Loiret Cher

Loir et Cher, a department of west central France, part of old Orleannais, has 3 arrondissements, and contains 2,450 square miles. It is mostly a plain, traversed in the S.W. for 37 miles by the Loire, and in the N.W. by the Loir for 56 miles, and the Cher for 50 miles, the latter rivers flowing through pleasant valleys. The productions are corn, fruit, wine, beet, timber, and the people occupy themselves in fishing, and keeping bees and poultry. Building-stone and pottery-clay are found, and the department formerly exported quantities of gun-flints. Cloth-working, glove-making, tanning, and glass-, paper-, and pottery-making are the chief industries. The capital is lilois.