42 THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



des Forets inseigne a VEcole Imperiale Forestiere, it is stated 

 that the revolutions, or cycles of restoration adopted under 

 the new system in Germany were short : they were from 

 14 to 20 years for coppice woods ; they did not exceed 80 

 years for timber forests ; and forest ordinances issued in 

 Prussia by Frederick the Great, in 1740-1786, prohibited 

 any revolution or cycle in pine forests to exceed 70 years. 

 In France, at that time, the period of revolution adopted 

 in the management of timber forests was from 120 to 180 

 years, and in some cases it was longer. It is difficult to 

 account for the much shorter period adopted in Germany, 

 says M. Parade, on other ground than that there was in 

 Germany a superabundance of trees of great dimensions, 

 and a small demand for these, which might have the 

 effect of leading people to give their attention chiefly to 

 the production of wood for fuel and other domestic uses 

 wood of easy transport, for which there was a ready sale. 



The system thus introduced into Germany was prosecuted 

 with vigour, and for some fifty years with satisfaction, suc- 

 cessive improvements being from time to time introduced. 

 But from 1760 to 1780, evils inherent in the system of 

 exploitations a tire et aire began to manifest themselves 

 on all hands. Towards the end of the reign of Frederick 

 the Great there was issued an ordinance relative to the 

 management of forests, in which it was enjoined that the 

 fellings in the different sections, instead of being carried 

 out completely, or a blanc etoc, should be confined to 

 thinnings or nettoiemens, having for their object the 

 removal at most of bad wood and of matured wood, or 

 trees upwards of 70 or 80 years of age. And this has 

 been considered an indication, that it began to be per- 

 ceived that the artifical restoration of forests which had 

 been rendered necessary by the felling of the coniferous 

 forests, was difficult to effect when it had to be done 

 over ground of great extent, and in circumstances little 

 favourable to success. 



Corresponding complaints on other points were made 



