PERIODS OF WORK 173 



hollows (lettes) between the dunes were also a source of fever. In 

 former days there was considerable cattle, sheep, and goat grazing 

 which did a great deal of damage. According to Bert: 



"After the execution of the first work, the water holes between the dunes furnished 

 quite good drainage ground for some time. But because of the drying action of the 

 pine, the grass production disappeared little by little; the grazing in the region of the 

 dunes became practically of no value." 



This has had an important bearing on the attitude of the communes, 

 since the restocking of the sand areas often meant the physical oblitera- 

 tion of their grazing, and because grazing was often disastrous to the 

 artificial forestation and had to be curtailed or forbidden altogether. 

 Bert says: 



"One of the most important problems confronting the Dune Commission was the 

 ownership of the land. The dunes were evidently regarded as belonging to the State 

 and the forestation was certainly alluded to at that time as belonging to the Nation, 

 to the republic, to the Government, and as royal property. If this private property, 

 whether belonging to individuals or to communes, had been left to shift for itself it 

 certainly would have been lost to the Nation. But possibly a great deal of trouble 

 would have been avoided if the land, then worthless, had been exappropriated at its 

 actual sale value instead of being merely sown or planted by the State after having been 

 abandoned by its original owners. It is significant that one or two owners in after 

 years had their lands returned to them upon payment, with interest, of the cost of 

 forestation. On account of the damage done by grazing these private rights were 

 gradually extinguished by purchase by the State." 



This is similar to the policy now followed in the Alps (see p. 143). 



The climatic conditions are favorable to the growth of maritime pine 

 since the extremes of temperature are 3 and 23 C. (37.4 and 73.4 F.) 

 for cold and heat, the average rainfall 31 inches, and the average number 

 of rainy days 200. An unfavorable climatic factor, which is often dis- 

 astrous but which can be alleviated by shelter belts, is the violent west 

 winds so typical of the region (see p. 204, " Fire Protection "). According 

 to my field notes : 



"In the vicinity of the Lacanau Ocean (forest of Lacanau) the average tempera- 

 ture throughout the year is 13 54' C. (56.3 F.); in summer the average is 20 48' C. 

 (68 .9 F.), and in autumn 13 32' C. (56.3 F.). There are 102 clear days annuaUy, 

 with a rainfall of 32 inches, coupled with frequent fogs. Violent west and southwest 

 winds are very frequent." 



These violent winds made the fixation of the sand all the more difficult. 

 The main dune area (see p. 177 for statistics) is between the Gironde 

 and Adour rivers in a strip 3 to 4 miles wide and 145 miles in length. 



HISTORY OF RECLAIMING THE LANDES 



Periods of Work. Five periods 7 are distinguished in the develop- 

 ment and reclamation of the dunes : 



7 Bert, id. (seep. 171). 



