OF THE FOREST ORDINANCE OF 1669, 51 



tion of a forest on the brow or summit of a mountain 

 range, which has acted as a wind-break, would be injurious 

 to the cultivation of lands on the plain undertaken under 

 that shelter ; that the destruction of a forest growing on a 

 mountain-side may lead to the formation of destructive 

 torrents ; that on other mountains the continued existence 

 of woods is requisite to give security against avalanches 

 or landslips; this has led to legislative enactments to 

 prevent the destruction of such forests, and such legislation 

 has also been justified on the principle in question. 



The Ordinance, however, it should be remarked, inter- 

 fered less with the mode of exploitation, than with the 

 administration, of forests not belonging in one way or 

 another to the sovereign ; it claimed, and it enforced its 

 claim, to a right to interfere and to legislate in matters 

 pertaining to depredations, malversations, and abuses by 

 foresters of whatever degree. It interfered but little ; but 

 it asserted the right to interfere, and this once admitted, 

 it was a mere question of expedience to what extent 

 interference should be carried. And in its injunctions 

 relative to the administration of forests, more especially 

 of State forests, the Ordinance has told upon the forest 

 legislation of other lands not less manifestly than it has 

 by its regulations in regard to exploitation. 



With the teaching received through Darwin's studies of 

 evolution and developement, it may be shown that the 

 forest legislation of the present day is an evolution, 

 developement, or special application of principles em- 

 bodied in this ordinance. And as the nautical terms in 

 some modern languages are substantially those of Britain, 

 and these again those of Scandinavian Vikings, supplying 

 indications of their origin, and of their channel of trans- 

 mission, so have not a few of the technical terms em- 

 ployed in France at the time this ordinance was promul- 

 gated, been reproduced in, it may be, a modified form, 

 in another language, indicating their origin or channel 

 of transmission, and in some cases indicating both. 



