354 



REBOISEMENT IN FRANCE. 



less, and finally, as a concession, the law for gazonnement was passed in 

 1864, as already noticed. 



Eeaulis of eight years of rehoisement in France (Hectares). 



We are not able to present the results of 1869 and 1870, but when the 

 above table was published it was estimated that the total result for the 

 ten years would be about 95,000 hectares (234,650 acres), of which about 

 25,000 would be obligatory. It by no means, however, represents the 

 work done. The surveys and plans prepared, and the numerous dams 

 and other works constructed, should be taken into account in estimating 

 the result. 



It remains to be added that the law of 1860 having expired by its own 

 limitation in 1870, the works of rehoisement and gazonnement^ previously 

 sustained by a special grant, fell upon the ordinary budget, and the 

 Franco-Prussian war, by drawing heavily upon the resources of the 

 government, sadly reduced the means placed at the disposal of the 

 administration for the continuance of the improvements.^ 



Still, no one has lost faith in this measure, and so far as it was allowed 

 to go it has been a success. Eepeated efforts have been made to secure 

 a separate sum for this service as heretofore, but without success. 



In the mean time, fearful inundations in the south of France have 

 taken place, which forcibly illustrate the vast importance of these 

 measures, as well to humanity as to the public interests generally. In 

 187-^, in the valley of the Garonne, property to the value of 2,000,000 

 francs, and, in 1874, to the value of 2,600,000 francs, was destroyed by 

 inundations. But a flood occurring June 21-23, 1875, presented effects 

 more melancholy pehaps than any which have preceded it — a thousand 

 lives being estimated as lost at Saint Cyurieu alone, and a place of thirty 

 thousand "people " ceased to exist." The loss of life in all is estimated 

 at three thousand, and one hundred thousand were made homeless in 

 Southern France by these floods, which destroyed property too vast in 

 amount for definite determination ; by some placed at 300,000,000 francs, 

 the government itself losing a third of this amount. 



In September of the same year, in the same river, another inundation 



'The grants for 7'eboisement and gazonnement were 1,500,000 francs for 1^71, 763,000 

 for 1872, 763,000 for 1873, 1,163,000 for 1874, 1,183,000 for 1875, and 1,683,000 for 1876. 

 In each of the years 1873 and 1874 the sum of 200,000 was granted for buying lands 

 on mountains. 



