.
During the late Russian fetes, down. IN the
town of Gisors on the road to Dieppe, l
| heard two drunken gray-headed old sinners
| hiccoughing along: Long live the Tsarl
cried one. "Hushl'' cried the other, do
not say that all the time. You'll end by
annoying him." l asked the hotel keeper
"Who are those two old sinners?" He an
swered: Two farmers, each one very well
off," These are the true. real Chimes OF
| Normandy climbing silver, chnking glasses.
When merchants come from Paris in the
autumn to buy up stock or cider 1t is al
| ways a great battle with these tough old
| farmers.
How much is your eider?
'It is not as dear as last year."
"How much?
Last year it was thirty francs. 1t is not
so dear this year..
How muchY
How much will you give?"
That's not the question. 1 ask you your
| pricer'
Haven't told you? It's less than thirty
| francs"
go, walk yourselfv'
Come back, monsieur.
"Well, how much Is itr'
And SO on over again until one party
weakens.
Architecture and Horses.
farmer and his children, which goes far to
make I'D to them what they lack In book
learning, is the picturesqueness of the land
he lives In. OF the archaeological splendors
of this ancient province nothing remains to
be said. No little village is without It's
| splendid Gothic church. Most villages nave
civic or private architectural remains
which tourists love to hunt cut and admire
The people know about them, In Gull
way, more than you would think. In the
town of Les Andleys there Is Il thirteenth
century church, with stained glass and
carved woodwork which would bring, well.
say, q million dollars in America. outside
the town Is the Chateau Gaiilard, erected
by Richard Cosur-de-l4ion in 1897. one OF
the finest specimens OF Norman castle
either in England or Normandy. In 12O4,
during the siege Of 1t by Philip Augustus,
LOO cid men, women and children were
left to starve outside it's walls, because
they were not strong enough to tight on
either side. In 1914 this castle was the
scene OF the murder of Margaret OF Bur-
gunoy. In the small town of Lllebonne Is
the now ruined castle in which William the
Conqueror proposed to his obles the con-
quest of England. In this church there lies
"A dead bishop; in another dead king.
The IeaSantS all Know this. And the ira
ditions serve them for books.
1t is great horse country. Horse raising
is even more important than the cheese
and butter Industry. The Norman carriage
horse is exported, not only to America, but
to every country of the world. 1t Is also
preferred for cavalry service at home: and
most of the private stables of Paris are
supplied from this healthy, vigorous pro-
vince, " here both men and horses thrive.
State Aid to Farmers.
The French state does for the farmers Of
France a gr Eat deal that our farmers have
no dream of. Among it's Beneficial acts has
been the establishment of government
studs. or ''haras," which is the pleasing
name of a species of establishment which
il Is difficult to describe in bare words.
Every thing is on a handsome scale. The
director in charge Of the state-owned stall
iiols receives from the state the pay Of
color el in the army, and the groomS, in
handsome uniforms, give a brisk air to the
place. For Normandy the haras is at st.
Lo, tar down toward the English channel.
The er tire cost of the great establishment,
which holds 300 stations, is borne by the
government Several millions of francs
were laid out this one establishment.
The Norman farmers and their mares en-
joy all the advantage.
1t is only following out the maxim which
guides the present policy OF the French
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and pasture are the
two breasts of Fran CO." The present gov
eminent maintains professorships of agri-
culture. Their duties are manifold. Dur
ing the winter they lecture the theory
and practice Of farming in the training col
leges for male teachers During the sum-
mer they give lectures. chiefly out of doors,
in the various towns and villages. The lee
turer gets the peasants together Of SUM
day afternoon, and in an Ct sy fashion chats
upon new methods. In proved machinery
and rural topics generally. When the talk
Is over he displays specimens of manure,
seeds and roots, endeavoriEg to persuade
the more enterprising farmers to try ex-
periments. From time to time these pro-
feSSors make out reports. write pamphlets
and Information sheets. which are scattered
broadcast in the villages. Mayhap some
one reads them. Silk-worm rearing. liquor
making and like subjects occupy their
The farmers read these documents, though
they have no taste for reading. And they
take up new ideas, although they have no
taste for change. 1t Is their avarice which
leads them forward. No country has such
chickens, butter cream and fruit. And yet
If you live in Normandy country hotel for
week you will be starved for all these
luXuries They will appear to you as lux
uries, they come so seldom to the table. All
their best products of the country round are
sent to Paris and to England. At Dieppe,
where the Holsters come from, you might
think that Holsters are imported articles and
very precious. In the Calvados where great
attention is paid TO bee culture, as well as to
butter and cheese making, you will be given
imitation glucose honey. 1t is not for moth
ing that Normandy is called lie pays de
sapience"--the land of wisdom.
No Buckwhent Cakes.
The butter making population of the Cal
vados alone obtain an annual revenue of
S16OOO0OO! Camembert cheese is sold to the
amount OF StUD,DOO. BeeSWaS Is anOtner I'M
portant Item. And. If you will believe it, the
beehives carried round in spring to
clover fields, in summer to buckwheat, In
order to economize the insects time in fly
ing.
With all this buckwheat there are never
buckwheat cakes. Buckwheat Is fed to pigs
to fatten them and 1t is also given to chick
ems. And yet the Normans are fond even to
folly, of kind of buckwheat cake-the crepe
Normande-a buckwheat cake except that 1t
is made of wheat. l once asked a stout
woman if they never made the crepes from
buckwheat. They may do so in some un-
happy province, but never In our Nor
mandy" And so with Indian corn. They
grow 1t more and more each year. But you
viii never get green corn in all of France.
They never let the corn come to maturity.
They cut the tender stalks for fodder but
they will noe eat its fruit.
II have just received letter from my son
in Paris" says one old Norman peasant
woman to another. He writes that he s
become an actor"
And what's an actor?'
1T appears to be allied to the carpentering
business Madame Bibot, because he writes
that he Is on the boards"
The joke Is not particularly meritorious,
but yet 1t illustrates the Norman peasants
injurious contentment with the knowledge
OF her little circle; and after that the French