318 Forestry Quarterly. 



need improvement, this is often done by sowing pine, which shows 

 a beneficial influence on the growth of the oak. 



"Looking at forest conditions of France in general and the sta- 

 tistical data of yields, no doubt can exist that coppice in France 

 just as in Germany and other countries is a form of management 

 not any more timely or compatible with national interests." This 

 verdict will impress itself more strongly as the price of its pro- 

 ducts sinks in comparison with those of the timber forest, which 

 latter are bound to rise. Coppice is rapine and with increase of 

 civilization more intensive use of the soil becomes necessary. 



One of the most essential characteristics of French management 

 lies in the mode of wood sales which differs widely from German 

 practice. 



For State forests auctions are the rule ; exceptions are admitted 

 only on insignificant items for naval and military use and to those, 

 holding rights of user. In communal forests open sale is the rule, 

 and here mostly of stumpage for the year's cut. 



There are three methods in vogue: sale of stumpage (vente 

 sur pied) ; sale according to size and assortments {vente a I'unitc 

 de produits) ; sale of cut wood {vente apres faconnage) . The 

 latter method which is the one usual in Germany, is very rarely 

 practised in France, and the second for less than 20 per cent, of 

 the cut in State forests. Buyers in the State forests are mostly 

 wholesale wood merchants hence wholesale sales are the rule. 

 Dates for the sales in series are advertised for each inspection dis- 

 trict a long time ahead. Smaller cuts are sold as a whole, larger 

 ones in several lots which are in the forest subdivided by ditches. 

 One lot is not to exceed the amount of $2,000. 



When stumpage in block is sold, trees to be cut or to be left are 

 marked with hammer, and the trees to be cut calipered and their 

 contents very carefully ascertained and in detail placed in a pro- 

 tocol, divided by assortments. Then the value of each class of 

 trees is estimated, {estimation brute). From the sum total the 

 costs to the buyer are deducted. Among these appear the buyer's 

 profit {le benefice de V ' adjudicature) which is figured at 10% ; 

 ■cost of felling and sawing, etc., including eventual pruning of 

 trees left ; certain services in connection with delivering wood to 

 officers, assistance in roadbuilding, etc. {traveaux mis en charge) ; 

 any other costs. These deductions leave the "reste net," upon 

 which the bids are based. 



