REMARKS ON H. BAUDRILLART’S BOOK,
THE AGRICULTURAL POPULATION
OF FRANCE.
PART III.
THE POPULATION OF THE SOUTH 95
Baudrillart (Henri), Les populations agricoles de la France.
3-me série. Les populations du Midi. Paris 1893.
Only some small notes can be made while looking through
this book, which is, written in the same style and spirit
as the earlier volumes.
Les bouches-du-Rhône. The city of Marseilles. Very superficial description of agriculture. Note is made of the
common practice of share-cropping (métayer, méger). Among
others: le comte de Tourdonnet, Étude sur le métayage en
France* (without any indication of time or place).
For example. “... The peasant farmers, who share the status of small holder and rural labourer, are fairly well
off”—for instance, outlays are 510 francs (husband & wife), receipts = 850 francs. “Consequently, a household
is able (!!!) to live in a comfortable (!!) manner, having
500 francs and making savings” (!!). That’s Baudrillart
all over!
Pp. 267-69 on “the solidarity” of agriculture (at Hérault)
and industry (cloth manufacture)—for instance, the factory
at Villeneuvette (100 men & 300 women). The same line of employers since 1792 (Maistre), the workers are at the
factory all their lives, “Christian” spirit in the master’s
* Count de Tourdonnet, An Essay on Share-cropping in France.—Ed.


attitude to his workers. The owner of the factory “runs”
it through “a small commune, with the aid of the municipal
council which has sprung from its midst [of the factory
management]”, etc. Such is Baudrillart! Volume Three especially appears to be incredibly dry, monotonous,
matter-of-fact and absolutely empty. It is quite impossible
and unnecessary to read the meanderings of this “titled old
man”, and only “critics” of the Bulgakov stripe can take
such a writer seriously.
Written not earlier than 1901- not later than January 1903
First published in 1938
Printed from the original in Lenin Miscellany XXXII