AND PEMVENTIVB MBASUEES. 25S 



" The young trees are transplanted wlien one or two years old, according 

 to their strength, to be planted out two years later, when three or four 

 years of age. 



" The reboisements executed in the environs of Stalla, below the pass of 

 Juliers, at an altitude of about 1800 metres, or 6000 feet, have succeeded 

 perfectly, not a plant has died ; but it may be doubted whether the 

 Siberian pine will have a rapid growth at such altitudes. 



" The finest masses of this tree which are known to me are situated in 

 the environs of Saint Moritz, Upper Engadine, at an altitude of 1800 

 mfetres ; they are very compact and complete, and of various ages, and are 

 beautiful forests. 



" The meleze, or larch, is the most robust and valuable of the trees of the 

 Alps, and is the one which it should be sought to multiply and diffuse as 

 much as possible. It succeeds pretty often when sown, but always when 

 planted ; and its growth is rapid enough to produce quickly good results, 

 in fixing the soil and regulating the water-flow. 



" The ipicea, or Norway fir, is not held in high estimation in the Alps. 

 In Switzerland and in Austria it is much employed, even in southern 

 climates ; in general it is planted out after transplantation." 



With regard to deciduous or broad-leaved trees, M. Marschand says, — 

 " I am myself no advocate for the employment of these in reboisements on 

 the Alps. The resinous trees have been located by the Creator on the great 

 mountains, because they possess, in view of the general regime of the waters, 

 properties which the broad-leaved trees do not. 



" But I may add," says he, " that in the level lands of lower-lying spots, 

 extending to 1200 mfetres, or 4000 feet, in the southern Alps, the acacia 

 succeeds well ; the ash and the sycamore equally well ; and, in fine, as a 

 bushy growth giving a first shelter, I have seen employed with success 

 the plum tree of Brianyon, and the variety of willows which cover calcareous 

 slopes ; on the calcareons coasts of the Adriatic, they employ as a first 

 shelter the juniper. 



" In conclusion, I repeat,'' says he, " that since with care a direct reboise- 

 ment may be obtained by means of resinous trees, recourse should never be 

 had to provisional protection excepting after the most manifest failure 

 with these." 



It may be desired to compare with these matured opinions, deliberately 

 expressed by M. Marschand, the opinions which have been expressed by 

 others. To facilitate this being done I may repeat here that, at the first of 

 the annual conferences of agents employed in the works, instituted by 

 Ministerial appointment, and held in 1861, it was stated that the kinds of 

 trees which up to that time had been employed, had been chiefly the 

 epicea, or Norway fir, the Scotch fir, the Austrian pine, the Aleppo pine, 

 the Corsican pine, the larch, the ailanthus, the acacia, the Mount Atlas 

 cedar, the white oak, the ilex, or evergreen oak, the cork tree, the chestnut, 

 the willow, the white poplar, and the birch; and of shrubs — the filbert 

 the shumack, the hazel, &c. But this referred to a much wider range 

 of country than the High Alps alone, to which M. Marschand's remarks 

 refer. 



The opinions expressed by the agents employed, in regard to the adapta- 

 tion of these several kinds of trees and shrubs for which they had been 

 selected, and in regard to localities for which one and another of them were 



