778 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



A FOREST IN NORTHWESTERN FRANCE. 



FOREST OFFICERS SUCH AS THESE SEEN IN THE PICTURE WERE AMONG THE FIRST CALLED TO THE FRONT AND ALREADY 



MANY OF THEM ARE NUMBERED AMONG THE DEAD, WOUNDED OR MISSING. SUCH AREAS HAVE BEEN 



THE SECNE OF MANY VIOLENT ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN THE ALLIES AND THE GERMANS. 



for the training of subordinate forest 

 officers. The town is surrounded on 

 three sides by the state forest of Retz, 

 where French reserves were encamped 

 at the time the Germans were so close 

 to Paris. This is an area of 32,044 acres 

 situated between the Aisne and the 

 Oureq Rivers. In many respects this 

 closely resembles the forest of Com- 

 piegne, with which it compares favor- 

 ably, having, indeed, the reputation of 

 being one of the finest and best managed 

 beech and oak forests in France. Al- 

 though situated at a slightly higher 

 elevation, from 200 to 800 feet above 

 sea level, the topography is practically 

 the same and in both forests the stand 

 is composed mainly of oak, beech, and 

 hornbeam. A century or so ago the 

 forest contained some splendid speci- 

 mens of oak, which were used for the 

 French navy. Since then, however, the 

 oak has been largely cut out and the 

 proportion of beech has increased to an 



undesirable extent. Consequently the 

 aim of forest management here, as in 

 most of the broadleaf forests of France, 

 is to increase the amount of oak. In 

 1672, during the administration of 

 Colbert, Louis XIV's noted minister of 

 finance, a system of cutting known as 

 "tire et aire" was introduced, which 

 provided for what was practically a 

 clear cutting with the retention of about 

 8 beech or oak trees per acre to serve 

 as standards for the production of large- 

 sized material and to furnish seed for 

 natural reproduction. Although not 

 entirely satisfactory in its results chis 

 system was continued until 1830, when 

 it was superseded by the shelterwood 

 system, which is still in vogue. Natural 

 reproduction is also assisted to some 

 extent by oak planting, at a total cost 

 of nearly $20 per thousand plants. 



Like the forest of Compiegne, the 

 forest of Rctz ia also a favorite hunting 

 ground because of its proximity to Paris, 





