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SARTHE

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Originally appearing in Volume V24, Page 224 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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SARTHE , a See also:

department of See also:north-western See also:France, formed in 1790 out of the eastern See also:part of See also:Maine, and portions of See also:Anjou and of See also:Perche. Pop. (1906) 421,470. See also:Area 2410 sq. m. It is bounded N. by the department of See also:Orne, N.E. by See also:Eure-et-Loir, E. by Loir-et-See also:Cher, S. by See also:Indre-et-See also:Loire and Maine-et-Loire and W. by 1Vlayenne. The Sarthe, a sub-tributary of the Loire, flows in a See also:south-See also:westerly direction through the department; and the Loire, which along with the Sarthe joins the See also:Mayenne to See also:form the Maine above See also:Angers, traverses its See also:southern See also:borders. Broken and elevated See also:country is found in the north and See also:east of the department, which elsewhere is See also:low and undulating. The highest point (on the boundary towards Orne) is 1115 ft. The Sarthe flows past Le Mans and See also:Sable, receiving the Merdereau and the Vegre from the right, and the Orne Saosnoise and the Huisne from the See also:left. The Loir passes La See also:Fleche, and along its chalky See also:banks caves have been hollowed out which, like those along the Cher and the Loire, serve as dwelling-houses and stores. The mean See also:annual temperature is 51° to 52° Fahr. The rainfall is between 25 and 26 in.

The See also:

majority of the inhabitants live by See also:agriculture. There are three distinct districts:—the See also:corn lands to the north of the Sarthe and the Huisne; the region of barren See also:land and See also:moor, partly planted with See also:pine, between those two streams and the Loir; and the See also:wine-growing country to the south of the Loir. Sarthe ranks high among See also:French departments in the See also:production of See also:barley, and more See also:hemp is grown here than in any other department. The raising of See also:cattle and of horses, notably those of the Perche breed, prospers, and fowls and geese are fattened in large See also:numbers for the See also:Paris See also:market. Apples are largely grown for See also:cider. The See also:chief forests are those of Berce in the south and Perseigne in the north, but the department owes its well-wooded See also:appearance in a See also:great measure to the hedges planted with trees which See also:divide the See also:fields. See also:Coal, See also:marble and See also:free-See also:stone are among the See also:mineral products. The See also:staple See also:industry is the See also:weaving of hemp and See also:flax, and See also:cotton and See also:wool-weaving are also carried on. See also:Paper and cardboard are made in several localities. See also:Iron-foundries, See also:copper and See also:bell foundries, factories for See also:provision-preserving, marble-See also:works at Sable, See also:potteries, See also:tile-works, See also:glass-works and stained-glass manufactories, currieries, See also:machine factories, See also:wire-See also:gauze factories, See also:flour-See also:mills and distilleries are also prominent See also:industrial establishments, a great variety of which are found at Le Mans. Flour, agricultural products, live stock and poultry See also:farm the bulk of the exports. The department is served by the Western, the See also:Orleans and the See also:State See also:railways, and the Sarthe and Loir provide about See also:loo m. of waterway, though the latter See also:river carries little See also:traffic.

The department forms the See also:

diocese of Le Mans and part of the ecclesiastical See also:province of See also:Tours, has its See also:court of See also:appeal at Angers, and its educational centre at See also:Caen, and constitutes part of the territory of the IV_ See also:army See also:corps, with its headquarters at Le Mans. The four arrondissements are named from Le Mans, the chief See also:town, La Fleche; Mamers and St See also:Calais. The See also:principal places are Le Mans, La Fleche, La Ferte See also:Bernard, Sable and See also:Solesmes, which receive See also:separate treatment. Besides these places, those of chief architectural See also:interest are Le Lude, which has a See also:fine See also:chateau of the See also:Renaissance See also:period, Sille-le-See also:Guillaume, where there is a See also:Gothic See also:church and a stronghold of the 15th See also:century, and St Calais, the church of which See also:dates from the 14th to the 17th centuries.

End of Article: SARTHE

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