CONTENTS. V 



(p. 180) ; (3) Rdsam^ of the Second of the Annual Conferences of forest 

 agents specially charged with the replanting of mountains with woods in the 

 different districts of France, instituted by Ministerial decision of 21st Nov. 

 1861. held ou 8th September 1862, and days following, at Clfermont Fer- 

 rand for the region of the mountains of central Prance ; at the same date, at 

 Oarpentras for the region of the Alps ; and on 15th Sep. and days following, at 

 Poix for the region of the Pyrenees (p. 181) ; (4) Report for 1862 (p. 200) ; (5) 

 Report for 1863 (p. 203) ; (6) Report for 1864 (p. 206) : (7) Report for 186,5-66 ; 

 (8) Report for 1867-68. 

 To meet difficulties arising out of popular opposition to the operations, a mixed com- 

 mission was appointed to carry out in combination this law and a land-improve- 

 ment act which had been passed at the same time, uhder the title Loi. du 28 

 juillet 1860, relative A la mise_ en valeur des Marais et des Terres inculfes appar- 

 tenant aux Oommunes ; but this measure having failed to meet the case (p. 208), 

 additional legislation was required; and there are given translations of (1) Exposi 

 des Motifs, or reasons aiisigned for the legislation (p. 209) ; (2) The Supple- 

 mentary Law of 8th June 1864, completing in regard to gazonnement the law of 

 28th July, in regard to the reboisement of the mountains (p. 215); and (3) The Decree 

 embodying the regulations of the Public Administration of the two laws of the 

 28th July 1860 and the 8th June 1861, in regard to the reboisement and gaisonne- 

 ment of the mountains (p. 2IG)- In 1865 this law came into operation, and 

 th»re is reported what was done in the years 1865 and 1866 (p. 223). Some 

 delay had occurred in the opening of this report, and the Administration was 

 enabled to embody in this a report of the success of the operation, as tested by 

 extensive inundations which occurred in the autumn of 1866 (p. 224) ; and a 

 report on the difference between the expense of the works of reboisement and 

 works ol gaaonnement, and the cause or occasion of this difference (p. 239), In 

 August 1866 there was issued by the Director-General of the Adminis- 

 tratiin of Forests a circular containing instructions and directions in regard to 

 all matters pertaining to the work (p. 231). And with the report of operations 

 in the years 1867 and 1868 was given a tabulated statement of the areas upon 

 whic*! operations had been carried out in the several years which had elapsed 

 from the publication of the law of 28th July 1860, with a statement of the 

 expenditure involved (p. 231) 



PART IV. — Past, Present, and Pbospectivb Aspects op the 



Work, . ...... 234 



Chap. I. — Fast History of Alpine Torrents, . . . 234 



Information supplementary to what had been given in connection with the con- 

 .lideration of the literature of this subject is supplied in regard to the views of 

 Marsh (p. 235), of Marschand (p. 236), and Gras (p. 237) in regard to the past 

 history of torrents in France. 



Chap. II. — Existing Forests, ..... 238 



There is cited the testimony of Becquerel in regard to the extent of existing 

 forests in France, and of Marschand in regard to the position of forests in the 

 mountaiu ranges (p. 238). 



Chap. III. — Laws Regulating the Eeboisement Effected and Measures 



Adopted, ....... 239 



There is cited an abortive law submitted to the Chamber of Dejjuties in the Session 

 of 1847, and in connection with a reference to the cause of its failure to effect 

 anything is stated wherein the law of 1860 differed from it (p. 240) ; 

 and there are enumerated and described the kinds of works by which the object 

 of this law had been accomplished during the first decade of the operations 

 carried on (p. 241), 



Chap. IV. — Devastations occasioned hy Torrents which it was sought to 



Arrest and Preoent, and Measures employed, . . . 242 



Details are given to show, as was subsequently seen by the population of the moim- 

 taius, that in the operations carried on they had a beneficiary interest as real as 

 that of inhabitants of the valleys and of the plains, for which they considered 

 that their interests were being sacrificed (p. 242) ; a brief but detailed descrip- 

 tion of the measures employed is given (p. 249); and of the kinds of trees and 

 bushes made use of in different situations (p. 254), and different localities (p. 256). 



Chap. V. — Devastations and RestoratioJis, .... 257 

 In this chapter are given detailed information in regard to the work being carried 

 on in different localities within the first decade, showing what was undertaken 

 and what had been effected in different departments of France, embracing the 

 following I— 



