1885] ADMINISTRATION OF FRENCH FORESTS. 173 



the periodic measurements of the trees at fixed periods — say, everj^ 

 six years. In the accounts of the forest of Eperon, which is ex- 

 ploited under this system, in tlie first period there was 990 cubic 

 metres, in the next period only 977 cubic metres, in the third 

 period 234 cubic metres, and at the fourth time of measuring only 

 482 culjic metres. Such a method would be dangerous for the 

 State to adopt. It would also necessitate the services of 300 

 additional forest agents to effect the coutinuous measurements. 



M. Yiette held that the valuations of the department were 

 exaggerated. The expenses in the upper departments should be cut 

 down. There had been a great increase of Inspectors-General of 

 Torests. In 1878, six were created; in 1882, two; and in 

 1884, one. The decree of 1879 had rendered the election to 

 the superior ofiices of the service solely eligible to those trained 

 at the School of Xancy. No people were so much inspected 

 as the French. A liierarchy of inspectors had arisen, whose 

 extinction would benefit the public purse. The Inspectors-General, 

 when on tlieir tours, had So mucli sub - inspection to do, that 

 it was evening ere they could begin actual labour in the forest. 

 During the times of Louis Philippe and the Empire, an ordinary 

 forest guard could aspire to tlie highest place in tlie service. But 

 now the necessity of attending at ISTancy stops this. He must 

 enter Nancy at twenty years of age ; he studies there for two years ; 

 at twenty-two or twenty-three years of age he becomes a garde- 

 general of the third class, in which he remains for nine years ; 

 at forty or forty-one j'ears he may be an inspector, but at fifty-two 

 he has lost his chances. The aspirant forester, son of a garde, may 

 enter the primary school at Barres when twenty-four or twenty-fi^'e 

 years old ; after eleven months' training he becomes a domainal 

 garde of the second class. Two years afterwards he may enter the 

 secondary school of Barres, and at thirty or thirty-one attains his 

 highest ambition. There is little to hope when a man enters Nancj' 

 over forty. The practical experience in sylviculture is ])referable in 

 some cases to the scliool learning of Nanc}'. As a consequence of 

 all this, specially of the aristocratic system of 1882, the number of 

 officers is greater than the inferior members of the staff. Over 140 

 gardes-general, there were 320 adjutant-inspectors, 240 inspectors, 

 4 6 inspectors-general and conservators. The number of commandants 

 thus far exceeds that of the sous-lieutenants. In the canton of Berne 

 in Switzerland, with a large forest area, seven inspectors have been 

 reduced by four, and so in many of the other cantons where part of 

 their duties is to teacli sylviculture to the forest gardes. This deputy 

 thought the Chamber should vote sufficient to pay the gardes, not the 

 inspectors. The communes complain of imperfect valuations, delays, 



