EEBOISEMENT IN FEANCE. 347 



of war tlie paid assistance of military workmen when circumstances 

 permit. 



Ee>l\.rks. — The administration will most willingly negotiate this matter with the 

 minister of war when it becomes necessary. But to do this, it must be able to specify 

 and define the proposal, and let him know the situation and extent of the operations, 

 their duration, the time when they will take place, the number of workmen required, 

 the point from which they should be sent, the pay which they will receive, i&c. 



Several employes are of opinion that the special staff of the reboise- 

 meuts should be in keeping with the increasing development of the op- 

 erations, and that the employes composing this staff be intrusted with 

 the execution of the enterprises which they have suggested, with the 

 assistance of the local employes during the disposable time left to these 

 latter employes by the requirements of their ordinary duties. 



Eemarks.— The administration proposes to intrust special agents with the work of 

 reboisement, not only in what regards the prejiaratiou for the undertaking, but also 

 the execution. This service will also be placed in due time in position to grapple with 

 new exigencies as they may arise. The employes of the ordinary service should not, 

 however, consider themselves relieved from all participation in the operation iu 

 question. 



Negotiation's -with proprietors of waste mountain-lands, for the purpose of engaging 

 them in reboisement, the giving due notice in regard to demands for aid in sanctioned 

 reboisements, the supervision of execution of operations of restocking, the giving of 

 assistance in operations of required reboisement when they take place, will be a part 

 of the functions aud duties of the officials attached to the ordinary service. The admin- 

 istration has pleasure in believing that all the oflficials will assist the enterprise with 

 all necessary zeal and devotiou. 



Such were the points rajsed upon questions of diflBculty that presented 

 themselves at the beginning of this enterprise. 



A second conference of agents was held in 1863, on the 8th of Septem- 

 ber and the following days, at Clermont-Ferrand, for central France, at 

 Carpentras, on the same days, for the Alps, and on the 15th and follow- 

 ing days, at Foix, for the Pyrenees. Upon these occasions, the ques- 

 tions submitted for discussion related more to administrative details, 

 but those of more interest to planters generally related to the execution 

 of the works, and were as follows: 



In what cases is it proper to proceed to the restocJcing of troods hy plant- 

 ing^ and in ichat by sowing ? — According to the agents at the conference 

 at Clermont, the sowing being more economical than plantations, mak- 

 ing more certain the retaining of the land, and opposing greater obsta- 

 cles to the flow of waters, ought to be preferred to plantations, in view 

 of the object of the law of 1860; but when the works are at great alti- 

 tudes on steep declivities, not well adapted for retaining the seed, 

 and in certain soils, such as the chalks of La Bresse, or the calcareous 

 schists of La Loz^re, it will be necessary to have recourse to planta- 

 tions. 



At Foix, the agents expressed the opinion, that it is better to i>roceed 

 exclusively by means of plantation iu the elevated parts, and only to 

 employ sowing in connection with planting, in the places of medium 

 height, and low parts, where frosts are less to be feared. 



At Carpentras, the agents were of opinion that plantation is prefer- 

 able to sowing, looking, and looking only, to culture ; but that, sowing 

 being more economical, it is better to employ it when it appears to offer 

 suificient chances of success. 



Eemarks. — Without its being possible to point out exactly the cases in which the 

 one or the other of the two modes of procedure should be followed, it seems expedient 

 to admit, as a rule, that plantations being subject to fewer destructive agencies than 

 seed-beds, it is better to plant under vigorous and peculiar conditions of climate, lo- 

 cality, or soil. The essential point is, to insure the success of the reforesting of the 



