EEBOISEMENT IN FRANCE. 351 



7 to 10 kilograms for resinous trees, and 3 to 6 for oak. Opinion was 

 much divided on the choice of season. The result appeared, however, 

 to be generally that for resinous trees and in friable earth spring ought 

 to be preferred ; while autumn appears to suit better for the oak. The 

 cost of labor maj be estimated at 60 francs per hectare for sowing in 

 bands, and 35 in'holes. The price of seeds being approximately on an 

 average 3 francs per kilogram, the cost will be from 70 to 100 francs 

 per hectare. 



Eemarks.— The quantities of seeds mentioned by the agents at Clermont will require 

 to be increased, in so far as the larch is concerned, the seed of which generally suc- 

 ceeds only in the proportion of 40 to 50. Sowing in holes or drills seems generally 

 recognized to be the most advantageous. 



In respect to sowing on the snow, the agents of the central region 

 had made no experiments, and all on the Pyrenees had failed. This 

 method was introduced in the Alps some fifteen or eighteen years ago. 

 It was tried in the department of the Basses- Alpes on a calcareous soil, 

 for a long time unused and covered with grass, 'ind with a northerly 

 exposure. It succeeded perfectly. The experiment was renewed in 

 1862 in the same department on 200 hectares, and in the Hautes-Ali>es 

 on 40 hectares, with fir, larch, cedar, Norway fir, and Scotch fir. The 

 fir did not succeed; the larch succeeded only in part on grass lands, 

 and with a northerly exposure; the cedar did well; as to the Norway 

 fir and Scotch fir, the result has not been established. There were used 

 from to 8 kilograms of seed per hectare. The manual labor cost only 2 

 francs. An attempt made in la Drome, at 700 meters altitude in limy 

 soil, and in a northern exposure with the maritime pine, and succeeded 

 to a limited extent. The sowing should be made on soft snow, and in a 

 settled temperature, in order to avoid the floodings caused by the south- 

 erly winds and warm rains. 



Remarks. — The sowing on snow is very economical, and for this reason one might 

 be tempted to employ this method for the reforesting of large surfaces; but expe- 

 rience in this matter gives reason to conclude that the results, always uncertain, are 

 generally unsatisfactory It does not appear that there is any reason for classing this 

 kind of sowing in the category of regular modes of reforesting. Bat it may b« con- 

 sidered as an expedient capable of being employed with success in certain cases. The 

 att-empts made up to this time are, however, too few for a certain deduction to be drawn 

 on this point. It might be useful to try further experiments, when the conditions 

 shall appear more favorable. Manual labor being at a very low price, there would be 

 no difficulty of increasing the quantity of seed sown, which ai^pears to have been too 

 small in the attempts msule in the Basses-Alpea. 



Nurseries. — It is desirable to discuss the processes of extracting and 

 packing the plants, as well as the precautions is to be taken at their dis- 

 patch and receipt, in order to insure their growth ; to study the method 

 of sowing adopted in the nurseries (bands or holes), the quantity of seed 

 used per hectare, the means used for protection, the expenses of the 

 works. The system of repeated transplanting may be discussed. As 

 soon as the beds produce plants fit to be used, it will be important to 

 have kept, by the ofiicial specially charged with the nursery, a register, 

 ia which shall be inscribed the number of disposable plants and the 

 numbers sent off. The conference is to consider the plan that should 

 be adopted in keeping this register, of which an abstract should be 

 periodically addressed to the administration, that it may know the num- 

 ber of plants ready for use. 



Answers. — At the conference at Clermont very circumstantial details 

 were presented, taking, for example, the nursery at Arpajon, the crea- 

 tion of which had been done with great care, and the state of which 



