ADAMS, H. C. The Science of Finance. Edwin Cannan. 410 416 544 552 406 BAX, E. B. The Peasants' War in Germany. A. M. D. Hughes 142 Chicago Conference on Trusts. Sidney Ball ELY, R. T. Monopolies and Trusts. Sidney Ball GIDDINGS, F. H. Democracy and Empire. W. G. Pogson Smith 538 GILMAN, N. P. A Dividend to Labour. J. Carter . GOODNOW, F. J. Politics and Administration. W.J. Braithwaite 541 GONNER, E. C. K. The Social Policy of Rodbertus. Sidney Ball 286 273 128 HAND, Rev. J. E. [Editor]. Good Citizenship. Lawrence Phillips 280 W. H. Young. 269 HULL, C. H. The Economic Writings of Sir William Petty. M. W. Middleton . 402 KELTIE, J. S., and I. P. A. RENWICK [Editors]. The Statesman's 557 LILLY, W. S. First Principles in Politics. W. G. Pogson Smith 261 London Statistics, 1897-98. Edwin Cannan MACKAY, T. A History of the English Poor Law. Vol. III. W. A. Spooner. 263 395 559 140 MICHELI, GIUSEPPE. Le Corporazioni Parmensi d'Arti e Mestieri. PORTER, R. P. Industrial Cuba. M. W. Middleton REID, H. L. The British Taxpayer's Rights. T. C. Snow ROCQUIGNY, Comte de. Les Syndicats Agricoles et leur ŒŒuvre. SHERWELL, A., and J. ROWNTREE. The Temperance Problem Co-operative Congress, Some Impressions of the. F. Maddison. 363 H. W. Wolf. "Home Work and Domestic Industries in England." M. W. Middleton. Richard Feetham . Housing Question, A Working-men's Conference on the. International Congress of Women. M. W. Middleton Labour Association, Fourteenth Report of the. J. M. Ludlow "Poor Law Administration. Aged Deserving Poor." L. R. Phelps. 521 Retail Prices, Investigation of. A. L. Bowley. Toynbee Hall, Fifteenth Annual Report of. Cyril Bailey Workmen's Compensation in Switzerland. H. W. Wolff THE AGRICULTURE OF A FRENCH CANTON. THE HE canton of Cambrin, in the arrondissement of Béthune (Pas-de-Calais), is situated at the extremity of the plain of Lens. On the south it is bounded by the Gohelle, and towards the north it invades the Low Countries a little. Its physical features are very similar to those of the other cantons in the arrondissement of Béthune: the plain extends as far as the eye can reach, there are few or no undulations, and very few trees. All the woods have been cut down; at the present moment the very last is being cleared at Richebourg, in order that the land may be brought under cultivation. The climate is inclement; the sea-winds, unchecked by any obstacle, rage at certain seasons of the year. Their direction is very variable, and it is no uncommon thing, on this great plain-extending as far as Calais and Dunkirk - to find the wind completely boxing the compass several times in the day. Under these conditions, the changes of temperature are often both sudden and rapid, but the thermometer usually registers a fairly low average, viz. about 49° Fahr., while the maximum and minimum reached are often extreme during quite a short space of time, as we might expect in a country denuded of trees. Thus, in 1895 a temperature of 68° F. was observed in the winter, and it is not unusual, in summer, to find the thermometer rise to 95° F., and even 991° F., as in 1881. The temperature of the soil in 1897 was from 50° F., at a depth of 11 inches: it is noticeable that this has decreased since 1884, when 52° F. was registered. The sky is often cloudy, an average of 200 rainy days annually being calculated (212 in 1896-97), and an annual rainfall of 27 inches; while the hours of sunlight only reach an average of 1500. The land is, for the most part, strong and fertile; the soil VOL. X.-No. 1. B is often founded on a bed of clay, more or less thick, below which there is chalk, and in some places quicksand. The richness of the soil depends to a large degree upon the thickness of this bed, which is almost impervious. As there are no rivers in the country, it is upon atmospheric moisture that the cultivator depends for the humidity necessary for the growth of his crops. Where the clay is absent, as in the south of Haisnes, there are flints in the fields, and the moisture passes straight into the chalk, so that the land there is of much less value. Upon this rich and fertile soil have grown up the seventeen communes of the canton of Cambrin. The total population numbers about 25,416 souls. Cambrin is not, as might be supposed, the most important of the communes; on the contrary, it is one of the three with the smallest populations. Beuvry, with its 4300 inhabitants, was formerly the chief town, and remains so still in the ecclesiastical district. But Beuvry is situated at the extreme north-east of the canton, and Cambrin has since been chosen as a more central point, to facilitate communication between the communes and their capital.1 All the communes have increased in population rather rapidly, since, if the soil is rich, the substratum is equally so. The coal-mines are being actively developed, and many strangers come to settle in the canton in order to work at them. This is a new industry which has established itself in the country, with its own population and customs; but high wages make it attractive, and it threatens to draw away much of the local agricultural labour. It is interesting to observe how the latter has borne the shock. We shall therefore investigate, in order, first the existing conditions of agricultural property, and the profits which it affords. We shall then examine the various agricultural industries; and The following is a list of the communes with their population, according to the last census, in 1896: Annequin, 801; Auchy-lez-La-Bassée, 2197; Beuvry, 4235 ; Billy-Berclau, 2003; Cambrin, 541; Cuinchy, 1165; Douvrin, 2730; Festubert, 1351; Givenchy-lez-La-Bassée, 491; Haisnes, 1010; Labourse, 965; Noyelles-lezVermelles, 371; Richebourg l'Avoué, 1226; Richebourg St. Waast, 973; SaillyLabourse, 1002; Vermelles, 3007; Violaines, 1348. |