PINE AREAS IN THE FORESTS OF P.ROTONNE AND EOUVRAV. 69 



10. A Note on the Re-sowing of the Pine Areas in 

 the Forests of Brotonne and Rouvray. 



l>y Captain II. D. IIOPKINSON. 



In return for being permitted to clear-cut large areas of pine 

 in the above-named forests, it was agreed, at the request of the 

 French Forest Authorities, that the British Army should re-sow 

 with Scots pine seed the areas felled. 



Sowing commenced in 191S, and in the spring of that year 

 146 acres were sown in the forest of Brotonne and 160 acres in 

 the forest of Rouvray. The soil generally speaking is sandy in 

 both cases, and in Brotonne there is a large admixture of flints 

 which in places impeded the preparation of the "pits." The 

 "pits" were made at the rate of 2420 per acre, and consisted 

 of areas 1 foot square, which were cultivated to a depth of 

 6 inches; where turf existed this was thrown aside. The 

 "pits" were made during the winter, and the sowing (in 

 Brotonne) commenced on the 1st April and finished on the 

 23rd of that month. 1 



Procedure of Sowing. — The pits were first raked over, and 

 then stamped, giving two lines about half an inch deep by 

 half an inch wide in which the seed was sown. The pits were 

 again raked over and the process was then complete. The 

 qiiahtity of seed sown was 4 lbs. per acre, which equals about 

 100 seeds per pit. Seeds were not soaked previous to sowing, 

 or treated with red lead, except in a small experimental patch 

 in which soaked seeds were sown. These, as was expected, 

 germinated earlier, but otherwise did not, on the whole, do better 

 than the unsoaked seed. This was probably due to the very 

 dry weather which lasted throughout May— the month following 

 the sowing. The seed was of British origin, mostly coming 

 from the North of Scotland, but there is no information as to 

 the precautions taken in collecting, and as the seed was required 

 in large quantities and urgently, the probability is that it was 

 not well selected.- Small experiments were made in Brotonne 



1 The main sowing finished in April, but actually further sowing was dom- 

 throughout May and up to 3rd June, and was productive except what was 

 sown in the last few days. 



2 The principal supplies of Scots pine seed in Scotland come from the north. 

 where the collectors have for many years taken special precautions to ensur^ 

 that the seed is gathered in the best pine areas from trees of the highest type 

 and quality. There is reason to believe that the seed referred to was collected 

 in Deeside anil Spevside, under those conditions. — Hon. F.D. 



