STATE AND OTHER FORESTS OF FRANCE. IO3 



Ash. — A few ash are found here and there, but cannot compete 

 in height-growth with the oak and beech. In some plantations 

 on marshy ground, pure ash poles are found in a promising con- 

 dition. Sallow and birch spring up on the felling areas, but are 

 speedily cut out. 



Brambles also grow on the felling areas, as well as raspberries 

 and dense masses of tall grass and broom. 



Dangers to the Forest Growth. 



The strong westerly gales are not particularly dangerous, as 

 the oak is wind-firm, and the fellings are made from east to west. 



Red-deer sometimes browse on the oak transplants, which are 

 used to fill up blanks on the felling areas. 



Spring frosts are sometimes hurtful to the young crops of oak 

 and beech in the depressions. In such places, sallow, birch, 

 and broom are very useful as nurses to the young saplings, until 

 they have grown beyond the frost-level. 



The Scots pine has been much injured by a fungus, Rhizina 

 undulata, which attacks the roots of the trees, and, as it spreads 

 from tree to tree by their roots, the trees attacked die in circular 

 patches. Hence this disease is known as Maladie du rond. 

 This has been so prevalent in the forest, that it has been pro- 

 posed to substitute silver fir for pine on the sandy area. 



Present Management. 



A working-plan was sanctioned in 1859. It prescribed fellings 

 in successive compartments, with natural regeneration. Each 

 working-section was divided into eight periodic blocks {affecta- 

 tions), corresponding to a rotation of 200 years, in the periods 

 of 25 years for each block. In 1859 the periodic blocks were 

 not concentrated, but were scattered over each working-section, 

 according to the actual age of each compartment, the oldest 

 woods being regenerated first. This did not please the working- 

 plan revisers in 1882, when the periodic blocks were rearranged 

 so as to form contiguous areas. The former arrangement, how- 

 ever, is much the more rational, as, owing to the revision, many 

 immature crops must either be regenerated too soon, or left 

 standing, in defiance of the working-plan. There will be a fresh 

 revision of the working-plan in 1907, when it is presumed that 

 '-he former more sensible arrangement, which has now been 



