■ INTRODUCTION. 23 



Kdgime, like the forest of Ecouves. In the centre of France, where 

 the oak greatly predominates over every other species, areas worked 

 on the system of tire et aire with long rotations, bear splendid forests, 

 while those portions worked as coppice wood are in a half ruined 

 state. The forest of Tron^ais itself presents both these aspects over 

 large areas. The high forests of the Vosges, originally worked by 

 Selection, grow on silicious soils in large masses containing an abun- 

 dant close growth of species possessing dense cover. The beech there 

 gets ahead of the silver fir by its exuberant growth. On the 

 limestone crests of the Jura the silver fir forms forests cut up into 

 long ribbon-like patches and becomes, on the higher, ridges the com - 

 panion of fine, numerous, well-grown spruce. It yields timber of 

 the very largest dimensions and of the finest quality. To find 

 silver fir comparable with it for firm, close-grained tissue, we have 

 to go as far as the Aude in the district of Sault. 



In traversing the Alps from north to south, one soon leaves silver 

 fir and spruce to enter into forests of coniferous species possessing 

 light cover, viz., pines and the larch. Here the great diversity of 

 species, climate and soil, beginning from the glaciers right down to 

 the sea, yields the most varied and the most curious types of forest. 

 From the frozen recesses, planted with Cembran pines at an elevation 

 of 8,000 feet to the bare scorched and dusty rocks which bear 

 Aleppo pines on the Mediterranean coast, the distance, from a 

 climatic point of view, is as great as from Siberia to Syria, the whole 

 breadth of Asia from north to south. The Pyrenees alone present 

 a perfect forest pa,norama. Nearly all our forest species are indi- 

 genous there and are located in some portion of the range. The 

 beech is the only species that traverses the whole length of the 

 chain. But everything is browsed down, devoured even to a greater 

 extent than in the Alps. Nothing can equal this destructive fury, 

 unless it be the marvellous recuperative power of these forests when 

 protected from cattle and the hand of man. 



The economic circumstances in which our forests are placed are 

 as varied as the elements of production. But what is most impor- 

 tant of all, is the necessity of having sufficient material for continuous 

 regular working. If this does not exist, the only way to obtain it is by 

 hoarding up savings for generations. On the other hand, the wants 

 of the country in respect of timber are increasing with rapid strides : 

 they are no longer met except with the greatest difficulty, even 



