Pinus Laricio 411 



groups of trees are to be seen, in the ravines and on the precipices. There are, 

 however, two woods of considerable extent ; and one of these, situated in the basin 

 of the stream of Masos, is considered by M. Calas to be the finest which he has 

 seen, as regards the density, regularity, size, and vigour of the trees, which are, how- 

 ever, only about 80 to 90 years old. The best trees in the district are 50 to 60 feet 

 high by 3 to 4 feet in girth. 



In the Cevennes, this variety occurs in three localities. In Herault, near Saint- 

 Guilhem-le-Desert,^ it covers, between 1700 and 2300 feet elevation, about 2400 

 acres, of which 1900 have lately been purchased by the Government. The soil is 

 dolomite limestone and is extremely poor and shallow ; and the trees growing either 

 on southern arid slopes or on wind-swept plateaux are in a worse condition than else- 

 where. They usually have twisted stems and average 15 feet in height; attaining 

 at their best 30 feet high by 3 feet in girth. 



Another locality^' occurs north of Besseges, in the valley of the river Gagnieres, 

 which forms the boundary line between the departments of Gard and Ardeche. The 

 tree grows here at 650 to iioo feet elevation on siliceous soil, and covers a scattered 

 area of 2500 acres, half of which belongs to the State. It often attains, on northern 

 slopes and on slightly better soil than usual, 60 feet high by 4 feet in girth. This 

 appears to be the only locality where the tree is regularly felled, the timber being 

 sold for pit-props. The maritime pine has been planted in the district in the open 

 spaces caused by forest fires, and though slightly faster in growth than the native 

 Laricio, has proved to be a poorer tree, on account of the inferior quality of its 

 timber. 



M. Fabre discovered in 1897 ^ third locality in the Cevennes, at the Col 

 d'Uglas, eight miles west of Alais in Gard. The area is only 250 acres; but is 

 interesting, on account of Pinus sylvestris growing wild in company with Laricio in 

 the upper part of the forest. 



The Pyrenean pine has been planted in a few localities in Ardeche, Herault, 

 Aude, and Pyrenees Orientales ; and has done slightly better than the Austrian pine 

 tried with it. Calas considers it to be a useful tree, on account of its capability of 

 growing on the worst possible soils ; and is of opinion that its meagre growth in the 

 wild state is entirely dependent on the poor conditions of soil and climate to which 

 it is subjected. 



CoRSiCAN Pine. — This species is widely spread in Corsica in the great 

 mountain range and its ramifications, which occupy the centre of the island. 

 On northern slopes it grows between 2700 and 5500 feet elevation, the 

 lower margin of the forest being often contiguous with dense woods of 

 Quercus Ilex or with scattered groves of Quercus lanuginosa. On southern 

 sunny slopes it only descends to 3700 feet, the zone below that altitude 

 being usually occupied by Pinus Pinaster, the two species mingling slightly at the 

 line of junction. The forests of Laricio, often of great extent, belong almost 

 entirely to the State and to the Communes, and are all treated by the selection 



1 Here this variety was first discovered in France by Salzmann in 185 1. 

 2 First mentioned in 1856 by Grenier and Godron, loc. cit. 



