CONTINENTAL NOTES FRANCE, 49 



a committee to examine the question of the method of taxing 

 woodlands, and has published a pamphlet entitled Le Revenu 

 Intposable des Forets (Imprimerie Jacquin, Besangon). The 

 writer ventures to think that this report contains material that 

 would be of interest and value to those {e.g., those Members 

 of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society who are members 

 of Parliament) who may have to draft a new law to remedy 

 the difficulties at present interposed by the existing law in 

 the way of the afforestation of the United Kingdom. 



3. The Vicomte de Larnage discusses the tapping of Austrian 

 and Scots pine in the south of France. The latitude, of course, 

 affects the outturn, but considering the increasing demand for 

 resin, and especially for the turpentine in the resin, it is nowadays 

 wise to consider the capacity of the various resinous trees in 

 this respect. So far not much tapping has been done with 

 species other than the maritime pine in France, the Scots pine 

 in Northern Europe, Pinus longifolia in India, and we believe 

 the long-leaved pine (and perhaps others) in America. M. de 

 Larnage places the Austrian and Scots pine in a lower grade 

 as to outturn than the maritime {i.e., the cluster) and Corsican 

 pines, but says that they are nevertheless worth tapping, and 

 that the percentage of turpentine obtainable from the resin is 

 actually higher. This fact makes it necessary to collect the 

 resin quickly, and from narrow cuts, to prevent evaporation. The 

 tapping increases the density of the wood, and consequently its 

 value, by at least a third. So it has long been stated, and I 

 suppose the point must have been decided on good evidence, 

 but it seems contrary to probability,^ and I believe it to be a 

 fact that the timber of P. longifolia taken from a tapped tree is 

 much lighter than that taken from an untapped tree. M. de 

 Larnage says only large trees are worth tapping, and I might 

 add that it is always necessary to remember that the tapping of 

 small trees destined to be felled much later, particularly with 

 long cuts carried far up the bole, must decrease the value of the 

 timber, inasmuch as there must obviously be weakness, as well 

 as a disfiguring scar, at the point of occlusion of the wound. 

 Accordingly, it appears that this gemmage a vie practised on 



^ The ordinarily accepted explanation is that the tapping causes an 

 abnormal flow of resin to the lower part of the bole, which thus becomes 

 highly charged with the substance, and is therefore rendered heavier 

 and more durable. — Hon. Ed. 



VOL. XXn. PART L D 



