THE POLICY OF "RESERVES" 223 



control became firmer. The next development in the objective of the 

 reserves was to stabilize revenue in case of an act of Providence or errors 

 in management. Contrary to ordinary German usage, the French insist 

 on carrying more than a " normal" growing stock. This, they argue, will 

 stand them in good stead if there are windfalls, insect attacks, or wars. 

 This question of a reserve in publicly owned forests is important, because 

 we are about to begin the regulation of our National Forests. It is 

 therefore of interest to examine how and why the policy of reserves was 

 established in France. As early as 1549 it was ordered "that a third of 

 the forests belonging to the communal citizens shall be reserved for growth 

 in high forest." In 1561 this was extended to include royal forests but 

 the reserve was reduced from one-third to one-fourth. In 1580 the 

 order was cancelled by Henry III, but 17 years later, because of con- 

 tinued forest destruction, the order of 1561 was reestablished and Col- 

 bert's code of 1669 provided that one-fourth the communal and clerical 18 

 forests over 25 acres in area, conifers excepted, should be thrown into a 

 reserve. From 1706 to 1730 the policy of reserves was suppressed in 

 portions of France, but the principle was firmly established and was em- 

 bodied in the working plans for communal broadleaf forests which were 

 almost all completed by 1750. It was found best to have this "quarter 

 in reserve" separated from the rest of the forest so that an inspector 

 could determine on the ground whether a bona fide reserve had actually 

 been made. And to-day these reserves are still considered advisable in 

 communal forests, as provided by the revised code of 1827, because if the 

 cutting in the regular working groups, for example, is stopped by having 

 to clean up heavy windfall, then the reserved portion can be worked dur- 

 ing the crisis. This furnishes employment for local laborers and safe- 

 guards the continuance of a revenue from special fellings in the reserve. 

 Where, as in some instances, the reserve was not separated out on the 

 ground but merely banked by having an excess growing stock through 

 cutting only three-fourths the estimated yield called "fonds de reserve 

 a assiette mobile," the silvicultural results were less satisfactory, but the 

 reserve supply of fine, large timber strengthened the special industries 

 which depended on a local supply of high-class logs. Before the war the 

 long rotations so prevalent in State forests constituted a strong reserve 

 which war requirements largely reduced. As much as 15 to 18 annual 

 yields were cut in 1917-1918 in some fir (Jura) forests. Judging by the 

 experience of France, our public forests in the United States should not 

 be cut up to their full capacity unless it is locally essential from the view- 

 point of sound silvics. Under American conditions perhaps the best 



18 The A. E. F. bought a part of the forest of Citeaux (Loire-et-Cher) so it is interest- 

 ing to know that the Citeaux monks protested for over 50 years against the reserve re- 

 quired by the law of 1669. 



