55 



7 CONTENTS. 



trations are given, and the remedies atrBrst employed were retaining walls, 

 palisades, wears of varied structure, and coffers, but the evi's still prevailea 

 (p 45); It having been observed by M. Surell that the origin of ^ many 

 torrents might be traced to the destruction of forests, and that the extinction 

 of torrents was attributable to the extension of forests (p. 46), he laid down as 

 established facts— (1), that the existence of a forest on a soil prevents the tor- 

 mation of a torrent there, and (2), that the destruction of forests leaves the SOU 

 subject to become the prey of atorrentjUnd be recommended (p. 51), as 

 appropriate remedies for the evils experienced, extensive properly directed 

 plantation of trees, the exclusion of cattle from properly selected spots to allow 

 of the growth on these of herbage and bush, and in subordination to the carry- 

 ing out of these measures such artificial structures of defence as might be 

 called for, — which measures are detailed, 



PART II.- — Literature EBLATivB to Alpine Tobrbnts, and Re- 

 medial Measures proposed for adoption to prevent 

 THE disastrous consbquenoes following from them, 



Contains notices of treatises and proposals by Fabre, 1759 (p. 55) ; Lecreulx, 

 1804 (p. 59); Herioart de Thury, 1808 (p. 59); Ladoixcette, 1834 (p. 60); 

 Dugied {p. 60), Surell (p. 65), Delafont (p. 66), Jousse de Fontaniere (p. 66), 

 Labecke (p, 67), Chevalier (p. 69), Blanqui (p. 70), Bonville (p. 72), Belgrand 

 (p. 73), Valles (p. 74), Delbergue-Cormont {p. 75), Rozet (p. 78), Soipion Gras 

 (p, 79), Breton (p. 82), Culmann (p. 84), Bevm des Deux Monies^ (p. 91), Mar- 

 schand, who treats of the hydrosoopioity, capillarity, permeability, and im- 

 permeability of soil (p. 94), Cezanne,' in a supplement to Etude des Torrents 

 by Surell, with notices of phenomena referred by him to what he calls a 

 torrential era following the glacial period in pre- Adamite times (p. 101) ; Costa 

 de Bastelioa, who treats of what he designates Torrentiaiity, or torrential phe- 

 nomena, in contradistinction to the flow of limpid water, and alleges that by 

 this may phenomena referred by Cezanne to glacial action be accounted for (p. 

 Ill) ; explains the phenomena of stones bounding in advance of a torrent 

 wave (p. 117) ; discusses the extinction of torrents by toisement {p. 118) ; by 

 gaxonnement (p. 121) ; and by Sarmg'es (p, 123) ; treats of Oolmatage or warp- 

 age in connection with these, and applies his views of torrentiaiity to ac- 

 count for geological phenomena (p, 127). And thera is given a list of other 

 works on the subject in French (p 129), in German (p. 132), and in Italian 

 (p. 133), and quotations from works in English by Marsh (p. 134), Arthur 

 Young (p. 136), and Duile (H6). 



PART III. — Legislative and Executive Measures taken by the 

 Government op France, in connection with Rbboisement 

 AS A remedial application against destructive Torrents, . 137 



In the 14th century edicts were issued and other means were employed to arrest 

 the destruction of forests, as a moans of arresting the destruction which was 

 being wrought by torrents. These are referred to, and there are given 

 translations of the text, and of copious extracts from the Act-Decree of tha 

 itii TJiermidor an XIII. relative to the torrents of the department of the High 

 Alp-i (p. 138) ; Act of 16th September, 1806, and law of 16th September, 1807, 

 relative to the execution of works required to prevent destructive effects of 

 such torrents (p 140). 



The state of matters about the time of the publication of Mr Surell's work, and for 

 some years thereafter, till the destructive inunrtations in 1856 led to the issue 

 of a letter from the late Emperot Napoleon, desiring attention to be given to 

 the cause or occasion of such inundations, ivith a view to the employment of 

 appropriate remedies (p. U7) ; and there are given translations in whole of (1) 

 the Report given in reply to the Emperor by the Minister of Finance, pub- 

 lislied 3rd February 1860 (p. 147); (2) Law founded thereon, promulgated on 

 28l;h July 1860 (p. I!i2) ; (3) Circular in relation thereto, addressed to Con- 

 servators of forests by the Director General of the Forest Administration on 

 17th August 1860 (p. 154) ; (4) Decree embodying the Statute of the Public 

 Administration for the enforcement of the said laws issued 27th April 1861; 

 (5) Circular addressed to Conservators of forest by the Director General of the 

 Forest Administration oommunioating explanations of said decree, issued 1st 

 June 1851 (p. 163). ' 



Translations in whole or in part are given of (1) Besu nd of First Annual Conference 

 of Agents employed, instituted by Ministerial decision of 2lst Kovember 

 1861, and held on the 9th, 10th, and 11th December, at Valance for the 

 region of the Alps, at Auviilao for tha region of mountains in central France, 

 and at Tarbes for the -region of the Pyrenees (p. 171)-, (2) Eaport for 1861 



