VOSGES 35 



species, 18 per cent; Scotch pine, 6 per cent; spruce, 1 per cent; on the 

 mountain granite formation fir comprises 51 per cent; spruce, 18 per cent; 

 pine, 1 per cent; and beech, 30 per cent. It is clear then that in the 

 mountains fir is the important species, and mature, fully stocked stands 

 yield from 350 to as high as 1,000 cubic meters (12,360 to 35,314 cubic 

 feet) per hectare; about 26,000 to 74,000 feet board measure per acre. 

 In the so-called plains forests of the Vosges the product in logs is only 30 

 per cent, due to the larger proportion of broadleaf trees, while in the 

 mountains sawlogs ("work wood") reach 55 per cent of the total pro- 

 duction. On 20,000 hectares (49,420 acres) of coniferous forests the 

 average volume from forested hectares was 317 cubic meters (11,194.5 

 cubic feet), about 23,000 feet board measure to the acre, and on the vari- 

 ous forests included in this average, the average by forests varied from 

 196 to 390 cubic meters (6,921.5 to 13,772.5 cubic feet per hectare), or 

 about 14,000 to 30,000 feet board measure to the acre. The total average 

 yield in cubic meters for the entire Vosges was 245,574 (8,672,200.2 cubic 

 feet) in 1870-79; 231,835 (8,187,021.2 cubic feet) for 1880-89; and 314,046 

 (11,090,220.4 cubic feet) for 1890-99, these latter yield figures being con- 

 siderably above normal owing to increased windfall and the consequently 

 forced cut. The price per cubic meter (35.3 cubic feet) since 1877 has 

 been 1 to 3 francs (19 to 58 cents) higher in the mountains than in the 

 Vosges plains, due in part to the larger proportion of logs and to the de- 

 creasing demand for hardwood fuel. The average price per cubic meter 

 (35.3 cubic feet) taken to the nearest franc for the whole region was 8 

 francs ($1.54) in 1871, 16 ($3.09) in 1876, 15 ($2.89) in 1879, 8 ($1.54) in 

 1887, 13 ($2.51) in 1898; in 1914 the price had risen to 20 francs ($3.86) 

 and in 1918 to 55 francs ($10.61). In the mountain region it is of interest 

 that the price for logs on the Vosges sandstone brought 1 to 6 francs 

 (19 cents to $1.16) more than for the same class of material on the granite 

 formation; it is safe to draw the conclusion that, during 1890-99, the 

 price was at least on an average of 5 francs (96 cents) more. The table 

 which follows shows the money yield per forested hectare (2.5 acres) in 

 even francs (and in dollars per acre) by 10-year periods from 1870 to 1900, 

 separately for the mountains and plains forests and averaged for the 

 whole region. The figures in parentheses are dollars per acre: 



1870 



Mountains 55(.$4.24) 



Plains 30($2.32) 



Average 45($3.47) 50($3.85) 55(14.24) 85($6.55) 



The decreasing net values for the plains forests and the increasing 

 values of the mountain forests is due to the decreasing price of fuel and 



