GRAND DOMAINS OF ARC-ET-CHATEAUVILLAIN 323 



can often, acquire cut-over land at very reasonable rates. (4) Where 

 land values are generally low forest property often acquires, as the coun- 

 try develops, a greatly enhanced sales price for other uses. 



Indirect Benefits. In France it is especially true that the individual 

 owns forests for indirect benefits as well as for an investment. The owner- 

 ship of forests gives the landowner a certain prestige. The average coun- 

 try estate or chateau loses half its value, or more, unless there is surround- 

 ing forest. For the rich, the management of a forest property in France 

 is an occupation which has advantages difficult to find elsewhere. Shoot- 

 ing, a rich man's pastime, requires a forest. To-day every great family 

 in France has its country estate with some forest, but within the past 30 

 years, it should be again emphasized, there has been a decided tendency 

 to dispose of large estates. The same is true in England. To-day M. 

 Hirsch and his near relations own more forest and better-managed 

 forest than any other family in France notably the forests of Amboise 

 (Indre-et-Loire) and Dreux (Eure-et-Loire) . The forests of the Due de 

 PenthiSvre in the Haute-Marne are being improved by A. Gazin, a not- 

 able private forester. But these are exceptions. 



EXAMPLES OF THE BEST PRIVATE FORESTRY 



Three Notable Forests. It was found exceedingly difficult to secure 

 authoritative data on the management of private forest properties. 

 Many owners did not possess accurate and complete records while others 

 hesitated to give freely to a stranger more or less private information on 

 costs, revenues, and methods of management. But French foresters 

 were in accord that (a) the Arc-et-Chateauvillain Forest (Haute-Marne) 

 (6) Amboise Forest (Indre-et-Loire) and (c) the Forest of X (Vosges) 

 were three examples of the best private forestry in France and represen- 

 tative of entirely different problems; (a) is chiefly a poor coppice-under- 

 standards and mediocre high forest, (6) is a rich coppice-under-standards, 

 and (c) is a rich stand of silver fir. Some day the writer hopes to secure 

 private forest data on mountain forests, on Scotch pine, and on the Landes 

 maritime pine. 



The Grand Domaine of Arc-et-Chateauvillain (Haute-Marne). This 

 forest property is being conservatively administered and the rotations 

 lengthened 14 notwithstanding the small investment returns. The 

 forest contains some 28,000 acres intact, and the Due de Penthievre is 

 improving his property, under the able direction of M. Gazin 15 by (1) 

 reforesting, (2) by increasing the rotations, (3) by increasing the age 



14 Un Grand Domaine Forestier, par A. Gazin. Besangon, 1910. 



15 The total receipts and expenses for 1911 for the property managed by Gazin were as 

 follows: 



