R^SUM^ OP CONFERENCES IN 1861, l-f], 



ETC. : — 



"Dispositions manifested bt the poptjIjAtion of the different districts, 

 " The inhabitants of the mountains, chiefly preoccupied with the interest 

 of pasturage, do not welcome in general, but with a certain apprehension, 

 any measures relative to rehoisemenf. Nevertheless, the personal proceed- 

 ings of the agents, with the concurrence of the prefectoral authority, have 

 already overcome much of the resistance of the Municipal Councils. In 

 many departments, amongst which may be cited the Cantal, I'Arifege, 

 Vancluse, a good many of the communes have voted subventions for the 

 replenishment of denuded mountain lands belonging to them. In the 

 Arrondiasement of Saint-Girons seventeen communes, according to the 

 specifications of the inspector, have given up in 1860 and in 1861 either the 

 -twentieth part of the price of the fellings sold, or the proceeds of damages, 

 or amends pronounced by the civil courts in their favour, to be employed in 

 works of reboisement. There has been occasion to remark that on many 

 points the mass of the population is favourable to the operation, and that 

 resistance is offered only by some more or less influential members of the 

 local Administrations having a personal interest in securing that the pasture 

 lands be not diminished. 



" There is reason also to acknowledge that the rapidity of the success of 

 the works has had the good effect of bringing the communes to enter into 

 the scheme of reboisements. This result has been notably the case in 

 the Puy-de-D6me, where important works of reboisement have been com- 

 pleted for some years, and where the Administration meets now but rarely 

 with opposition, and this opposition is overcome without difficulty. 



" As for private parties, they hesitate generally to undertake works of 

 reboisement, the fruits of which they can only reap after long delay. They 

 dread the expense of the works, and the difficulties of surveillance, and they 

 are kept back by their ignorance of what means to employ to accomplish 

 conveniently the replenishments. A great many of them, more especially 

 in the Loire, have manifested a desire to see the direction of works of 

 reboisement on their properties entrusted to the agents of the Forest 

 Administration, and the example in this matter is found to be contagious. 

 The fact has been established in the Ard^che, where some private parties, 

 having made demands for subventions on the invitation of the forest agents, 

 have been speedily followed by many proprietors. The number of demands 

 of this kind in the department in question has risen to no less than 365 

 in 1861. 



" Eemahks. — The report given of the. state of mind in the mountainous 

 regions, relative to reboisement, inSioates the means to be employed 

 to enlist the sympathies of the population in the operations. To 

 multiply the personal proceedings, — to make a good selection of 

 ground for first experiments, in order to arrest the eye, and to con- 

 vince the indifferent and the incredulous, — ^to call in the conjoint 

 action of the prefectoral authority at all times when resistance, re- 

 sulting from personal interest, is shown in the Municipal Councils — 

 such are the general means which may be employed by the agents. 

 The Administration on its part will support their proceedings, and 

 will be liberal in encouragement whenever the general interest may 

 appear to demand the powerful concurrence of the State. 

 " To act on such minds too much cannot be done to diffuse information 

 of the advantages realized by reboisement. The commune of Bourg, 



