PERIODICAL LITERATURE. 



FOREST GEOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION. 



In two further instalments Dr. Martin fin- 



Forest ishes his critical review of forest manage- 



Conditions ment in France, the one referring to refor- 



in estation of waste lands, especially of the 



France. Landes, the other to forest management in 



the Pyrenees. 



In the light of our movement for the conservation of resources 

 the reforestation of the Landes should attract particular attention. 

 It exhibits a brilliant example of the permanent success of well 

 planned persistent activity through 60 years on a large scale, 

 some 1,675,000 acres being involved. 



The character of the Landes in their original condition, a 

 heath on infertile sand with impervious subsoil — hence swampy 

 like the so-called barrens of Nova Scotia and other parts of this 

 continent — has often been described. 



The work of reclaiming these wastes was done partly by the 

 State directly, partly by the municipalities under force of legisla- 

 tion. Remarkable to tell, by sale on the part of municipalities the 

 larger portion of these reclaimed lands (80 per cent.) belong now 

 to private owners, 14 per cent, to corporations, and only 6 per cent, 

 to the State. 



The legislation of 1857 obliged municipalities to reforest; in 

 case of refusal, the State was to do it and retain the land until 

 recouped. In the end, the municipalities unloaded their obligation 

 in part on private owners by selling their lands, and these have 

 reforested them to their financial advantage, the investment of 

 some ten million dollars having made these areas worth tenfold. 



This experience is rather damaging to the theory that such 

 vast undertakings in forestry can only be carried on by the State 

 directly. 



Another theory which has proved erroneous here, is that for- 

 estry furnishes little opportunity for human labor. Compared 

 with what was the case, a considerable population finds lucrative 



