68 Forestry Quarterly. 



pecially in the lower and middle altitudes of the Vosges, Jura, 

 Alps and Pyrenees ; spruce occurs only in the high altitudes of 

 these mountains excepting the Pyrenees, and has no commercial 

 value. Larch, too, occupying the same range on about 2.°/o of 

 the area is of little economic value. 



Scotch Pine is widely planted in the lowlands everywhere, but 

 did not naturally exist except in the higher elevations of the 

 Vosges, Alps and Pyrenees, not on the limestones of the Jura. 

 Along the Mediterranean and Atlantic shores, in the nearly sub- 

 tropic climate, an evergreen oak and Pinus maritima, which is 

 also planted elsewhere, are of economic importance. 



Oak forests, pure, or in mixture with beech, or the blue beech, is 

 the prominent forest type. The areas visited in the watershed 

 of the Loire, the author points out, do not represent the average 

 but the optimum in every respect for oak, climate as well as soil 

 are best suited, and the forest is here maintained on the best sites 

 of all State forests. Hence, the results are far ahead of any- 

 thing known in Germany. Straight form, clear boles up to 60 and 

 70 feet, with small crown diameters, resembling conifers in as- 

 pect, characterize the old stands. Correspondingly the pro- 

 duct is astonishing. Stands of 180 to 220 years of age are seen 

 with 80 trees to the acre (twice the number of German yield 

 tables), with average diameters of 20 to 22 inches, height of 100 

 feet or more, 125 to 160 cubic feet to the stem, showing a cross 

 section area of 640 square feet per acre, or 50 per cent, more than 

 the German tables on the best sites, and 115,000 to even 140,000 

 cubic feet per acre — such stands as are impossible to secure in the 

 German climate. 



For the same reason, difference in climate and soil, the method 

 of regeneration would not at all be suitable in Germany. Natural 

 regeneration in 10 year periods is the general rule for which con- 

 ditions are exceedingly favorable ; a rich, humose, loose soil, full 

 mast every 4 to 5 years, with intermediate partial masts often 

 sufficient to produce full seeding and frost a rarity ; hence, while, 

 in general, Hartigs' prescription of three fellings, for seed, light, 

 and final removal are followed, it does not matter much how 

 quickly the fellings follow, for here the oak not only seeds plenti- 

 fully, but can stand a large amount of shade, becomes positively 

 shade enduring until 3 feet high and the progress of the fellings 

 may be more or less rapid without much damage. These satisfac- 



