CHAPTER VI 1 

 ARTIFICIAL REFORESTATION 



French Policy (p. 114). General, Choice between Sowing and Planting. 



Seed (p. 117). Cultural Value of Seed, Seed Testing, Rules for Seed Control. 



NuHSEMEs (p. 122). Location of Nurseries, Nursery Practice, Two Sample Nurs- 

 eries. 



Planting (p. 125). Cultivation and Spacing, Age of Plants, Time to Plant, Plantar 

 tion by Holes, French Planting Technique, Cover and Protection, Species and Methods 

 to Use, Chief Dangers. 



FiBLD Sowing (p. 132). Prepared and Unprepared Soil, Amoimt to Sow, Season for 

 Sowing, Summary of Sowing Methods as AppUed to Species and Regions. 



FRENCH POLICY 



General. — Notwithstanding the sentiment in France in favor of 

 regeneration by natural means it is obvious that with only 18.7 per cent 

 of the land under forest, considerable areas must be restocked artifi- 

 cially if France is not to suffer for lack of wood (of the kinds needed). 

 Thus far the Government has devoted the most time and revenue to 

 the reclamation 'of the sand wastes in the Landes (see Chapter VIII) 

 and to the reforestation of lands in the mountains (see Chapter VII), 

 denuded through past improvident overcutting and overgrazing. Next 

 in importance has been the planting and sowing in the Sologne and 

 Champagne. Besides this restocking of barren areas there has been 

 occasional sowing and planting to supplement natural regeneration 

 when this has been a partial failure. There are always fail places in 

 natural reproduction where nature must be assisted to maintain pro- 

 duction and to keep the present stand from deterioration. For example, 

 with more than three-fifths of the forest area in coppice or coppice- 

 under-standards these stands must be continually sown to oak or under- 

 planted (the usual practice) to prevent blanks. In conversion from 

 these systems to high forest more desirable species than can be secured 

 by natural seeding must be introduced. 



Too frequently, however, the private owner has allowed his forest to 

 deteriorate because sowing or planting involved direct expenditures 

 to-day, with returns deferred until the next generation. 



To practice good forestry is to save, so it is somewhat surprising that 



' Prof. J. W. Tourney, Dean of the School of Forestry, Yale University, and Lt.-Col. 

 A. S. Peck kindly reviewed this chapter and made many valuable suggestions. 



114 



