LOT

LOT, a department of France, formed from Quercy, part of the old province of Guyenne, is bounded on the N. by the department of Corrèze, on the E. by those of Cantal and Aveyron, on the S. by that of Tarn-et-Garonne, and on the W. by those of Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne. It is situated between N. Lat. 44. 13. and 45. 5, and E. Long. 1. and 2. 10. It is 65 miles long by 35 broad, and has an area of 2168 square miles. The department is drained by two navigable rivers; the Lot in the S., from which the department takes its name, and the Dordogne in the N. The watershed of these two rivers is formed by a branch of the mountains of Auvergne. The Lot flows into the Garonne, and receives the Selle on its right bank near St. Cirq. The Dordogne receives the Cère on its left. The principal minerals are coal and iron. The mountainous districts yield marble, granite, limestone, alabaster, millstones, and lithographic stones, and the valleys fuller's earth. The chief places of mineral wealth are—Miers, La Garde, and Gramat. Industrial manufactures have made little progress. There are some iron-works, potteries, and tile-kilns, and manufactories of coarse woollen stuffs, brandy, and paper. There is a small trade in those articles, besides wine, corn (which is pretty abundant), hides, salt, and groceries. The department is almost entirely agricultural. Wheat, maize, barley, and oats, are raised in the valleys and plains; and in the stronger soils, hemp and tobacco. The best wines are those of Cahors and Grand-Constant. The white mulberry is grown for production of silk, and truffles and plums are plentiful. Horses, mules, asses, cows, sheep, swine, and goats are numerous and of tolerable quality. The rivers abound in fish, of which the most noted are the eel and the carp. The department of Lot has three tribunals of first instance under the court of appeal of Agen, a tribunal of commerce at Cahors, a lyceum, two colleges, and a normal school.

The principal town of the department is Cahors, with a pop. of 13,350. Lot has three arrondissements, subdivided as follows:—