ee,
"having been neglected for thirty years." "The mill-flume requires to be
cleaned out, and the stream, whose inundations injure the large meadow;
also repairs are necessary on the banks of the two ponds; on the church,
which is the seignior's duty, the roof being in a sad state, the rain
penetrating through the arch;" and the roads require mending, these
being in a deplorable condition during the winter. "The restoration and
repairs of these roads seem never to have been thought of." The soil of
the Blet estate is excellent, but it requires draining and ditching to
carry off the water, otherwise the low lands will continue to produce
nothing but weeds. Signs of neglect and desertion are everywhere
visible. The chateau of Blet has remained unoccupied since 1748; the
furniture, accordingly, is almost all decayed and useless; in 1748 this
was worth 7,612 livres, and now it is estimated at 1,000 livres. "The
water-power costs nearly as much to maintain as the income derived from
it. The use of plaster as manure is unknown," and yet "in the land of
plaster it costs almost nothing." The ground, moist and very good, would
grow excellent live hedges; and yet the fields are enclosed with bare
fences against the cattle, "which expense, say the farmers, is equal to
a third of the net income." This domain, as just described, is valued as
follows:

1. The estate of Blet, according to the custom of the country for noble
estates, is valued at rate twenty-five, namely, 373,000 livres, from
which must be deducted a capital of 65,056 livres, representing the
annual charges (the fixed salary of the curate, repairs, etc.), not
including personal charges like the vingtiemes. Its net revenue per
annum is 12,300 livres, and is worth, net, 308,003 livres.

2. The estate of Brosses is estimated at rate twenty-two, ceasing to be
noble through the transfer of judicial and fief rights to that of Blet.
Thus rated it is worth 73,583 livres, from which must be deducted a
capital of 12,359 livres for actual charges, the estate bringing in
3,140 livres per annum and worth, net, 61,224 livres. These revenues are
derived from the following sources:

1. Rights of the high, low and middle courts of justice over the entire
territory of Blet and other villages, Brosses and Jalay. The upper
courts, according to an act passed at the Chatelet, April 29, 1702,
"take cognizance of all actions, real and personal, civil and criminal,
even actions between nobl