in Provence and the Cevennes. 345 



by the sides of the hole, the seedlings do not suffer much 

 from the want of overhead shade. But this locality is sub- 

 ject to a most bitterly cold north wind, which blows with 

 terrific force over the open ground ; and, in order to pro- 

 tect the tops of tlie young plants from its influence, the 

 stone and turf walls are, at this stage, shifted round to the 

 north sides of the holes. The young trees thus treated 

 are now making good progress. This system might 

 advantageously be tried for sowing deodar on exposed 

 slopes in the Himalaya. The soil on Mont Lozfere is so 

 friable and loose that, even close to the crest of the hill, 

 where the slope is very gentle, there are signs of the forma- 

 tion of ravines, and it has been necessary to erect some 

 stone walls in order to arrest their progress. 



We breakfasted in the forest house at an altitude of 

 4500 feet, wdiere the snow was still lying on the ground in 

 patches. The house is built in the form of a round tower, 

 with very thick walls, in order to resist the force of the 

 wind ; from its windows we obtained a magnificent view 

 across the valley of the Ehone to the Alps near Grenoble, 

 the snow-capped Mont Ventoux standing out in the fore- 

 ground. 



After breakfast we visited a beech nursery. The seed- 

 lings are protected from the sun by straw screens dur- 

 ing the first year, but are completely exposed during 

 the second and third years ; they are pricked out a year 

 afterwards, and planted at the age of five years. We 

 then ascended to the summit, where planting work 

 was going on, at an altitude of 5000 feet, in the peaty soil 

 just below it. There is no doubt whatever that in 

 former years this mountain was covered with large 

 silve/ firs ; their stumps are still found buried in the 

 peat, and there are large beams of the wood in some of 

 the houses. The disappearance of this tree is to be 

 accounted for by over-felling, which led gradually to the 

 establishment of a pure beech forest, while uncontrolled 

 grazing completed the extermination of the fir. It is now 

 desired to reintroduce a mixture of the two species. 

 When we were there the beech were being put out, the 

 plants being carried up in baskets from the nursery near 

 the house ; the fir will be introduced subsequently. The 



