Seineet Oise

Seine-et-Oise, a department of France, bounded E. by Seine-et-Marne, W. by Eure-et-Loire, S. by Loiret, and N. and N.W. by Oise and Eure. It encloses the department of Seine, and has an area of 2,160 square miles, most of which is arable land, though there are extensive woods about Versailles and St. Germain, many vineyards towards the S., and good pastures, including part of Brie. The famous corn-growing plateau of La Beauce extends into the W. portion. Building-stone, plaster, and potter's clay are the only mineral resources. The factories for porcelain at Sevres, powder at Sevran and Bouchot, paper at Essonne, Corbell, and Etampes, iron-founding at Corbiel and Argenteuil, employ many hands, and there are large cotton- and silk~mi1ls, sugar-refineries, etc. Versailles is the capital, and, besides the above-named, Pontoise, Mantes, Enghien, and Rambouillet are important centres.