DEPARTMENT OF THE PTEENBES. 301 



" 30 Hectares of oak mixed with larob and Austrian pine, 

 " 9 Hectares of oak and Austrian pine. 

 " 5 Hectares of Scotch fir, beech, and oak. 

 " 14 Hectares of Mugho, larch, Norway fir, and Austrian pine. 

 "13 Hectares of Mugho, larch, Austrian pine, and Corsican pine. 

 " 4 Hectares of Austrian pine and Mugho. 

 " 5 Hectares of Norway fir. 

 " The remainder of the ground capable of cultivation shows no complete, 

 block, but scattered clumps and trees of different kinds, which may be esti- 

 mated to cover about a fifth part of the whole of the area, which may be 19 

 hectares 54 ares. 



" The portion wooded may be, to what remains still bare, as 100 to 78 ; 

 or, in simple terms, four-ninths of the p6rimfetre remains to be rewooded. 



" Passing from the mountain of Lacgrand to that of Ayr6, it may be 

 stated, that in this canton 40 hectares have been completely rewooded, viz. : 

 "10 Hectares of Corsican pine, in a promising condition. 

 "15 Hectares of Mugho. 



" 5 Hectares of mixed trees — beech, birch, Austrian pine, larch, 

 and Mugho. 

 Now, as the total area — ^with the deduction of works — is reduced to about 

 80 hectares, it may be admitted that the wooded portions are, to the por- 

 tions stm bare, as 4 to 5. 



" Though still incomplete, these results are remarkable. They show 

 that the agents entrusted with the direction of the works have not rested 

 satisfied with the accomplishment of any thing short of their task. They 

 have surmounted, indeed, difficulties by no means inconsiderable, which it 

 may be well to pass in review. 



" From the first there was the altitude of the p6rimfetres, the enormous 

 quantities of snow which covered them for six months in the year, the ex- 

 treme cold whieh prevails there in winter, and the heats which suddenly 

 succeed this. Then, in the commencement of the enterprise, the whole 

 staff of agents, brigadiers, guards, workmen, &o., had to be formed. And, 

 in fine, there had to be resolved two questions of the greatest importance : 

 the selection of the kind of trees, and the mode of restocking the waste 

 lands with these. 



" There was the selection of kinds of trees : they could not confine 

 themselves to those which almost exclusively grow in the country — the 

 beech and the silver fir. Both the one and other of these adapted them- 

 selves badly, during the first years of growth, to the slopes, completely 

 bare or subjected to late frosts, which the sun dried up in July and August, 

 to say nothing of the summer preceding, and the check to vegetation which 

 would thus be given. It was a matter of necessity to proceed by way of 

 trials — like groping in the dark. 



"Then, should they sow or plant? At first, the plans were very 

 defective here. Then, from theoretic considerations, the arguments in 

 favour of sowing greatly preponderated, and a great many good agents 

 deprecated planting as being more expensive and less likely to prove 

 efficient than sowing. 



" Without taking up this question in the abstract, it may be enough to 

 affirm that, in so far as Bareges is concerned, experience has decided in 

 favour of planting. This is a necessary consequence of the climatal 

 condition of the country. In point of fact, towards the end of October, or 



