Work of Reforestation. 225 



1879, it was estimated there were still 20,000,000 acres 

 in extent. Especially the "reboisement" work in 

 the Alpine districts, as a result of the law of 1882, has 

 become celebrated. 



The movement for recovery of waste lands dates 

 from the beginning of the 19th century, and to-day 

 reforestation by state, communal and private effort 

 encouraged by legislative acts during the last sixty 

 years, has restored well-nigh more than 3,000,000 acres 

 of ground which had been lost to forest production. 



There are four definite regions of large extent in 

 which systematic effort in this direction has been 

 made, namely, the sand dunes of Gascony and the 

 Landes of Southwestern France ; the sandy plains of La 

 Sologne; the limestone wastes of Champagne; and the 

 mountain slopes in the Vosges and Jura-Alps. 



The sand dunes on the coast of France comprise 

 around 350,000 acres; those on the coast of Gascony 

 in Southwest France alone have an extent of nearly 

 250,000 acres, these being the most important and 

 having for a long time endangered the adjoining 

 pastures and fields. It seems that the land occupied 

 by dunes was originally forested, and that these were 

 created by deforestation. 



As early as 1717, successful attempts at reforesta- 

 tion were made by the inhabitants of La Teste, and 

 from that time on sporadically small plantings came 

 into existence. But the inauguration of systematic 

 reforestation was begun only after a notable report 

 by Bremontier, who, in 1786, secured, as chief engi- 

 neer of the department of Bordeaux, a sum of $10,000 



