PART III. 



LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE MEASURES TAKEN BT THE GOVERNMENT OF PRANci 



IN CONNECTION WITH EEBOISEMENT AND GAZONNEMENT, AS REMEDIAL 



APPLICATIONS AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE TORRENTS. 



The term reboisement is one of modem origin,-becauae that to which it is 

 applied is only of modem date, and I know not an English term of similar 

 import. By a periphrasis the thing may be described, but the conventional 

 term is more convenient than the constant use of a periphrasis would be 

 and more explicit than a literal rendering of the term would be, or any 

 English synonym with which I am acquainted. 



The term is applicable, strictly speaking, to re-planting with trees a place 

 or a district previously clothed or adorned with forests. It is held by some 

 students of forest science that there is a tendency in many species and 

 genera of arborescent vegetable productions to encroach upon and take 

 possession of all unoccupied land, and in the struggle of life to dispossess other 

 plants — if these have previously taken possession of the land,^ — and if these 

 cannot submit to their domination. The names of places innumerable in 

 various parts of Europe — Britain and the Continent alike — are terms 

 applicable, strictly speaking, only to various forms of wooded land, and 

 supply a presumptive proof that these were once forest homes. 



Marsh says, — " We may rank among historical evidences on this point, 

 if not technically among historical records, old geographical names and 

 terminations, etymologically indicating forest or grove, which are so common 

 in many parts of the eastern continent now entirely stripped of woods — such 

 as, in southern Europe, Breuil, Broglio, Brolio, Brolo ; in northern, Briihl, 

 and the endings dean, den, don, ham, holt, horst, hurst, lund, shaw, shot, 

 skog, skov, wald, weald, wold, wood. 



" The island of Madiera, whose noble forests were devastated by fire not 

 long after its colonization by European settlers, takes its name from the 

 Portugese name foi: wood." 



And history, properly so called, confirms the conclusion that the whole 

 of Central Europe at least may be considered as having been one vast 

 forest, such as now extends over the northern governments of Kussia and 

 the northern territorities of America. And there are numerous indications, 

 both historical and physical, that the whole of the High Alps had been at 

 one time richly wooded. Hence originated the application of the term 

 in question to the projected sylvicultural operations there, and its subse- 

 quent application to all similar operations wheresoever prosecuted. 



The term gazonnement I have also retained, being unable to render it 

 by any English synonym which would be equally explicit and equally 

 comprehensive. 



The English term turf is generally, though not necessarily, associated 

 exclusively with grass, or with turf which is largely composed of grass. 

 Gazonnement is used in regard to a turf formed largely, and in many cases 



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