INDRE. This department of France pro duces corn in quantity more than enough for the consumption ; buck-wheat, hemp, flax, chestnuts, and fruits are also grown. The annual produce of wine is six to seven mil lion gallons, about one-half of which is ex ported. Sheep are a source' of great profit to the farmers, on account of the fineness of their wool : the quality of the wool of the Champagne district especially is very superior. Several iron mines are worked ; marble, mill stone, limestone, mica, flint, lithographic stones, granite, quartz, spar, marl, potter's clay, variegated marbles, &c., are found. The cloth manufactures of Chateaaroux and some other places are important ; linen, hosiery, scythes, paper, porcelain, and earthenware are made. There are also numerous establish ments for the manufacture of woollen yarn, leather, beer, parchment, &c. The most im portant iron-works are those of Clavieres. The commerce of the department is composed of the various agricultural and industrial pro ducts named.
There is another department, called [mire ct-Loire, one of the most important products of which is wine ; of which 14 or 15 million gallons are made yearly ; next come hemp, walnuts for making oil, plums, beans, legumi nous plants, liquorice, anise, and coriander ; citrons, melons, almonds, apples, pears, truf fles, &c. Bees and silkworms are carefully
tended. Iron mines are worked ; stone, espe cially a tufaceous sandstone, of which most of the houses are built, is quarried out of the bills near the Loire, and excavations thus formed are occupied as dwelling places by the poorer inhabitants. Millstone grit, marl, pot ter's clay, and brick-earth are found. Copper ore is met with, but no mines are worked. The chief industrial products are bar iron, powder, and files ; woollen cloth, of which ma nufacture Tours is the centre ; silk, leather, paper, and pottery, are also made, but the manufacture of these articles is not so impor tant as formerly. The exports consist mostly of agricultural products, the imports of colo nial produce, glass, cotton stuffs, fine linen and woollen cloth, furniture, haberdashery, &c.