FOEEST ADMINISTRATION. 17 



them, and almost all the trees are lopped of head or 

 stripped of branches ; the felled parts are ruined, destitute 

 of ditches, destitute of shoots or saplings, destitute of 

 baliveaux. There should be 3400 arpents, and there are 

 made ordinary fellings of 34 arpents, which it will be 

 necessary to reduce, seeing that there are not in all 2500 

 arpents well stocked. The Archbishop of Tours is pro- 

 prietor of the half, but indivisible share of this. 



'The low forest contains about 1500 arpents, and is 

 totally ruined. There are nothing but heaths, excepting 

 in certain places where is a timber forest composed of 

 a mixture of poles and baliveavx on good soil. The whole 

 forest contains 2200 arpents at least viz., 450 of timber 

 forest growing well, and which should not be touched ; 

 and 150 arpents of old coppice fit for exploitation; and 

 about 1600 arpents of timber forest, which the Marquis 

 of Lourdes holds as alleged concessionaree, in regard to 

 which he is at present engaged in a lawsuit with the 

 Receiver of the domain appointed by Parliament. It 

 has always been pretty well conserved. There are four 

 guards and a sub-delegate ranger, le Sieur Milen. There 

 are four parties who have rights of usage. There have 

 been many usurpations, or at least claims which appear to 

 have been only recently made. The Marquis of Lourdes 

 has made some fellings of copse wood without right or 

 valid title. There is also a bocqueteau [bosque?] of timber 

 forest. There are four claimants of Great Usage ; they 

 are parishes. There are four parishes which claim rights 

 of pasture. There are numerous usurpers of rights which 

 they claim, and under divers pretexts there are numerous 

 depredations committed. 



' What does most harm to the forest is, that there are 

 certain vagabonds who have betaken themselves to the 

 caves and quarries in the environs of Loches. All the 

 wood held by private persons and communities in the 

 vicinity of the rivers Indre and Indrois, and the streamlet 

 Bangerais, are held of the king. 



' The President and Lieutenant-General of Loches is the 

 sub-delegate. 



