STATISTICS FOR LEVIER 63 



35 acres. The soil is generally deep, fresh, and rich in humus, and the 

 rainfall is 4.5 to 6.5 feet per year. The fir comprises 90 per cent of the 

 stand and the spruce 10 per cent. The beech is, unfortunately, rare. 

 Fir 160 years old yields timber 115 to 131 feet in length and when 210 to 

 260 years old it is 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Seed years occur every two 

 years and reproduction is easy if there are no briars. In the past there 

 has been but little insect damage, but recent windfalls which were not 

 immediately barked occasioned some insect damage. The fungus, 

 Aecidium elatium, when it affects trees, is removed in thinning. Under 

 present conditions game is quite rare and the hunting is annually let 

 for $79.13. Before regular logging the timber is generally lopped and 

 lightly squared with the axe and the smaller pieces barked. It is hauled 

 in full lengths. There are 42 miles of local forest roads, 6.5 to 16.4 feet in 

 width, which are maintained at an annual expense of about $3,474. There 

 are also 29 miles of rather poorly laid out old roads, and the entire forest 

 is bounded by a rough stone wall, 39 inches in height, to prevent grazing 

 and trespass. There are two small nurseries (one near the Ronde Ranger 

 Station). Formerly the yield was fixed at one and a half trees of 1.33 

 meters (4.26 feet) diameter per hectare (3f trees per acre) per annum. 

 These moderate cuttings, below the real capacity of the forest, accumu- 

 lated a considerable reserve. In 1818-1820 Lorentz inspected this forest 

 and advised the cutting of all the old trees over the young growth. In 

 1844 the yield was 7 cubic meters per hectare (2.8 cubic meters per 

 acre). In 1861 the yield was by volume coupled with improvement 

 selection cuttings every four or five years without limitation of volume. 

 This proved a happy innovation because it diminished the excess growing 

 stock and saved a great many trees that were declining in vigor. From 

 1881 to 1894 the average yield was 10.27 cubic meters per hectare (4.1 

 per acre) per year, worth $32.47 or 33.17 per cubic meter (about $10 per 

 acre). Of this yield, it should be mentioned, however, that 10 per cent 

 was branch and stump wood. The compartments were made approxi- 

 mately equal. This was an error, since it would have been better to have 

 them differ somewhat in size and follow natural features for boundaries. 

 In 1894 the working plan was revised and all trees 9.5 to 60 inches in 

 diameter were calipered, giving 231 trees per hectare (94 trees or 49,000 

 feet board measure per acre). The yield per cent was established at 

 2.35 per cent, plus a fraction of the excess volume, bringing the total cut 

 up to 2.74 per cent. During the years 1905 to 1911 the yield was 11.93 

 cubic meters per hectare (4.8 per acre) per year, or a revenue of $16.12 

 per acre. This amounted to 2.66 per cent of the total volume. In 1911 

 it is interesting to note that the windfalls amounted to 11,134 cubic 

 meters and were sold at $42,196. During 1916-1919 about eighteen an- 

 nual yields were cut to supply the armies. 



