196 LEGISLATION ON TORKENTS. 



" Uleventh Question. 



" Sicheries. — The Administration having ascertained that seeds prepared 

 in the Government drying booths are superior in quality to seeds obtained 

 by purchase, it is desirable to consider whether it be not desirable to erect 

 additional drying-booths (sicheries), or seed dep6ts. 



" Opinions, &c., of the Agents. 



" The agents at the conference at Clermont have observed that the seeds 

 furnished by the Goverment sicheries, or drying-booths, of Murat (Cantal), 

 or gathered in the country, are incomparably superior to the seed purchased. 

 This sicherie furnishes only 4000 kilogrammes of seeds yearly, which is a 

 quantity much below the requirements of the departments of La Lozfere, of 

 Puy-de-D6me, of Cantal, of the Haute-Loire, and of the Loire ; the quantity 

 required annually being estimated at 10,000 kilogrammes, it is desirable to 

 establish a new secherie. This the conference proposes should be located 

 at Puy. Subsequently another might be constructed at Marvejols. 



" A member of the conference at Clermont showed that the Corsioan pine 

 might be advantageously employed in reboisement, — that the price of the 

 seed of this species is from 7 to 12 francs per kilogramme, — and that, 

 without doubt, it would be possible to establish in Corsica one or two 

 stoheries, by which the seed of the Corsican pine would be furnished at the 

 cost of 4 francs at most. 



" The agents at the conference at Foix state that the seeherie of La Lagonne 

 is capable of furnishing annually 4000 kilogrammes of seeds. They think 

 that it would be desirable to establish in the inspection district of Simoux, 

 within reach of the nurseries, a sScherie for fir-tree seeds. 



" At Carpentras the agents expressed in general terms the opinion that 

 there would be great advantage in erecting secheries, or seed dep6ts, where- 

 ever the existence of extensive masses of forest admit of this being done. 



" Remarh of the Administration. 



" Notes have been taken of the different opinions expressed by the 

 agents on the question of establishing new Government secheries. 



" Twelfth Question. 



" Examine, and say whether it would not be desirable to gather seeds in 

 the Government forests under the charge of the local officials, and to have 

 them put into places of deposit, from which at a fit time they might be sent 

 off to the places to be reforested. 



" This measure promises to the agents of the three conferences to be 

 productive of advantageous results. The agents of the conference at Cai'- 

 pentras express the wish that the gathering should also be made in the 

 communal forests. 



"V. Measures foe SEOUEma Order. 



" Thirteenth Question. 



" Discuss the measures taken to insure the thorough execution of the 

 works, and to justify the use made of the credit accounts opened by the 

 Government. 



•' Opinions, &c., of the Agents. 



" At Clermont, the conference expressed the opinion that the first condi- 

 tion of the success of the works of reboisement is, that the direction and over- 

 Bight of these works should be entrusted exclusively to the agents, and that 



