302 FEATURES OF FRENCH NATIONAL FOREST ADMINISTRATION 



dressed circular letters to possible purchasers in order to interest them 

 in the details of the proposed sale. He called attention to the necessity 

 for a personal study of the timber and explained that after the marking a 

 detailed synopsis of the estimated volume would be furnished them, 

 showing the proportion between sawlogs and cordwood.^^ After the esti- 

 mate was made the material to be sold was divided into "lots" and the 

 amount of beech and fir in cubic meters was listed separately. The stand 

 in each lot was carefully analyzed as follows : 



Situation, altitude, area. — These forests occupy slopes and are on fairly level ground. 

 The slope facihtates logging. The total area is estimated at 14,209 acres at an altitude 

 between 1,640 and 4,921 feet. 



Sizes of the trees. — Ninety per cent of the trees included in this sale are more than 

 21.5 inches in diameter and 10 per cent from 12 to 21 inches. In the forest of Laune, 

 there are very few fir that measure less than 2.5.5 inches in diameter and there are some 

 as large as 63 inches. The height of the saw timber varies from 30 to 60 feet. 



Oivnership. — All of the forests are conmiunal. 



Rights of v:aij. — There are no rights of way which must be bought. The roads 

 belong to the forests and all the bordering ground belongs to the communes. 



Logging. — The purchasers can establish such roads as they deem necessary under 

 the direction and with the approval of the Forest Service. This approval will not be 

 refused. The alignment of the roads v/ill be indicated by the Forest Service. More- 

 over, the successful bidder can install necessary railroads but must negotiate with the 

 communes for the right of way outside the forest. 



The sale. — The sale will be made by public auction. 



Contract conditions. — The contract will follow the general rules (see p. 297) of the 

 Forest Administration sul^ject to certain modifications; special clauses will be drawn 

 up to cover the sale. 



Pnce. — The estimated value of the timber is as follows: Lot No. 1, a maximum 

 of 1.15 francs per cubic meter (about 78 cents per thousand board feet). Ijot No. 2, a 

 maximum of 1.50 francs per cubic meter (about .SI. 01 per thousand board feet). Lot No. 

 3, a ma.ximum of 1.25 francs per cubic meter (about 83 cents per thousand board feet). 



Cost of logging. — Unfortunately lumber-jacks will have to be imported since there 

 is no local labor available. It is estimated that the cost of felling will be about 19 

 cents per tree with an addition of 19 cents per stere for cordwood. Unfortunately 

 fire wood is not in demand locally, but perhaps small quantities can be sold at 6.50 

 francs per stere delivered (about $4.50 per cord). Therefore the balance of the wood 

 will have to be made into charcoal. Probalily sufRcient labor can be imported from 

 Spain or from the Vosges. 



Cost of transportation. — Much of the transport in the forest can be by nmles, oxen, 

 and cattle. The ox is better for road work and the cattle better for work in the forest 

 itself. The exact cost of transportation will vary according to the distances, the roads, 

 difficulties of ground, etc., so no further exact data can be given. A good cow suitable 

 for logging purposes costs locally from $58 to $68, while a mule costs $77 to $87. 



Merchaiitahle material. — Fir is in great demand and brings good prices, since Ray- 

 onne is only 87 miles from Oloron by railroad. At Oloron the local price is 50 francs 



39 In this locality it was estimated that 100 cubic meters of fir would equal 86 cubic 

 meters of building material and 21 steres of fuel; 100 cubic meters of beech would equal 

 82 cubic meters of building material and 27 steres of fuel. To reduce round timber to 

 square timber purchasers were advised to multiply by 0.7854. It is likely that the 

 policy of making large long-term sales will be abandoned by the French government. 



