125 



completed for more than two-thirds of the total area of the State forests, and for 

 somewhat less than one-half -of the communal forests. The work progresses more 

 slowly in the latter than in the former, because in their case the funds have to 

 be provided by the communes, and the money is not always available ; but as a 

 matter of course the most important forests were taken in hand first, and these 

 have tor the most part been completed. 



The question of working plans has only been dealt with above in an 

 extremely superficial manner. In order to gain anything like a complete idea of 

 the systems pursued in France the following works, should, among others, be 

 studied, viz., " Amenagement des Forets," by C. Broillard, Berger-Levrault, Paris, 

 1878, and " Amenagement des Forets," by A. Puton, A translation of the latter 

 work has appeared in vols. VIII. and IX. of the " Indian Forester." 



PRODUCTS OBTAINED FROM THE FORESTS. 



The yield in wood of various classes having once been fixed by the working 

 plau it is the business of the department to realize it as nearly as circumstances 

 will permit. 



As to tanning bark, all that the felled trees or poles will yield Is utilized. 

 Cork bark is taken from the living trees, which will not bear the removal of a too 

 large proportion of their protecting covering, and hence care has to be taken not 

 to overwork them. Resin is collected on a large scale in forests of maritime 

 pine (Pinus maritima), which only yields it freely on the hot and damp c >asts of 

 the south-west. 



The yield of minor produce, such as grass, moss, litter, and other things, 

 being small, and details regarding it not being available, this class of products 

 cannot receive more than a passing mention. Neither can account now be taken of 

 the numerous advantages which the forests undoubtedly render to the population, 

 but which cannot be expressed in the bulk or weight of the products drawn from 

 them. 



The latest available statement of yield relates t-> 1876, in which yeir the 

 state and communal forests taken together gave 5,620,663 loads (50 cubic feet) of 

 wqpd, or an average of about 40 cubic feet per acre ; also 50,742 tons of tanning- 

 bark, 292 tons of cork bark, and 1,967 tons of resin. 



The yield of wood per acre of the State forests somewhat exceeded that of 

 the communal forests ; but while, in explanation of this, it must be said that the 

 greater extent to which grazing is practiced in the latter affects their wood pro- 

 duction unfavorably, it must also be admitted that a large proportion of their 

 produce is made over to the inhabitants for their own use, and that this is 

 estimated at a low figure, so as to reduce as far as possible, the charges against 

 them on account of management by the forest department ; and the apparent 

 difference is largely due to the latter cause. Of the total yield in wood 1, 364,84-0 

 loads were timber and 4,255,817 loads were firewood; and as might be expected 

 from what has been said before regarding the different systems of culture 

 adopted, the State forests give the larger proportion of timber, one-third of the 

 wood from them being of that class, while in the case of the communal forests, 

 the proportion of timber was only one-fifth. A still more striking result would 

 follow a comparison of the nature of the produce obtained from the State and 

 from private forests ; and since timber is a more useful and valuable product 

 than firewood, the advantage to the country from this point of view, of consider- 

 able areas of forest land being owned by the State is apparent, and the more so 

 when it is remembered that France does not grow more than two-thirds of the 

 amount of building timber that she consumes. 



