FORESTRY IN FRANCE. 



269 



The primary mode of forest management consists in the cutting away of 

 the older trees, the pruning of dry and decaying branches, and in assisting 

 the natural renewals of growth of shoots and self-sown seedlings. In cutting 

 the maturity of the timber is a condition observed, and then a sufficient 

 number of large trees are spared in spots favorable of soil and exposure to 

 provide for the reproduction of the species. Where young plants too thickly 

 spring these are distributed elsewhere, and as they increase in size, and the 

 shelter of others becomes unrequired, they are again separated by the thinning 

 out of those less promising, and ample space thus given for the spreading 

 boughs. It is considered that oaks attain full girth at about 1 25 years, firs at 

 120, beeches at 90 and red pines at 85. Much discretion is of course neces- 

 sary when the age of the forest is not of record in determining the time to 

 fell. The system of divisional felling at intervals of from fifteen to forty 

 years, according to the softness or hardness of the wood, is frequently 

 adopted whereby the forest is constantly maintained. To illustrate the treat- 

 ment of brushwood I furnish the following table showing a method projected 

 here over a tract of 120 acres where the growth in 1885 was all about 21 

 years old, and composed chiefly of ash trees and white pines : 



The works for the improvement of the forests include the survey of lands, 

 the construction of roads and bridges, the laying of drains, the opening of 

 ditches, the establishment and care of nurseries, the choice of seeds, and the 

 adaptation and setting of plants and trees. 



There is an institute at Nice for instruction in sylviculture and forest law. 



The conditions of admission to the forest service are as follows : The 

 candidates for the position of guards must belong to the forest districts ; must 

 be not less than twenty-three years of age, and may be appointed as vacan- 

 cies occur after satisfactory examinations. They may be promoted to the 

 rank of general guards after a creditable service of two years. The examina- 

 tions are divided into two classes, viz., those in the field and those at the 



