260 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



river above the village, so that for a week or more the 

 whole valley was daninied. Then the flood broke, sweep- 

 ing down upon the town. 

 and carrying destruction in 

 its path. No sooner had 

 the waters subsided than 

 the French National Bu- 

 reau of Waters and Forests 

 got to work. Beginning 

 part way up the slope, they 

 built several great stone 

 dams across the path of the 

 landslide to hold in check 

 the continued descent of 

 loose shale and rock car- 

 ried by the torrents, and as 

 each waterfall, thus cre- 

 ated, began to dangerously 

 undermine the foundation 

 of the dam, a series of low- 

 er intermediate barrages 

 had to be added. Only 

 then was the first real head- 



ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF .AFFORESTATION 



The victory over the landslide has not only resulted in the sav- 

 ing of many lives and much property, but has made possible ex- 

 tensive hydro-electric developments. This electric cog railway 

 up among the peaks leads to a new resort from which may be 

 had one of the finest views in all the Pyrenees. 



the purpose. All this, however, was simply in the nature 

 of preliminary work to make it safe to get at the sources 



of trouble, the continually 

 eroding sides of the scar. 

 There are found in all high 

 mountain regions several 

 varieties of extremely 

 tough rooted grass. The 

 mountain climber soon 

 learns to know that a good 

 hand grip on a tuft of this 

 growth is sufficient to liti 

 him even over a dangerous 

 ledge. Accordingly, tiic 

 Department of Waters ano 

 Forests figured that if this 

 grass could be dug up and 

 transplanted in rows or cor- 

 dons across the dangerous 

 spots, the surface soil might 

 be temporarily fixed. Their 

 expectations were well jus- 

 tified. To be sure, anv 



way won and opportunity given to pave a sort of perma- 

 nent stream bed through the great piles of silt below. 

 Huge four-foot blocks of stone set on end were used tor 



great volume of material from above would sweep this 

 weak defense along with it, but fortunately only a few 

 such accidents occurred. A large supply of tough rooted 



WHERE DEVASTATION REIGNED SUPREME 



I'irst was the bare and ugly slide then cordons of grass supplemented and held by birch and alder, then Nature's gradual 

 hcalini< and finishing of the protective work. Up above, where the shifting snows gather for a tremendous rush into the valley, 

 the young trees serve as a natural break. 



.J 



