THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF WORKING PLANS 211 



spends to the maximum possible yield of the most useful classes 

 of materials. This has resulted in a conservative tendency 

 showing itself in the present conditions of the forests of France 

 and of Alsace-Lorraine. In general the adopted rotations are 

 distributed as follows: 



Reg. high forest . 

 Select, high forest 



Rotation Age 



Under loo years 100-150 years 



35-7% of total area 43.1% of total area 

 9.8% of total area 43.7% of total area 



150-200 years 



21.2% of total area 

 46.5% of total area 



Distribution of the Periodic Cutting Areas. — This is the most 

 characteristic feature of French forest organization. The 

 periodic cutting areas are to be so arranged that they com- 

 prise the area of each period without a break or interrupting 

 area of another period. This is in direct contradiction to the 

 aim of the German forest organization, particularly of the 

 Saxon. The reasons given for this distribution are simplicity 

 in reproduction cuttings; of regularity of formation of the pe- 

 riodic cutting areas with their narrow side toward the prevail- 

 ing storm direction and bounded wherever possible by roads. 

 Tassy in his " Etudes sur I'amenagement des forets " lays 

 especial stress on the undesirability of breaking up the periodic 

 cutting areas into cutting series.* 



This principle has been followed in the working plans for 

 the state and communal forests. The periodic cutting areas 

 are systematically grouped in the maps and on the ground. 

 The immediate consequence is that many stands are cut not at 

 the time of their maturity, but too soon or too late; furthermore, 

 the reproduction cuttings become very large and thus, in the 

 future, there will be extensive stands of even age. Both con- 

 sequences are attended with drawbacks of management (in- 



* Tassy, troisieme etude, Chapter IV, Section 3, " Formation des afifectations 

 conform6ment aux regies d'assiette." 



