CHAPTER XI 

 PRIVATE FORESTRY IN FRANCE 



General Discussion (p. 315). Trend of Private Ownership, Areas and Systems of 

 Management, Legislation Against Deforestation, Forestry as an Investment, Money 

 Yields from Public Fir Forests (Jura-Doubs), Drawbacks and Advantages to Forest 

 Investments, Indirect Benefits. 



Examples of the Best Private Forestry (,p. 323). Three Notable Forests, The 

 Grand Domaine of Arc-et-Chateauvillain (Haute-Marne), Forest of Amboise (Indre- 

 et-Loire), A Fir Forest (Vosges), Conclusions. 



GENERAL DISCUSSION 



Trend of Private Ownership. — In 1912, when the last statistics were 

 compiled, seven-tenths of the forest area in France was privately owned 

 and with the possible exception of the Landes and Gironde this forest 

 area was largely in small holdings. Out of ten departments, taken at 

 random, there were 97,710 owners, each with less than 25 acres of forest, 

 the average holding being 3.2 acres. In the Puy-de-Dome department 

 101,510 acres were in the hands of 32,684 persons, and around Paris 31,085 

 owners divided 50,787 acres. In all France it is safe to say that there are 

 less than 100 families that own more than 5,000 acres each. From the 

 national and political standpoint this era of small forest holdings is 

 beneficial. It has been stated that social upheavals will be prevented by 

 this division of forest and agricultural land. But other things being 

 equal forests divided into small ownerships benefit a nation but deterio- 

 rate the stand. The reason is that the peasant cuts spasmodically to 

 satisfy his needs in the village or farm, to realize on his capital, or to 

 allow an estate to be settled. The large owner on the contrary can afford 

 to employ a competent forester and can manage his forest as a permanent 

 producing business, based on a sustained annual yield. Or, better than 

 this, the rich landlord may increase his growing stock and improve a de- 

 teriorated stand.i The kings and nobles formerly owned the best high 

 forests in France and to-day the best of the private forests are unquestion- 

 ably in the hands of the old nobility and the new industrial millionaire. 



1 The Count de Grancey, the largest private owner in the Cote d'Or, had increased his 

 coppice rotations and was increasing the number of standards. It was unfortunate that 

 some of his best stands had to be requisitioned and cut for the A. E. F. fuel supply. 



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