206 France. 



In the facultative perimeters the state was simply to 

 assist in the work of recovery by gratuitous distribution 

 of seeds and plants or even by money subventions in some 

 cases. It appeared hard that the poor mountaineers had 

 to bear all the expense of the extinction of the torrents 

 and much complaint was heard. In response to these 

 complaints, in 1864 a law was passed allowing the sub- 

 stitution of sodding instead of forest planting for at 

 least part of the perimeters, with a view of securing pas- 

 tures, but this method seems not to have been successful 

 and was mostly not employed. By the legislation of 

 1882, however, the complaints of the mountaineers were 

 properly taken care of by placing the entire expense of 

 the reboisement work on the state. The attitude of the 

 mountaineers, which was at first hostile, due to the 

 restriction of the pasture, has been overcome by the 

 beneficial results of the work, and now the most hostile 

 are ready to offer gratuitously their territory to the For- 

 est Department. Wherever necessary the state has 

 bought territory and from year to year has increased its 

 holdings, and continues to acquire land at the rate of 

 25,000 to 30,000 acres per year, the budget of 1902 con- 

 taining $1,000,000 for this purpose. Altogether the state 

 has, up to 1900, acquired 400,000 acres, of which 218,- 

 000 have been planted, and it is estimated that about 

 425,000 acres more will have to be acquired. The total 

 expense, outside of subventions to communities and 

 private owners, so far has been $13,000,000, of which 

 $5,000,000 was expended for purchases, and it is esti- 

 mated 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 



