82 TRANSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOITISH AK BORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The State Forest of Celles.^ 



By Professor Fisher, Royal Indian Engineering College, 



Coopers Hill. 



(From Xotes by M. Muller, Inspecteur des Eaux et Forets. Lunev-ille. ) 



Situation. 



The State Forest of Celles is in the Departement des Vosges, 

 not far from the town of St Die, and is situated on a projecting 

 spur of the Vosges mountains, between two branches of the river 

 Meurthe, the rivers Rabodeau and Plaine, which unite with 

 the Meurthe above Raon I'Etape, the railway station at which 

 is seven miles from the forest. This projecting spur leaves the 

 crest of the Vosges at Le Donon, at an altitude of 2662 feet 

 above sea-level. 



Area. 



The area of the forest is 2925 acres, including 27 acres 

 occupied by roads, forest-guards" houses, and saw-mills. 



Configuration. 



The general configuration of the ground is towards the north 

 and west, in two large and nearly circular basins, which are 

 intersected by deep depressions, so that the contours are steep 

 and variable. The altitude varies from 1014 to 2662 feet, 

 averaging 1838 feet above sea-level. 



Geology and Forest Soil. 



The subjacent rock is Vosgesian sandstone, corresponding to 

 the Permian and New Red Sandstone strata m England. Most 

 of the crests of the hills are composed of conglomerate, while 

 lower down red sandstone prevails. The resulting soil is ex- 

 tremely porous. Sometimes it is entirely silicious, dry, and 

 very poor, often containing quartzite pebbles, which become 

 more numerous near the ridges. Lower down there is a certain 

 admixture of clay, and the soil is more adapted to hold 

 moisture. 



' Reproduced, by permission, from The Land Agents' Record of 24th 

 September 1904. 



