120 



DEMARCATION AND SURVEY. 



Up to the end of 1876 the work of demarcation had made good progress in 

 the State forests, only 13 per cent, of which then remained to be completed, 

 while 30 per cent, of the communal forests had still to be dealt with. The 

 demarcation is indicated by dressed-stone pillars, with intermediate ditches or 

 dry-stone walls, according to the custom and resources of each locality. The 

 ground is usually resurveyed after the demarcation has been completed, and at 

 the end of 1876 about three-fourths of the State forests and one-half of the 

 communal forests had been thus re-surveyed and mapped, the prevailing scale 

 be i n g MTinr ( 12 2/3"= = 1 mile) and lT ^ (6 1/3" = -] mile). Pending the completion of 

 this work, the old maps are used for such of the forests as have not yet been 

 resurveyed. In the communal forests the work of demarcation and survey is 

 less advanced than it is in the State forests, because the charges for such work 

 have to be defrayed from the communal treasury, and the needful funds are not 

 always forthcoming. 



SYSTEMS OF CULTURE. 



The climate of France is singularly favorable to the natural regeneration of 

 forests, which is, generally speaking, relied on planting and sowing being only 

 resorted to in the comparative!}^ rare instances in which success cannot otherwise 

 be achieved, such cases including, of course, the stocking of extensive blanks. 



There are two main systems of culture one known as "high forest," and the 

 other as " coppice." 



A high forest, which is usually destined to produce timber of large size, is 

 one composed of trees that have been raised from seed, its regeneration being 

 effected by means of seed, generally speaking, self-sown. There are two methods 

 of treating the forest in order to produce this result. In one of these the trees 

 of each age-class are grouped together, and are subjected to periodical thinnings, 

 nntil the time arrives for regeneration, which is effected by a series of fellings, 

 the first being a more or less light thinning, intended to promote the formation 

 of seed and the springing up of the young seedling plants. The seed-felling, as this 

 is called, is followed at intervals by a series of secondary fellings, usually three 

 or four in number, which are made in order to meet the gradually increasing 

 requirements of the young growth in the way of light ; and ultimately the 

 remainder of the old stock is removed by a " final felling." In this manner the 

 marketable steins are gradually cut down and disposed of, the young crop being 

 left to go through the same stages as its predecessor, and so on throughout 

 successive generations of trees. In the selection method (known as jardinage), 

 on the contrary, the trees of all ages are mixed over the whole area of the forest ; 

 there are no regular thinnings of the kind made under the first method ; and the 

 annual cuttings are effected by taking marketable trees here and there within a 

 certain area of the forest, the blocks composing which are successively treated in 

 the same manner, so that the entire forest is worked over within a fixed period of 

 time. When treated by the first method, the forest is grown under very artificial 

 conditions ; for the aged classes are never in nature found thus grouped together ; 

 but by the selection method, on the contrary, a more or less near approach to a 

 natural forest is obtained. 



In the coppice system the regeneration is principally effected by means of 

 coppice shoots. 



There are two methods of treatment, sivfiple coppice, in which there are no 

 reserve trees, and the crop is clean-felled over successive portions of the forest : 



