CHAPTER V. 



Culture op the Maritime Pine on the Landes op Gascony. 



M. BoiTBL, in his volume entitled Mise en valeur des Terres pauvres 

 par le pin maritime, supplies much of the information which is 

 naturally desired in proceeding to enquire what steps should be taken 

 in carrying out similar measures elsewhere. 



The following is a resum6 of the details of operations followed in 

 Gascony, as reported by him. Having referred to the circumstance 

 that these two distinct forms of sand-lands, the one situated more in 

 the interior of the land, immobile, or at least settled, and ranked by 

 geologists amongst the formations of the tertiary period ; the other 

 found in the neighbourhood of the sea, and belonging to the dune 

 formations still going on, mobile, and affected by the winds ; he 

 describes, first, the formation of pineries, or plantations of pine on 

 the fixed sands. 



Operations are carried on generally thus on lands covered with 

 heather, or heather brooms, and whins : If the land be capable of 

 tillage they begin by enclosing it, so as to exclude cattle, which, but 

 for this precaution, would over-run the plantation, and do great 

 damage to the seedlings or plants. This is effected by the formation 

 of what is locally called a harradeau, composed of an exterior ditch, 

 the inner bank of which is furnished with a wall of earth covered 

 with sods about a metre, or- 40 inches, in height. It is constructed 

 entirely of earth dug in the formation of the ditch, and is almost 

 vertical on the outside ; on its inner side it is formed of the sand 

 furnished by the same ditch, leaning against the wall to a height of 

 45 m.m., or 18 inches. 



This done, advantage is taken of the weather to set fire to the 

 bush, taking necessary precautions against the extension of this 

 beyond the enclosure to the bush, or pineries adjacent. If the ditch 

 be not deemed sufficient, a band of 1 or 2 metres in breadth is cut 

 with a scythe along the outside of the harradeau, and the bush and 

 brushwood thus obtained is thrown into the interior of the enclosure. 



When the growth of bush is strong and near a tile-work, it is often 

 advantageous, instead of burning it on the ground, to sell it for use 

 in the kiln. 



