EfeuM^ OF 0ONPBEEN0E8 IN 1861. 175 



to be reboised when there is an opportunity for fixing or determining 

 a pirimetre obligaioire or area of enjoined reboisement. 

 " The form to be given to enterprises of compulsory reboisement has been 

 the subjeet of a detailed examination. It has been acknowledged that up 

 to this time these enterprises differ very slightly, and that experience will 

 supply the most useful indications for the simplification and modification of 

 these projects. 



" Remaeks. — It does not seem that the proper time has come for pre- 

 scribing a determinate form to enterprises of compulsory reboisement. 

 The number of those examined by the Administration, up to this 

 date, is not large enough to enable one to decide on the best form for 

 these undertakings. On the other hand, no great difierence has been 

 observed in the plans presented by the officials of the different dis- 

 tricts. The only remark that there is any need to make is that 

 some officials have assigned too long a time — 10 or 20 years — for 

 the completion of the work. The Administration has pointed out 

 that such a delay is incompatible with the rapidity which, from every 

 point of view, is seen to be very desirable. It has just repeated that, 

 when reboisement with long-lived trees is not immediately possible, 

 the ground can be stocked with shrubs of an inferior order : an opera- 

 tion which can almost always be effected at once, and which is really 

 included in the category of reboisements, properly so-called. 

 " It should be added to the instructions given — (1) That when a pro 

 prietor possesses several pieces of ground in the p6rimfetre, these 

 pieces may be grouped together if they fall under the application of 

 similar measures ; (2) That it is not necessary to point out the sub- 

 vention to be allotted to each piece, but that those pieces may be 

 grouped together for which the same proportionate subvention is 

 proposed, and the importance of each group may be known by 

 the proportional per cent, of the expense ; and (3) That pieces may 

 be grouped together, the value of which has been fixed by their 

 yielding the same amount yearly. 



" Subventions. 



" Various observations have been made upon the allocations of Govern- 

 ment subventions for works of reboisement. One employ^ has expressed the 

 opinion that it will be difficult, according to circumstances and according to 

 locality, to grant subventions of variable importance, and to absolve in certain 

 cases, the communes from all expense, on account of considering, as a direct 

 participation in the expense of the reboisement, the allocation of a subvention 

 from the treasury of the Department. This employ^ has, in fine, requested 

 that a maximum should be fixed, for example, say 80 per cent, of the expense 

 for the communes, and 60 per cent, for private individuals, a maximum 

 which must not in any case be exceeded in the offers of subventions from 

 the State or from the Department. 



" Remaeks. — The subvention is in its very nature variable. It depends 

 on the importance of the repeuplement, or restocking, with regard to 

 the public interest, the attitude of the public mind in the district 

 with regard to mountain reboisement, the more or less easy position 

 of the proprietors, and on various other analogous circumstances 

 which it does not appear necesssary to detail. From thence it 

 follows that the Administration should specially reserve the power 



