CONTINENTAL NOTES — FRANCE. 163 



Himalayas, at over 7000 feet, on a north aspect, when the 

 eucalyptus {E. globulus, if I remember right) was, as often 

 happened, broken by the snow, it coppiced vigorously. It seems 

 possible, therefore, that a coppice of eucalyptus might be 

 feasible, and produce at least firewood, which is far more used 

 by the French than by ourselves, with our larger coal supply. 

 If this were possible the probable further result would be the 

 drying up of the marshes, with its hygienic advantages, as 

 has happened in the case of the Pontine Marshes, near 

 Rome. 



However, the idea of coppice does not appear to have 

 occurred to M. Bauby, and he recommends, as said above, 

 the planting of the Deciduous cypress, giving sound arguments, 

 for his opinion. The home of this tree is Florida and Louisiana, 

 where it is found in marshes, and even on inundated ground. 

 M. Bauby has carefully examined and measured a little wood 

 of this cypress of about half an acre, not more than 55 years 

 old, exposed to, but in no way injured by, the " Mistral," growing 

 near Aries, Originally planted 3 metres apart there are now 

 180 tall, straight stems, varying from 36 to 79 feet high, and 

 i| to 8 feet in girth, measured at 2 metres from the ground 

 (to avoid the buttresses). He works out that the mean annual 

 increment per hectare is 167 cubic metres (565 cubic feet), or 

 226 cubic feet per acre. It seems incredible, but the conditions 

 are such as the tree loves — deep soil, a mixture of clay and 

 sand, plenty of water, and a warm climate. Judging from the 

 value of the wood in America, and discounting this for difference 

 of station, it may safely be considered to be equal in worth to 

 the mediocre wood of the Aleppo pine, which is much used 

 for boxes at Marseilles. At this rate the annual return per 

 acre would be some 200 francs. 



But to show the length to which the tree will go in supporting 

 total immersion in water M. Bauby gives the case of a 

 Deciduous cypress at Aix. This tree is nearly 30 feet high, 

 and, though not thriving, is growing sufficiently well in a sort 

 of stone vase of about 7 feet diameter in the middle of a 

 masonry basin, while the upper edge of the vase is a foot 

 and a half below the surface of the water. Moreover, the 

 lateral roots have been cut. 



VIII. — M. P. Gouy draws attention to the Ailanthus glandu- 

 losa. of which the countries of origin are China and the eastern 



