192 FORESTRY IN ITALY. 



stumps, and to cut up the ground for that purpose, he must make a previous declaration to the 

 committee of forests showing the object that he proposes, the method he wishes to adopt, and 

 the time which he expects to occupj". And of this the committee will give notice to the in- 

 spector of forests. 



Art. 2. The operations for extirpating old trees and trunks, with the above-mentioned 

 view, must be executed as follows : When the ground slopes not more than ten or fifteen 

 degrees it is divided into continuous and parallel strips in a horizontal direction ; those in 

 which operations are to be carried on being not more than 2 meters wide, alternated with others 

 of not less than 6 meters wide, which are to be left untouched. When the proper occupation 

 by trees and the proper condition of the ground are well Secured in the strips which are being 

 operated on, a similar method may be carried out in those which were left untouched; but not 

 less than two years after the former operations. 



When the wood is situated on the sides of a hill, with a slope of more than fifteen degrees, 



a strip of not less than 50 meters wide is to be left intact at the top of the mountain, in which, 



at proper seasons, partial and irregular operations of uprooting and replanting may be carried 



on ; but always in strips, and in such a way as to protect from the wind the young plants in 



the portions operated on. 



TITLE II. 



RULES FOR MANAGING LARGE TIMBER TREES — THE CUTTING OF TREES. 



Art. 3. The cutting of large timber trees should be carried on by methods called those of 

 propagation and of thinning, the former is used for trees of mature growth, trimming them at 

 fixed periods so as to insure their natural dissemination in the soil, and the protection of the 

 seedlings, according as these require space for their better development. 



As a rule, the distance to be preserved clear firom the outside extent of one tree to another 

 in large timber, must be about 2 meters. The period of thinning out young plants or seedlings 

 may begin about the third or fourth year of their age, according to the extent of their growth. 



Instead of the above method, cutting down to the ground may be carried out in such 

 woods, but always in alternate squares (like a chess-board), called by the French a bouquet; 

 or the other method of cutting in horizontal, alternate strips may be used, but always so 'as not 

 to produce any denudation of the land, and preserving the best plants for propagation, at the 

 rate of at least sixty for each hectare, equidistant form each other, so as to secure their natiual 

 dissemination on thd soil, and the protection of young plants. 



In all cases a wooded zone shall be preserved round the top of hills, of not less than 50 

 meters wide, in which limit trees must be picked out for cutting with a view to thinning the 

 wood as above stated. 



Art. 4. The purging out of useless or parasitical plants in such woods must be done 

 according as the need of it becomes recognized, and always respecting those which bear wood. 



Art. 5. In woods which lie on a slope not greater than twenty-five degrees, as well as 

 in those which are included in the forest laws for reasons of public health — with the view of 

 impeding the formation of avalanches, the crumbling down of rocks, and the action of the 

 winds, for the protection of roads and of properties which lie below, as well as the pro- 

 tection of the public health in the adjacent regions — no trees must be cut down except those 

 which have arrived at full maturity, or those which are perished or perishing, when there exists 

 a vigorous young growth fit to take their place ; otherwise the mature or decaying trees should 

 be preserved until the young growth has arrived at the said conditions. In woods which are 

 under the forest law, to prevent avalanches, landslips, &c., on the roads and habitations below, 

 trees must only be cut off at the height of a meter from the surface of the ground. 



Art. 6. In the case where a wood does not contain trees fit for propagating purposes at 

 the rate of 60 to the hectare, and when there exist empty spaces of 50 square meters which 

 cannot be refurnished by natural dissemination, the proprietor, after each fall of timber, is 

 bound to effect the reoccupation by sowing and planting in a regular manner and according to 

 the circumstances, and when he fails to do so the committee may take steps according to 

 article 17 of the law. 



