Canadian Forestry Journal, April, ipi6. 



465. 



French first line trenches plowed by German shells. The forest in this section was 



battered to fragments. 



few of the trees possessing the most 

 soothing properties, such as those of 

 the magnificent coniferous family : 

 the maritime pine, the pine of Italy, 

 the common fir, which are found in 

 all the forests of Europe. 

 Blocking Floods. 

 After having explained how the 

 presence of forests purifies the atmo- 

 sphere, Mr. ]\Iarin tells his readers 

 how they prevent or reduce the possi- 

 bility of inundations. Because of its 

 spongy sod composed mainly of leaves, 

 the forest absorbs the rain-water and 

 like "a vast sponge, retains the water 

 to let it afterwards slowly escape." 

 ]\Ioreover. where they exist in places 

 formed by mountains and sand banks, 

 they constitute a protection for these. 

 As such, they must be carefully pre- 

 served, inasmuch as they guard the 

 people settled in those localities from 

 landslides and sand drifting. The 

 forests' beneficial influence on the cli- 

 matic conditions of a country is also 

 described. They act as a 'mediator' 

 between cold and warm temperatures : 

 where they exist, the summer is not 

 so hot and the winter much milder 

 than in places where there are none. 

 Experience further shows that they 

 regulate rain-falls and provides by 



means of their streams and brooks 

 drinkable water to the neighboring- 

 inhabited places. Besides, the con- 

 tamination of this water is impossi- 

 ble wdien supplied by the forests. Mr. 

 Marin emphasizes as follow^s the im- 

 portant part which the forests play 

 in delaying freshets, thereby pre- 

 venting floods. 



"This influence of the forest on 

 the overflow of streams has been so 

 carefully studied and appreciated, 

 that reforestation is now considered, 

 in movmtainous regions, as the most 

 effective means to suppress the 

 floods. It is also acknowledged that 

 the maintenance and the reconsti- 

 tution of the forests prevent the sand 

 and clay from sliding into the 

 streams and rivers. In foreign coun- 

 tries, most rigorous regulations have 

 been enforced with a view to ade- 

 quately protect the forests.' 



Lessons of the War. 

 The writer then deals with efiforts 

 made by France in the 19th century in 

 the reconstruction of its forests. There 

 still remain about four millions hec- 

 tares (about 9,880.000 acres) of un- 

 tilled lands which could be turned into 

 well-wooded sections, and about two 

 millions hectares of mountainous areas 



