204 LEGISLATION ON TOEEBNTS. 



A. Reboisements Factdtatifs, or Sanctioned Eeboisements. 



Subventions have been granted to 450 communes, or public establish- 

 ments, and to 983 private individuals. 



These reboisements are extended over communal lands, 7,073h. 24a. ; 

 private property, 2,157h. 05a. ; crown lands, 1,750h. 88a. ; total 10,981h. 

 17a. Outlay, at the Government expense, 695,000 francs, besides the 

 expense of keeping up the sanctioned reboisements of former years, 81,800 

 francs. When requested by proprietors, the Forest Administration have 

 carried on the work of rehoisement under the superintendence of its agents 

 and guards, and they will continue to keep them up and develope them, so 

 far as possible, till success appears assured. 



The works have been spread over 40 departments. 

 fj The report specially mentions an experiment of reboisement in the 

 Crown forest of the Luberon, situated on the formation called neocomien, 

 belonging to the lower portion of the chalk formations, where the bare 

 places are covered by enormous heaps of rocks, burnt by the sun, and 

 entirely destitute of vegetable mould. Such is the district of which the 

 forest agents have not been afraid to attempt the reboisement. Nothing has 

 been neglected to ensure the success of this bold enterprise. After several 

 attempts at plantation, which proved either fruitless or else too costly, the 

 agents fixed on the method of replenishment by sowing, principally with the 

 seed of the pine of Aleppo. The small quantity of vegetable mould still 

 remaining between the rooks was gathered together into narrow ridges, and 

 prevented from falling down by layers of stones. Upon soil prepared in 

 this manner the sowings were most successfully efieoted. In the month of 

 September, after the trial of an exceptionally dry and hot summer, the 

 young plants appeared quite flourishing. To one who has seen the sowings 

 of Luberon, (says the report) no reboisement wiU appear impossible. 



Among private individuals the taste for forest improvement seems to 

 have a tendency to increase wonderfully. The number of private pro- 

 prietors who had received subventions, which was 394 in 1862, ''a 1863 

 amounted to 983. 



B. Reboisements Obligatoires, or Enjoined Reboisements. 



On the 1st January 1864, the districts comprehended in the Government 

 undertakings were to be found in 23 departments. 



Digests have been prepared of 264 enterprises, of which 77, embracing 

 about 60,000 hectares, have been approved, with decrees declaring theh 

 public utility. 



The works of reboisement then in course of execution in 26 circles ex- 

 tended over a surface of 1,853h. 57a. 



The expense has been 164,850 francs, besides 13,100 francs for keeping 

 up the works abeady effected. This outlay, however, is only a Government 

 loan in terms of Articles 8 and 9 of the law of 28th July 1860. 



In cases where direct reboisement did not present a sufficient probability 

 of success, because of the absence of vegetable mould, it has been preceded 

 by the restoration of the soil, by means of planting or sowing herbs or 

 bushes. The principal plants growing spontaneously on the mountains 

 are juniper, barberry, Vargousder, I'amUanchier, which are chiefly found in 

 the rockiest places, white fescue grass, whose luxuriant tufts appear on the 

 steepest parts of the ravines, the sainfoin and lucerne, the long matted 

 roots of which are well fitted to retain the soil upon the slopes. 



