113 



FORESTRY IN FRANCE.* 

 THE WOODS AND FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



In 1876, the last year for which anything like complete details are available, 

 the total wooded area of France, exclusive of isolated trees, such as those growing 

 in parks and on road-sides, which were not planted for the sake of the timber 

 they produce, amounted to 35,464 square miles, or a little more than 17 per cent, 

 of the entire area of the country. The proportion in other European countries is- 

 as follows, viz.: 



Per cent. 



Russia 40 



Sweden 34 



Norway 29 



Germany .. - 26 



Turkey 22 



S witzerlan d 18 



Greece 14 



Spain, Belgium, and Holland, each 7 



Portugal 5 



The British Isles 4 



Denmark 3| 



The average of all European States taken together, is 29i per cent- 

 The population of France being 181 per square mile, it follows that the 'area 

 area of woodland per head is about three-fifths of an acre. 



Some changes, which will be noted in a subsequent chapter, have taken 

 place in the area of the State forests since 1876, but in that year the woods and 

 forests were owned in the following proportions by the different classes of pro- 

 prietors, viz.: 



Square miles. Per cent 



The State 3,734 10.7 



Communes and sections of communes 7,949 22.4 



Public institutions 124 0.3 



Private proprietors 23,657 66.6 



Total 35,464 100. 



and these figures may be taken as fairly representing the actual position at the 

 present time. 



Forests are not so exhausting to the soil as agricultural crops. In the case 

 of the latter, the entire plant, except the roots, which are sometimes also taken, 

 is removed, whereas with a crop of trees, the leaves, flowers and fruit, which are 

 far richer in nutritive elements than the wood, are annually returned to the soil, 

 and thus serve to maintain its productive power, as well as, by their protective 

 action, to keep it in a good physical condition. Hence forests can flourish on 

 comparatively poor soil ; some kinds of trees, notably most of the conifers, being 

 able to grow on ground that would be quite incapable of producing a series of 



*By Major F. Bailey, R. E. Vol. XI. of the " Transactions of the Scottish Arboricultural Society." 

 8(F.) 



