THE FORESTS OF THE BASSES PYEENEES. 107 



the latter on the plains, where the proportion rises to about four- 

 fifths. The spruce, which is almost the only conifer, is always 

 cultivated along with the beech. The mountain forests are 

 treated as high forest, those on the plains as underwood under 

 high forest, the rotation for the underwood being, with few 

 exceptions, one of twenty-five years ; but this is not, as we have 

 already seen, always practised, the trees being often heavily 

 lopped every twelve or fifteen years. When a modification of the 

 forest regime was introduced, each Commune was bound to main- 

 tain a forest nursery, and each proprietor was bound to plant four 

 trees annually ; but this double obligation has gradually been 

 allowed to fall into disusage, and the so-called forests have become 

 simple pastures. 



Of the Production op the State Forests. 



(a) In Material. — The preponderance of mountain forest is 

 responsible for the small average yield of the State forests 

 generally. It may be stated as a broad explanatory fact, that 

 while the fort-sts of the mountains constitute 70 per cent, of the 

 whole wooded area, they produce only 20 per cent, of the total 

 returns yielded by this area. This reduces the average general 

 yield in wood, which would be far greater if calculated on that 

 given by the forests of the plains separately, to 1 "284 cubic metres 

 per hectare, or a little over 18 cubic feet per acre, by far the 

 greatest proportion of which is yielded by the firewood. To this, 

 however, must be added the produce of the bark of the oak and 

 the resin of the pines. 



(b) In Money. — The mountain forests are similarly responsible 

 for the small returns in money given by the State forests, which 

 is only 4*78 francs per hectare, say Is. 7|d. per acre. Here 

 these low returns are due : — 



( 1 ) To the difficulties of working and transport, and 



(2) To the low value of the beech wood. 



The price obtained for the wood generally is also very low, 

 depending upon the nearness of the market and the facilities for 

 removal. The secondary products of the forest, together with the 

 sale of the rights of shooting, grazing, gathering acorns, etc., 

 come to the assistance of the general receipts. 



