RisUM^ OF CONFBEBNOES IN 1861. 173 



" The proposal can be made at the proper time to the Superior Com- 

 mission charged with presiding over the combined operation of the 

 aforesaid law, and the law of reboisement. 

 " Questions relating to forest improvement have remained till now, and 

 especially in the south, too much confined to a narrow circle. It is very 

 important to make them known in every possible way. A periodical publi- 

 cation has just appeared under the title of Bevue agricole et forestiere de la 

 Provence. Everything relating to forests, and especially the question of the 

 reboisement des montagnes, are to be therein treated of, with the necessary 

 developments. An appeal has been made for help from those who wish to 

 popularise forest science. 



" Eemajrks. — Government cannot hesitate to enooiu'age the enlighten- 

 ment of the popular mind respecting questions connected with the 

 prosperity of the forests. A suTjvention of 500 francs has been 

 granted to the Revue agricole et forestiere de la Frovence from the 

 funds for mountain reboisement. It is desirable that the employes 

 should lend their help to this work of enlightenment. 



" Kbboisements Obmgatoibes, or Enjoined Eeboisements. 

 " Important reboisements have been effected in certain departments, more 

 especially in the Tuy-de-Ddme, and in the Haute-Loire, with the help of the 

 enactments in the last paragraph of Article 90 of the forest code. Those 

 employed have enquired if they may not continue to proceed in the same 

 way wherever it is possible. Government will thus possess an additional 

 means of carrying on mountain reboisements. 



" Eemarks. — The law of 28th July 1860 has not abrogated any of the 

 enactments of the forest code, and there is nothing to hinder Article 

 90 from being applied wherever this means of reboisement can be 

 advantageously employed. 

 " The agents employed have usually agreed upon theTjest way of finding 

 out where compulsory reboisements ought to be effected. For example, 

 suppose a river, resembling a torrent like the Durance, the flow of which it 

 is necessary to restrain : the first thing done is to study the whole basin, 

 beginning at the source of the stream, attentively following its course, 

 'either on the spot or on a map furnishing sufficient details of the principal 

 and second tributaries ; and after this preliminary study, operations are 

 projected at different points in the basin in the order of urgency. They 

 have proceeded in this way in the Basses-Alpes, in the Hautes-Alpes, in La 

 Dr6me, where all the operations, either projected or in the course of execu- 

 tion, aim at regulating the flow of the Durance and its tributaries, such as 

 the Ubage, the B16one, the Asse, the Buech ; in La Dr6me, L'Aigue, 

 L'Ouvers, Le Bez. 



"Remarks. — If it be necessary to concentrate operations in reboisement 

 where they are only sanctioned, this proceeding is much more 

 important when they are declared to be of public utility. Isolated 

 observations should not be made, but on the contrary all should be 

 connected with a plan of operations converging to the same end. It 

 is very essential to demonstrate by facts the advantage of these 

 operations. It is necessary, where the examination of a given area 

 is determined, that it should be pursued through all parts of the 

 area where the rush of water is to be restrained, so that when the 

 enterprise is completed the demonstration of the effect ofthereJo«se- 

 ment should be perfect and conclusive. 



