ill Provence and the Cevennes. 325 



sources being about 3s. 3(1. per acre ; but there are very few 

 roads now existing in this locality, and it would not pay to 

 export firewood ; so that the small wood, which cannot be 

 utilised for charcoal, is left upon the ground, where it rots 

 in a couple of years or so. The heads of the Department 

 are anxious to raise a high forest of pines in place of the 

 present crop, but the local officers are opposed to this 

 project, as they are afraid of fires. The charcoal is burnt 

 during the winter, so as to avoid danger from this cause. 



Regarding this part of the country, generally, it may be 

 said that the rock is limestone, the principal trees being 

 the Aleppo pine and the evergreen oak ; the ground is 

 -steep and difiicult, so that the forests do not yield much. 

 There is no doubt that timber of large size grew in former 

 days on these hills ; but at the end of last century tlie 

 oountrj' fell into disorder, M. Madon's grandfather, who 

 then occupied a high official position, having to go about 

 under the protection of a pair of ferocious hounds, and 

 having to treat with brigand chiefs for safe conduct through 

 it. At that time the people were not under any sort of 

 control, and the entire district became denuded of trees, from 

 which condition it seems almost impossible that it can 

 -ever recover ; for the ground is owned principally by 

 communes and private proprietors, who cannot afford to 

 refrain from cutting in order to allow the forests time to 

 grow up. They have to pay taxes, and must get revenue; 

 while the stock being very small, it must be worked over 

 at short intervals, and no accumulation of capital is pos- 

 sible. Say, for instance, that the forests yield a gross 

 revenue of 3s. 6d. an acre, the cost of working, with 

 maintenance and taxes, comes to something like 2s. 6d., 

 and not much saving can be effected out of the balance. 

 But it would be a very great advantage if the State would 

 «et an example, by showing the people what the soil is 

 capable of producing under proper treatment ; and a 

 portion, at least, of every State forest in this region 

 should, for this, if for no other object, be brought as 

 soon as possible into a good condition. In most moun- 

 tainous districts the fairly level ground is cultivated; but 

 forests grow well on slopes up to 35°, the working out 

 of the timber being both difficult and costly when the fall 



