250 ELEMENTS OF SYLVICULTURE . 



root penetrates deep into the soil and throws out 

 strong lateral roots which in their turn develop 

 along their whole length numerous secondary roots 

 in a vertical direction. In addition to these valuable 

 properties we may add the abundance and fine 

 quality of its resin. 



This pine had long before been employed in the 

 dunes, as is proved by the forest of La Teste, which 

 dates back several centuries. But such attempts 

 were successful only on the dunes in the interior, 

 which were protected by those nearer the sea. It 

 was not till the year 1787, when Bremontier began 

 his labours, that they succeeded in planting up to 

 the seashore. The method used at present for fixing 

 the dunes is described in what follows. 



Before any sowing operations can be attempted, 

 it is absolutely necessary to establish a protecting 

 wall, in order to prevent the seeds and young plants 

 from being buried over by the drifting sand. This 

 wall is nothing more nor less than a dune, which is 

 purposely allowed to form, called the littoral dune. 

 A continuous line of paling is erected parallel to the 

 coast-line about 100 yards from high-water mark. 

 The paling is constructed of planks five feet four 

 inches long, one inch thick, and from five to six 

 inches broad and pointed at the lower end. These 

 planks are put into a trench sixteen inches deep, and 

 then driven eight inches into the sand, so that when 

 the trench is filled in, forty inches remain above 

 ground. An interval of about an inch is left between 

 two consecutive planks. 



The sand is arrested by the paling, and is thus 



