8o TRANSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



correct lines is something altogether beyond the native mind. 

 However, they seem to be doing well now. Whereas before 

 1898 the annual revenue was less than ^^40,000, it was well 

 over ;^ 1 20,000 in 1904, and for 1905 the Budget estimate was 

 nearly ;^ 1 7 7,000. But new avenues appear also to be opening 

 out, as, for example, in the direction of resin-tapping. It is 

 estimated that there are in Algeria at least 20,000,000 pine 

 trees {Pin d'Alep) capable of producing annually _;^24o,ooo 

 gross revenue. Incidentally the writer of the article mentions 

 the Fin de Afasson, in Tonquin, as a suitable tree for tapping. 

 The world's demand for resin and turpentine has certainly 

 greatly expanded of late, so this seems a promising direction 

 for forest enterprise ; but it should be remembered, as is perhaps 

 not always sufficiently done, that although resin-tapping does 

 not seem to adversely affect the quality of the wood, the timber, 

 as used for planks or scantlings, is of course damaged at the 

 points where the tapping has actually occurred. To tap a tree 

 shortly before felling does not matter perhaps, for the wounds 

 are only made in the sapwood, but tapping at intervals through- 

 out the life of a tree must damage the timber permanently. 

 It is interesting to note that 20,000 cubic metres of cedar 

 (C atlantica I suppose) is to be put on the market. It 

 appears that during the five years, 1902 to 1906, the Algerian 

 Forest Department has built 176 forest lodges (mostly for sub- 

 ordinates, no doubt), made 3910 kilometres of roads and 2000 

 kilometres of fire-lines, besides reforesting 5000 acres and 

 stripping 600,000 cork-oaks. A good record ! 



Reference has been made previously to the increase of interest 

 among landowners in connection with French Forestry matters, 

 but an article by M. Pard^, quoting M, M^na, Conservator at 

 Troyes, shows that this is not altogether a new thing, for since 

 about i860 a number of private persons, acting independently, 

 and entirely without extraneous assistance, have been afforesting 

 waste lands in the department of the Aube, in a very extensive 

 manner. The Aube is watered by the Seine and several of its 

 tributaries. Here and there — almost throughout the region — 

 this work has been going on, and in particular in one chalk 

 region, with very thin soil, some 30,000 to 40,000 acres have 

 been planted, chiefly with Scots pine. Most unfortunately, 

 these patriotic gentlemen appear not to have taken expert 

 advice, and this pine has proved to be most unsuited to the 



