196 France. 



"^ The fellings, usually performed by the purchaser, (the 

 wood being sold on the stump) are supervised most 

 rigorously, making even the smallest deviations from the 

 conditions of the contract sale, which otherwise would 

 only entail the pa3mient of damage, punishable by fine; 

 and the responsibility for any trespass which may occur 

 on the land reaches 250 yards beyond the limits of the 

 purchaser's territory, unless he gives proper warning and 

 '1 tries to find out the perpetrators of the same. 



Legal proceedings are brought before the courts of 

 correction and are greatly simplified, as is customary in 

 Germany, The rigor of the original propositions has 

 been somewhat abated by the laws of 1859. 



The public forests may not be sold, mortgaged or di- 

 vided and the product can be sold only through state 

 foresters. As in the olden times one-quarter of the 

 stands in the timber forests and one-fourth of the fell- 

 ing budget in the coppice is placed in reserve for urgent 

 or unforseen needs. 



In addition to these and other restrictions which refer 

 to the public forests, there are prescriptions which apply 

 to all woods in general. All foresters employed, even 

 on private properties, have sheriff's power. Walking in 

 the woods with axe, saw and wagon outside of the public 

 roads which pass through them, is forbidden; the mak- 

 ing of fires is forbidden; the making of fire lines 20 

 yards wide between private forests can be enforced by 

 either owner, and railroads, along their rights of way, 

 are required to make such. The setting of fires even 

 within 200 yards of a wood is forbidden and the punish- 

 ment of infractions of these laws is very severe. The 

 rights of user are gauged by the administration accord- 



