FORESTRY IN FRANCE. 223 
the highest would not contain more than -04 per cent. of them; 
the fifth zone (2600 to 3300 ft.) would, however, on account 
of the extensive plateaux existing at this level, contain more 
than the fourth. Forests situated at high altitudes do not produce 
so much wood, and are therefore not so profitable, as those grown 
lower down ; consequently the private owners, who have done their 
best to preserve their woods in the plains and low hills, have, in 
the majority of cases, allowed the mountain forests they once pos- 
sessed to be destroyed by over-grazing. Hence it arises that while 
at altitudes below 4000 feet, the proportion of State and communal 
forests is comparatively small, hardly any private woods are found 
above the level of 6000 feet, such forests as exist there being, 
generally speaking, maintained by the State or the communes in 
the public interest, as a protection against avalanches and the 
formation of torrents. The private forests are then, taken as a whole, 
more favourably situated than those which belong to the State and 
the communes, both as regards soil, climate, means of export, and 
proximity to the markets. It has been calculated that the distribu- 
tion of the forest area by zones of altitude is thus proportioned : 
Forests under the Private and 
Forest Department. | Communal 
Forests not Total. 
under the 
State. leomunnnea| \Forest Se 
en 
M. M. Ft. Ft. = A 
Plains, 0 to 200= . 0to.656| 44 7/- 5h 45 °/, 36 °/, 
Low hills, 200 to 500 = 656 to 1640| 32 ,, 48 ,, PAR) Sp BU ge 
Mountains above 500 = above 1640] 27 ,, eA SO, J SB te 
100 100 100 100 
It is said that if the trees could be grouped together, so as to 
form a series of pure forests, the proportion of the total area which 
would be occupied by each species would be as follows :— 
Oak (Q. ee and Q. bse! 29 per cent. 
Beech, |= - 19 a 
Hornbeam, : - : - 12 35 
Silver fir, : ‘ 4 7 ap 
Scotch pine, : é : : eer 
Evergreen oak (Q. Ilex), . , 3 4 33 
Maritime pine, . : : : 3 re 
Spruce, . . . . : 3 ia 
arches 42 - ; ° - 2 " 
Other kinds, - : 4 - Ge oe 
