Canadian Forcstrx Journal. June, 1920. 



273 



Replanting France's Ruined Forests 



The case for replanting the forests destroyed and felled during the zvar, and 

 for the afforestation of other regions of France is forcibly stated by M. Paul 

 Dcscombes in La Revue de Paris. 



Photo — Courtesy W. N. Millar. 

 Sabot ma'.iers and hut in forest de Camora, France. 



In peace times the forests of France 

 only produced one-half of the timber 

 employed in national industry. Among 

 the lessons taught by the war has been 

 the necessity for each nation to pro- 

 duce enough timber for its own con- 

 sumption, and France is far from do- 

 ing this. 



In 1913 the timber consumed in 

 France is calculated at just over 14 

 million cubic metres, of which there 

 was produced in France, 6.7 niilHon 

 cubic metres; imported in the round, 

 cut. and pulp, 7.4 million cubic metres : 

 total, 14.1 million cubic metres. (1 

 cubic metre equals about 5 cul)ic feet.) 



This shows that France already 

 needed to double its production of 

 timber; but authorities are of opinion 

 that to replace the destructions of war 

 and make up stocks will require in 

 addition 6.000.000 cubic metres of tim- 

 ber during each of the five years fol- 

 lowing the war. There are thus two 



problems: (1) To double the perman- 

 ent national production; (2) to pro- 

 cure an extra annual 6.000,000 cubic 

 metres during tive years. The first 

 requires a permanent arrangement ; 

 the second may be partly met by ob- 

 taining timber as part of the indemnity 

 payable by the enemy countries. Until 

 that hapi)ens it is believed that tiie 

 I'^rench Colonies can send timl)er, and 

 more quickly. In order to do so it is 

 necessary to restore the wholly de- 

 vastated and the partly destroyed for- 

 ests, and to afi'orest an increased area 

 of land. A scheme ]iublished in l^W 

 in ri^conomiste I'^rancaise provided 4,- 

 ooo.ooo hectares (about lo.ooo.ooo 

 acres), and included in the jnirchase of 

 land. ANorks of inqtroxemetit, better 

 management, annual sub\ontions. and 

 sto])ping the denudation oi mountain 

 stu'faces, at a total cost ^^\ about £70.- 

 000.000 sterling. lint this scheme 

 wotild only lia\e increased the forest 

 area by half while doul^le the 



