REPORT ON THE EXCURSION TO FRANCE. 121 



husbandry and in the industrial arts. In the grounds in which 

 the buildings are situated, there are experimental plots to ascertain 

 the effects of growing trees in different kinds of soil. 



The time at the disposal of the Excursionists was much too 

 short to do justice to this most interesting institution. Never- 

 theless, the forestry members present saw much to interest 

 them ; and from the full explanations given by Professor Henry, 

 and lucidly translated by the President, Mr Steuart Fothringham, 

 they were able to carry away with them information of great 

 practical value. 



Immediately after luncheon a start was made for the State 

 Forest of Champenoux, situated in the plain which extends to 

 the west of Nancy, between the rivers Meurthe and Seille. 



It has a total area of about 3500 acres, over 2000 of which 

 are attached to the Forest School at Nancy, the other part being 

 under State Forest administration. 



The configuration of the ground is undulating, with an eleva- 

 tion of from 700 to 900 feet above sea-level. 



The soil, which overlies limestone, is of a clayey nature, with 

 a large proportion of silicious sand; it is fairly light, and is well 

 adapted to the growth of oak, beech, and hornbeam, 50 per cent, 

 of the entire crop being composed of oak (sessile and pedunculate), 

 and the remaining half consisting chiefly of hornbeam and beech. 



On entering this forest, members were much interested in 

 seeing and having explained to them the methods whereby the 

 original crop of coppice-with-standards is being converted into 

 high forest. This is done in no haphazard manner. Careful 

 and scientifically prepared working-plans or schemes of manage- 

 ment have for many years been introduced by the French Forest 

 Department, so that to-day practically all the forests under its 

 control are subjected to the provisions of such plans, as provided 

 by law. According to these, no fellings can be made without 

 the express sanction, in each case, of the Government, by whom 

 all plans must be approved before they can be adopted. 



The provisions of a working-plan must necessarily vary 

 according to the nature of the forest to which it relates; but 

 in all cases the object in view is to ensure that a permanent 

 annual yield of a particular class of produce can be secured, 

 and that the forest may be protected against risk of gradual 

 extinction. 



In Champenoux, as already indicated, the whole forest was 



