RESTOCKING ON HIGH MOUNTAINS. 217 



the fertile soil. At all events, these grasses prevent 

 the washing away of the thin soil by rain storms. 



The French have had a long and satisfactory experi- 

 ence in this matter, as they have during the past thirty 

 years undertaken the reforesting of the denuded wood 

 and grass lands on the Lower Alps. They recommend 

 principally the esparsette, as giving the best protection 

 to the saplings. But as this grass runs out after three 

 or four years, unless resown, it is, when the planta- 

 tion requires protection during a longer time, usually 

 mixed with other grasses, especially with bromus erec- 

 tus, avena elatior, liolcus mollis, lasiagrostis, calamagros- 

 tis, and pimpinella. Mixing is done in the proportion 

 of seventy-five esparsette to twenty-five of the bulk of 

 the other grasses. It is true that the admixed grasses 

 do not fully develop until two or three years after being 

 sown, but they last much longer than the esparsette. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



RESTOCKING DENUDED WOODLANDS ON HIGH MOUNTAINS. 



THE attempts to repair the damages caused by the 

 cupidity and imprudence of men to the woodlands on 

 those mountains which extend upward to from five 

 thousand to nine thousand feet above sea level, have 

 shown how hazardous it is to interfere, however 

 slightly, with whatever nature has arranged by the work 

 of time. The high mountains are the principal sources 

 and headwaters for navigable rivers. Whatever tree, 

 bush or shrub may grow there forms a protection 

 against uncommon flowing off of the water supply, and, 



