232 France. 



Finally, by the reboisement law of 1882, the com- 

 plaints of the mountaineers were properly taken 

 care of by placing the entire expense of the reboise- 

 ment work on the state. The attitude of the moun- 

 taineers, which was at first hostile, due to the restric- 

 tion of the pasture, has been overcome by the bene- 

 ficial results of the work, and now the most hostile 

 are ready to offer gratuitously their territory to the 

 Forest Department. Wherever necessary the state 

 has bought territory, and from year to year has in- 

 creased its holdings, and continues to acquire land 

 at the rate of 25,000 to 30,000 acres per year, the 

 budget of 1902, for instance, containing $1,000,000 

 for this purpose; that of 1911, only $40,000. 



Altogether the state had, up to 1900, acquired 

 400,000 acres, of which 218,000 have been planted, 

 and it is estimated that about 430,000 acres more 

 will have to be acquired. The total expense, outside 

 of subventions to communities and private owners, 

 up to 1900 has been over $13,000,000, of which some- 

 what over $5,000,000 was expended for purchases. 

 It is estimated that round $25 to $30 million more 

 will be needed to complete the work. Of the 1,462 

 torrents there were in 1893, 163 entirely controlled, 

 and 654 begun to be "cured." Among the former, 

 there were 31 which 50 years ago were considered 

 by engineers incurable. It is estimated that, with 

 the expenditure of $600,000 per annum, the work 

 may be finished by 1945. The names of Matthieu 

 and Demontzey, especially the latter, are indelibly 

 connected with this great work. 



Lately, however, Briot in his classical work Les 



