FOREST OF AMBOISE 327 



greatest development comes during the 10 years following the cutting 

 of the coppice. This last may be in part compensated for by the increase 

 in value of the coppice felling because of the increasing price for large 

 mine props. 



Growth. — It is the policy to keep an accurate record of the growth of 

 the reserves in the coppice-under-standards. All these reserves (first- 

 class standards) are numbered and measured at the time of the coppice 

 fellings and at all subsequent stocktakings. According to data secured 

 the oak takes 20 years to grow from one 2-inch class into another and 

 15 years for the beech; on an average the growth for the oak is 2.5 per 

 cent and for the beech 3.5 per cent. According to the marking made on 

 about 1.977 acres in 1907-1908, 23.6 cubic meters were left and 18.4 cubic 

 meters of reserves cut. 



Yield. — For the years 1907 1908 (976 acres were cut over each year) 

 the final yield from the reserves was 5.2 cubic meters of sawlogs per acre 

 and 6.8 cubic meters of fuel — 12 in all, while the coppice yielded a cut 

 of 22 cubic meters of fuel, charcoal, and mine props. For the 2 years 

 the final yield was $22.13 per acre for the high forest and $7.34 for the 

 coppice, an average of $1.91 per cubic meter for the high forest systems, 

 branches included, and but 33 cents per cubic meter for the coppice. This 

 illustrates very vividly the great advantage of growing saw timber instead 

 of cordwood. The net yield on the investment is probably 1 .5 to 2.0 per cent. 



Forestation. — The first plantations date from 1838 to 1848, when the 

 Vendue and Essarts farms were forested with Scotch pine and oak, with 

 avenues of spruce and pine along the boundaries. This planting has been 

 very profitable. Some of the spruce is now more than 27 inches in 

 diameter and is growing rapidly. Planting in the blanks has, on the 

 whole, given excellent results. The popular species used lately, planted 

 in groups of about 2^ acres according to the nature of the soil, are 

 spruce, Scotch pine, Corsican pine, Austrian pine, larch, and beech. 

 Some fir, as well as white pine, Douglas fir, and Japanese larch has been 

 planted. Since the soil is limestone it is likely that this last species will 

 give mediocre results. 



The House of Orleans deserves a great deal of credit for its conservative 

 treatment of this forest, and, as Broilliard has said, "The owner who 

 conserves his forest is continually working for the country; he is essentially 

 a benefactor. " 



Forest of Amboise (Indre-et-Loire). — The forest of Amboise was 

 bought from the Emperor of Bulgaria by M. Hirsch,i^ then an inspector in 



" Through the courtesy of M. Hirsch the writer obtained access to his private forest 

 records and was enabled to visit the forest with the owner. Unfortunately much of the 

 best saw timber and cordwood was requisitioned and cut by the A. E. F. during the 

 Great War. 



