industry is directed. The cultivation is still
carried on after the miserable rotation which so justly excited the
indignation of Mr Young previous to the commencement of the revolution.
Wheat, barley or oats, sainfoin, lucerne or clover, and fallow, form
the universal rotation. The green crops are uniformly cut, and carried
into the house for the cattle; as there are no inclosures, there is no
such thing as pasturage in the fields; and, except once on the banks of
the Oise, we never saw cattle pasturing in those parts of France. The
small quantity of lucerne and sainfoin, moreover, shews that there are
but few herds in this part of France, and that meat, butter, or cheese,
form but a small part of the food of the peasantry. Normandy, in fact,
is the only pasture district of France, and the produce of the dairy
there is principally intended for the markets of Paris.

The soil is apparently excellent the whole way, composed of a loam in
some places, mixed with clay and sand, and extremely easily worked.
Miserable fallows are often seen, on which the sheep pick up a wretched
subsistence--their lean sides and meagre limbs exhibit the effects of
the scanty food which they are able to obtain. The ploughing to us
appeared excellent; but we were unable to determine whether this was to
be imputed to the skilfulness of the labourer, or the light friable
nature of the soil.

The property of the peasantry is not surrounded by any enclosures, nor
are there any visible marks whereby their separate boundaries could be
determined by the eye of a stranger. The plain exhibits one unbroken
surface of corn or vineyards, and appears as if it all formed a part of
one boundless property. The vast expanse, however, is in fact subdivided
into an infinite number of small estates, the proprietors of which dwell
in the aged boroughs through which the road occasionally passes, and the
extremities of which are marked by great stones fixed on their ends,
which are concealed from a passenger by the luxuriant corn in which they
are enveloped. This description applies to the grain districts in almost
every part of France.

Although the condition of the peasantry has been greatly ameliorated, in
consequence of the division of landed property since the revolution, yet
their increased wealth has not yet had any influence on the state of
their habitations, or the general comfort of their dwellings. This rises
from the nature of the contributions to whic