BlSaUirfi OF CONFEEENOES IN 1862. 187 



are at great altitudes on steep declivities, not well adapted for retaining the 

 seed, and in certain soils, such as the chalks of La Bresse, or the |GalG3.rif|]js 

 schists of La Lozfere, it wiU be necessary to have recourse to plantation, 



" At Eoix, the agents express the opinion, that, it. is better to, proceed 

 exclusively by means of plantation in the elevated parts, and only to emplpy 

 sowing in connection with planting in the places of medium height, and 

 low parts, where frosts are less to be feared. , 



" At Carpentras, the agents were of opinion that plantation is preferable 

 to sowing, looking, and looking only, to culture ; but that sowing, being 

 more economical, it is better to employ it when it appears to offer sufficient 

 chances of success. 



" Remarks, cfcc, of the Administration. 



" Without its being possible to point out exactly the cases in which the 

 one or the other of the two modes of procedure should be followed,, it 

 seems expedient to admit, as a rule, that plantations, being subject 

 to fewer destructive agencies than seed-beds, it is better to plant 

 under rigorous and peculiar conditions of climate, locality, or soil. 

 The essential point is to ensure the success of the reforesting of the 

 locality. The question of eoonojny ought undoubtedly to be one of 

 great consideration, but whenever success appears to be pertain by 

 one mode and to be doubtful by another, there should be no hesita- 

 tion in employing the former. 



" Eighth Question. 



" Discuss the kinds of trees selected ; the mode of plantation, singly, 

 or in clumps, &c. ; the number of plants per hectare, ; the season best for 

 the execution of the work ; the expense, per hectare, of restocking woods. 

 " Opinions, &c., of the Agents. 



" The agents attending the conference at Clermont have experimented 

 successfully with the larch in reforesting bare lands. 



" The Norway pine and the pine of the country have given results which 

 are pretty satisfactory, and they appear to be such trees as should be 



employed in regions of medium altitude. 



"The oak, planted but only to a limited extejit in the Puy-de-d6me and 

 in the Haute-Loire, has succeeded well. 



" The ash, whether planted in large clumps, or intermixed with resinous 

 trees, promises to succeed: well in the Haute-Loire. 

 " Remarhs, <ho., of the Administration. 



" The indications reported by the agents are based on experfments 

 actually made, and the Administration has nothing to^ add to the 

 contrary. It can only recommend to the 'agents carefully to note 

 all the facts observed in the different regions, with a view to obtain- 

 ing, when requisite, instruction from these. It is by continual 

 experimenting that the Administration will gradually come to give 

 the operation a more and more satisfactory direction. 

 Hitherto planting single trees has alone been attempted, and this has 

 succeeded very well. , It is only from next year that the nurseries of 

 Arpajon, of the Puy, and of the Mende, wiU present suffici|6nt^ resources to 

 permit of the experiment of planting thickets being made. In any case 

 this latter mode could not be at great altitudes, plants of thr«e, four, 

 and five years growth alone succeeding under such conditions. 

 " The number of plants ranges from 7,000 to 11,000, according to the 



