STATE AND OTHER FORESTS OF FRANCE. I I 3 



private forest, but the trees are injured by the dimbing-irons, and 

 it would be better to leave dying branches to fall naturally, as is 

 the system in the State forest, and to leave large, sound branches 

 unpruned. 



The standards are under no fixed rotation, but all middle-aged 

 and young standards give way to old, sound standards ; that is, at 

 the end of the rotation, where a flourishing standard (" ancien ") is 

 threatened by others, the latter are removed, whereas, if the 

 " ancien " show signs of falling off, it would be felled, and the 

 young ones allowed to take its place ; in fact, preference is given 

 to the " ancien " as long as it is sound and thriving. As long 

 as a tree at least doubles its value in twenty-five years, it is 

 considered flourishing. 



When the age of the standards is moderate, then those with 

 the best crowns are chosen to remain. With regard to the 

 number of standards per acre which are removed, the following 

 figures show the volumes for some actual felling areas in the 

 State forest: — 



The ideal aimed at is to have 1400 cubic feet of standards per 

 acre when the underwood is twenty-five years old, and to fell 

 half this volume, leaving 700 cubic feet of standards to grow for 

 another twenty-five years, when it should again amount to 1400 

 cubic feet. 



The method of procedure for the felling of the trees differs in 

 either forest, although in both, felling is done by the purchasers 

 of the trees. 



In the State forest the standards to be reserved are marked, 

 before the feUing of the coppice, by slicing out a piece of bark at 

 the base of the tree ; a State hammer-mark is then impressed on 



VOL. XVIII. H 



