Colbert's Reform. 217 



duties (abus), contraventions to the orders and regu- 

 lations, misdemeanors or depredations (delit); and 

 all kinds of fraud not included under those cited 

 (malversations) . 



The whole country was divided into 18 arrondisse- 

 ments of grandes-maitrises des eaux et forets and these 

 were divided into 134 maitrises, each under a maitre 

 particulier, with a lieutenant, a garde-mar teau, a garde 

 general, two arpenteurs and a number of gardes. A 

 financial branch for the handling of moneys, and the 

 judicial branch represented by the three courts de- 

 scribed above, completed the organization, which 

 lasted until the revolution, albeit some details were 

 changed soon after its enactment, and the offices 

 became again purchaseable and hereditary. 



The sale of royal forests was again forbidden, 

 penalties being provided for the eventual purchaser. 

 Theft and incendiarism were severely punished, 

 and specific rules of management were estab- 

 lished. 



Clearings could only be made by permission even 

 on the part of private owners. The methods of sale 

 and harvest were determined. The prescriptions of 

 older ordinances were renewed to the effect that at 

 least 13 to 16 seed trees (baliveaux) per acre in the 

 coppice, and 8 seed trees in timber forest, were to be 

 reserved in all forests without exception. Private 

 owners were not to cut these seed trees before they 

 were 40 years old in the coppice, and 120 years in the 

 timber forest, while in the public and church forests 

 these seed trees were treated like reserves. Similarly, 

 the prescription that no woods were to be cut before 



