CTTiOIILAR OF 1 7tH AUGUST 1860. 155 



give legitimate satisfaction to the wishes of the country, is of opinion 

 that the time has come to bring to a close the discussions to which 

 this grave question has given rise in scientific societies and in general 

 councils. 



" His Excellency the Minister of Finance, faithfully following the Imperial 

 programme of 5th January 1860, has shown, in a remarliable report of the 

 3rd February following, the necessity of replanting the mountains with 

 woods, and the measures to be adopted to eifect this. Shortly thereafter, 

 the Council of State, adopting the views of the minister, presented a projet 

 de loi, which has been adopted, with marked approval, both by the Corps 

 Legislative and by the Senate, after careful consideration. The ardour with 

 which the Legislature of the State has set about realising the generous 

 thought of the Emperor testifies to the greatness of the enterprise, and to 

 the great interest taken in it by the country. 



" To the Forest Administration is assigned the honom- of carrying this into 

 execution, and it will not, I feel assured, come short of its mission. 



"The mode of execution being to be made the subject of a regulation 

 issued by the public Administration, it becomes of importance that there 

 should be obtained forthwith the data needed for its preparation. I therefore 

 invite you to consider carefully the provisions which it may appear to you 

 it should contain. 



" As is the case with all new laws, it may be, the law for the replanting 

 of the mountains with woods will, on its first application, give rise to some 

 difficulties. May I ask of you to consider well those which you may con- 

 sider it likely to give rise to in your district, and to point out to me the 

 best means of removing them. 



" It cannot be expected that until after the publication of the regulation 

 by the public Administration you should be able to write me fuUy on 

 this matter. At present, therfore, I limit myself to soliciting your attention 

 to provisions of the law, the execution of which is independent of that 

 regulation, and to measures which should precede the application of the 

 regulations which may be issued. 



" Your first endeavour should be to determine the localities in which the 

 work of rehoisement will be most useful ; and it should not be allowed to 

 escape your attention that, according to the prescriptions of the law, 

 Government aid should be given exclusively to the replanting of lands 

 situated on the summits or the declivities of mountains. 



" The Administration cannot extend the resources placed at its command 

 to all the lands which may fulfil these conditions ; you should, therefore, 

 endeavour to ascertain to which a preference should be given. In what 

 relates to the works entrusted to your consideration you should avoid 

 making choice, in the commencement of the enterprise, of lands the 

 replanting of which would present an excess of difficulties, that you may 

 not bring the enterprise into contempt, which might result in cooling the 

 zeal of communes and of private landholders. 



" You should select as much as may be possible, according to the climate, 

 the nature of the soil, and the exposure of the lands, the kinds of trees of 

 which the successful growth would be most certain, and the propagation of 

 which would be most useful, and prescribe only the culture which would be 

 most suitable for them. 



" It may be it will only be after many trials, which may be like groping 

 in the dark, that you will be able to make your final selection ; and I canuot 



