E^SUM^ OP OONTERENOES IN 1862. 191 



at Clermont will require to be increased, in so far as larch is con- 

 cerned, the seed of whiGh in general only succeeds in the proportion 

 of 40 to 50. 

 " Sowing in potets, or drills, seems generally recognised to be the most 

 advantageous. 

 " There is a mode of sowing called semi a la niege, which consists in 

 sowing seeds broadcast on the snow, which melting away deposits these on 

 the soil, and causes them in some measure to sink partially into the ground. 

 " Opinions, <&c., of the Agemts. 



" No trial of sowing a la niege, as it is called, has yet been made in the 

 central region ; and all experiments in the Pyrenees have failed. In the 

 Alps it was that this mode of sowing was first intoduced, some fifteen or 

 eighteen years ago. The experiment was made in the department of the 

 Basses-Alpes, on a calcareous soil, for a long time unused and covered with 

 grass, and with a northerly exposure ; it succeeded perfectly. The experi- 

 ment was renewed in 1862, in the same department, on 200 hectares, and 

 in the Hautes-Alpes on 40 hectares, with fir, larch, cedar, Norway fir, and 

 Scotch fir. The fir did not succeed ; the larch succeeded only in part on 

 grass lands, and with a northerly exposure ; the cedar succeeded well ; as 

 to the Norway fir and Scotch fir the result has not been established. 



" There were used from 6 to 8 kilogrammes of seeds per hectare ; the 

 manual labour cost only 2 francs. 



" An attempt made in the Dr6me, at 700 mtoes of altitude, on Hmy soil, 

 and in a northeast exposure, with the maritime pine, succeeded to a medium 

 extent. 



"The sowing should be made on soft snow, and in a settled temperature, 

 in order to avoid the floodings caused by the southerly winds and warm rains. 

 " Remarhs, dsc, hy the Adminstration. 



" The so-called semi a la niege is very economical, and for this 

 reason one might be tempted to employ this method for the 

 reforesting of large surfaces. But experience in this matter gives 

 reason to conclude that the results, always uncertain, are generally 

 unsatisfactory. It does not appear that there is any reason for 

 classing this kind of sowing in the category of regular modes of 

 reforesting. But it may be considered as an expedient capable of 

 being employed with success iu certain cases. The attempts made 

 up to this time are, however, too few for a certain deduction to be 

 drawn on this point. It might be usful to try further experiments 

 when the conditions shall appear more favourable. Manual labour 

 being at a very low price, there would be no difficulty in increasing 

 the quantity of seed sown, which appears to have been too small in 

 the attempts made in the Basses-Alpes. 



" IV. Peepaeatoby Woeks in Eeforesting. 



" Tenth Question. 



" Nurseries. — A moderate number of nurseries, of which some are of great 

 importance, have been creatjd by the forest agents, with all the care and 

 intelligence necessary. 



" It is desirable to discuss the processes of extracting and packing the 

 plants, as well as the precautions to be taken at their despatch and receipt, 

 in order to insure their growth ; to study the method of sowing adopted in 



