CONTINENTAL NOTES — FRANCE. 153 



action of forest in this connection is too well known to 

 need elaboration. 



M. Chaudey maintains that a comparison of the Lente 

 plateau (which is on the east side of the Rhone valley, and 

 free from cloud-bursts) with the Ardeche country (where these 

 cloud-bursts occur) goes to prove the use of afforestation for the 

 purpose in view. The two places seem suitable for comparison, 

 being only 40 kilometres (25 miles) apart and similar as to 

 latitude, altitude, etc. Lente is wooded to the extent of 38 % ; 

 Ardbche, 17 %. He produces rainfall tables, showing the 

 monthly distribution and the number of rainy days per annum 

 upon which he lays stress, but to my mind these tables do not 

 really prove his contention. Nevertheless the considerations 

 above set out remain, and these do seem to show that it is 

 likely that afforestation would act as a palliative (no more is 

 claimed) against dangerous floods. 



As an interesting example of the importance attributed — and 

 I think certainly rightly attributed — to the keeping clothed 

 with forest and grass hills whence watercourses flow, we may 

 mention the Siwalik Range in the Saharanpur District of the 

 United Provinces in India. This range of hills lies in a straight 

 line, for sixty miles, between the Ganges and Jumna rivers. 

 From the points where the rivers leave the Siwaliks two very 

 important canals take off, one from each river, and run in a 

 converging direction, while from the very steep and raviny 

 Siwaliks emerge numerous watercourses, fanning out in such 

 a way as to cross the canals. These watercourses are dry for 

 the greater part of the year, but when the rains come they 

 become raging torrents, so that they are a great danger to the 

 canal works. It is, therefore, considered to be very important 

 to prevent fires in the Siwalik hills. 



VI. — M. Champsaur recommends Abies Pinsapo as a species 

 to plant in the Mediterranean region of France. It is a native 

 of the mountains of south Spain. It is hardy, transplants easily, 

 grows in all soils, even rocky soils, has a close cover, owing 

 probably to its persistent branches, resists drought and snow, 

 and by reason of its stiff needles is proof against browsing. 

 According to Nisbet the value of its timber is about that of silver 

 fir. In the region concerned it seeds freely, and the seedlings 

 have been very successfully transplanted into the plantations. 



