EROSION AND PRECIPITATION 



147 



State included money or seed and plants, the plants having been esti- 

 mated below their actual value. 



TABLE 15. SUMMARY OF FORESTATION BY COMMUNES, 1860-1909 



Most of the forestation work done by individuals (see Table 16) during 

 the period from 1860 to 1909 was paid for by the individuals. The de- 

 partments assisted them to the extent of 5.3 per cent of the total expense 



TABLE 16. SUMMARY OF FORESTATION BY INDIVIDUALS, 1860-1909 



and the State 36.9 per cent, leaving 57.8 per cent to be paid for by indi- 

 viduals a total amount of $912,581.78 spent to reforest 132,388 acres, 

 or a cost of $6.89 per acre. 4 



THE DAMAGE 



Erosion and Precipitation. It has already been pointed out (see p. 141 ) 

 that the rainfall is heavier in the mountains than in the plains, and that 



4 In addition to expenditures for reforestation, allotments during the 10 years from 

 1899 to 1909 for the improvement of grazing amounted to $110,440. These figures 

 show the enormous damage that has resulted from deforestation (mostly due to over- 

 grazing) in the mountains of France, which should serve as a warning to all other coun- 

 tries where abuse of forest or grazing lands is in its infancy. 



