68 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Foret de Levier, which is some 20 kilometres from Pontarlier, 

 on the highest plateau of the Jura. The forest of Levier is 

 only one of many forests in that neighbourhood, but it is the 

 most beautiful. Levier is a station up a branch line, which 

 leaves the main line at Andelot, not far from Pontarlier. 

 There is said to be an inn (the "hotel de I'Ours") to stay at 

 in the village of Levier. This is the true home of the silver 

 fir, most of the forest being at from 2300 feet to 2800 feet 

 above the sea. The growth of the species is here quite grand, 

 and the stems reach 130 feet (occasionally 150 feet) in height. 

 The production is of course very high, and the regeneration 

 very good where it escapes the brambles, which, however, are 

 very prevalent. Silver fir constitutes 90 °/^ of the crop, and 

 10 "/o is spruce, relatively recently introduced. But the spruce 

 is not in its own station, and is only considered an auxiliary 

 species, destined to be removed in the thinnings. Its presence 

 has a happy effect on the regeneration of the silver. What 

 they want is a certain mixture of beech as a soil-improver. 

 The area of the forest is 6700 acres, and the enumeration made 

 in 1904 showed 629,902 trees of from 31-5 inches (80 centimetres) 

 to 15 ft. 9 ins. (48 metres) in girth at chest-height — that is, 

 93 stems to the acre; but note that all stems below 31^ inches 

 girth are omitted. The corresponding volume, from the same 

 stems, was found to be just over 5800 cubic feet to the acre. 

 The " possibility " has been fixed by the Working-Plans Service 

 at 12 cubic metres per hectare (just over 171 cubic feet per 

 acre) per annum. 



XIL There has been great discussion lately concerning the 

 sale of the forest of Eu, in Normandy. This forest belonged 

 to the Orleans family, and it was proposed to sell it in the 

 open market. This would have resulted in its complete 

 devastation, in all probability, with dire effect on the local 

 watercourses, and so forth. But the State has stepped in and 

 acquired it by expropriation — that is, nine-tenths of the cost 

 (and ownership) are to be the State's part, and one-tenth 

 that of the Department. It is a big thing, for the forest is 

 25,000 acres in extent, and one can travel for 50 kilometres 

 without leaving it. 



XIII. The more inclement the climate, the more sterile the 

 soil, the greater is the need for afforestation. This has been 

 grasped of late years in a wonderful manner in Norway. There 



