178 FORESTRY IN THE LANDES 



Therefore, if the displacement of the surface particles can be stopped there is nothing 

 to fear regarding those underneath, and the entire mass is fixed. 



"The method consists in sowing the maritime pine under cover. It is to a land- 

 owner at Teste, Pierre Peychan — often known as Maitre Pierre — • that we owe this 

 method, both simple and practical, about which he advised Bremontier, and which we 

 stiU use almost without modification. 



"To keep the seed from being buried by the sand a cover of brush is laid over the 

 entire surface seeded. This precaution is necessary not only for holding the seed but 

 also for protecting the young plants against the action of the moving sand; for the 

 moving crest of particles, projected without and against the growing stems, wears 

 them out to a point when they fall over; being no longer able to hold up their heads, 

 most of them would thus die. In practice, bundles of fagots up to 1,000 per acre are 

 scattered over the area to be forested. These fagots are 3.3 feet in circumference 

 measured on the withe and 4.3 in length. For their manufacture the gorze (ajouc) is 

 the species preferred; then comes the genista (genet), then the heather, tree heathers, 

 the ronches (reed of fresh water marshes), and pine branches; but these latter have 

 the disadvantage that too often under cover, cryptogamic diseases break out. The 

 thorns, briars, ferns, and light woods do not protect the soil sufficiently. . . . 



"Immediately after the sowing of the seed the areas sown are covered over, or better 

 still, the two operations are carried out at the same time. The brush is placed as you 

 proceed toward the sea, the large ends facing (the sea) and the branches of each tier 

 covering the base of those which proceed them. Then in order to keep this cover in 

 place, the workmen put good sized (pelletees) sand on the portions where no seed has 

 been sown and spread it on the outstretched branches, about 12 inches apart, measur- 

 ing from the centers. The sole improvement made on the system of Pierre Peychan 

 and Bremontier is that of fixing the cover in place by means of small poles placed across 

 and held down by notched stakes driven into the sand." 



At the end of the day's work the last row is securely fixed so any wind storm will not 

 wreck the work already done. 



"To sum up, it is really a dead cover which has been placed on the soil. But it 

 would not last indefinitely, it is but the beginning to be followed by a living cover 

 which will carry on its role." 



Otherwise the sand coming from the ocean would be blown landward 

 and would continue to cover the areas which had been reforested. There- 

 fore to start with: 



". . . Therein was established above high tide at a distance of 100 to 165 feet a 

 wattle work fence or palisade. As the new sand drifted in front of this obstacle a 

 part passed through the spaces between the planks or the wattle work holes and banked 

 up behind. Little by little the sand rose and covered the palisade which was then 

 gradually raised until the dune was 33 or 49 feet above the the level of the sea." 



When the proper height was attained, the sand was planted to maram 

 grass in order that it might be held in place. Once it was fixed in this 

 manner it had to he maintained, since with every storm there were areas 

 to be repaired. (See Fig. 15.) 



"In 1858 " there were 17 consecutive days of storm; the littoral fine was broken at 

 several points and it was impossible to repair it with sufficient rapidity. More than 

 f9,650 damage to sown areas was done in the Department of the Landes alone." 



12 Les Landes et les Dunes de Gascogne, par. ch. Grandjean, Paris, 1897. 



13 Boppe, pp. 471-481. 



