Of a total surface of 1,533,760 acres, 982,635 acres in the department are arable, 198,517 underwood, 190,176 in meadows and grass, 42,000 in moors, and 22,284 in vineyards. In 1881 the live stock comprised 61,400 horses, 6524 asses or mules, 182,195 cattle, 49,373 sheep (wool-clip 83 to 84 tons), 79,737 pigs, 24,369 goats, 12,898 hives (76 tons of honey, 21½ tons wax). Poultry (capons, geese, &c.) form one of the most remunerative products of the department, which sends yearly to Paris 250,000 fowls and 100,000 geese, and consumes or disposes of 10,000,000 eggs. The horses are, like those of Perche (percherons), famous for speed combined with strength. There are three distinct districts :—the corn lands to the north of the Sarthe and the Huisne; the moorlands, partly planted with pine, between those two streams and the Loir; and the wine-growing country to the south of the Loir. In 1883 the grain crop yielded 2,813,387 bushels of wheat, 951,039 of meslin, 714,248 of rye, 2,317,760 of barley, 1,993,049 of oats, 30,880 of maize, and 59,680 of buckwheat; and there were 9,536,312 bushels of potatoes and 92,521 of beans, pease, &c., 81,664 tons of beetroot, 4794 tons of hemp, and 6 of flax. In 1884 cider was produced to the extent of 15,473,414 gallons (average quantity per annum in previous years 8,628,444 gallons), and wine to 4,347,134 gallons

(average quantity 3,883,330). Fodder was grown to the amount of 381,110 tons; and there were considerable supplies of chestnuts and hazel nuts—Château du Loir being the principal market for the former. From the forests, which consist mainly of oaks, witch-elms, chestnut-trees, pines, and beeches, material is drawn to the value of £140,000. The agriculture of the district has made great progress through the opening up of roads, improvements, draining, and irrigation. Besides mines of anthracite and coal (21,205 tons in 1882), iron-ore, marble, freestone, slate, millstones, clay, marl, lime, tuffeau (a kind of white chalky tuff), magnesia, and peat are all worked. The staple industry is the weaving of hemp and flax (3395 spindles, 4400 looms, 400 being power-looms). The cotton manufacture ranks next (8700 spindles, 185 looms, of which 100 are power-looms), while the woollen manufacture employs only 350 spindles and 161 looms. In the paper-mills 569 workmen are engaged, and the value of the paper and cardboard produced was £180,880 in 1881. Iron-foundries, copper and bell foundries, potteries, tile-works, glass-works and stained glass manufactories, currierics, engine and carriage factories, wire-gauze factories, flourmills, and distilleries are also carried on; and altogether about 256 steam-engines with 2480 horse-power are employed in those establishments. The commerce of the department is facilitated by 99 miles of navigable river (Sarthe and Loir), 250 miles of national roads, 6707 miles of other roads, and 352 miles of railway.

With its 438,917 inhabitants (1881) Sarthe has exactly the average density of population in France. From 1801 (380,821) to 1866 (465,615) the number was on the increase, but since that date there has been a decline. The department forms the diocese of Le Mans, has its court of appeal at Angers, and its university authorities at Caen, and constitutes part of tho territory of the fourth corps d'armée with its headquarters at Le Mans. The four arrondissements are named from Le Mans, the chief town; LaFlèche (9424 inhabitants), famous for its prytanée militaire; Mamers (6070 inhabitants); and St Calais (3600). There are 33 cantons and 387 communes. Sablé (6000 inhabitants) contains a castle built for Colbert by Mansart; and hard by was the celebrated Benedictine abbey of Solesmes.