96 THE FOREST LANDS OF FINLAND. 
wood, or for manufacture into charcoal. On a calm day 
this is set on fire, and, the flames spreading, soon reduce 
the wood spread over the ground to ashes, ‘precautions 
being taken against the spread of the conflagration beyond 
the limits prescribed. In France, im general, this takes 
place not later than the beginning of July. In the Oden- 
wald, in the Grand-Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt, the latest 
day allowed for the operation is the 10th of June. In the 
Ardennes, on the other hand, it is carried out in August 
and September. From these arrangements it follows that 
all the ‘shoots of the first year are destoyed. This is an evil ; 
and it may be that this second arrest of the vegetation of 
the stumps affects their vitality and durability. On the 
other hand, the check thus given 10 vegetation is followed 
with this effect: m the next spring, and sometimes also in 
the spring following that, there are produced only shoots 
in the best conditions for resisting the cold of winter; 
and this rh a climate so rude is, perhaps, a circumstance 
essential to their growth. 
When the time for sowing the cereals has arrived, these 
are scattered over the ground, and covered by a light 
application of the hoe. Ifthe Sertage have been effected 
early, buck-wheat may be cultivated in the first year, and 
rye in the year following; but if, on the contrary, the 
season has been pretty far advanced, the grower some- 
times must be satisfied with a single crop of rye. 
This mode of burning the ‘small wood and débris is 
known as Sartage @ feu courant. The ashes yielded by it 
add to the fertility of the soil by the salts which they 
contain, and by the property which these possess of 
attracting humidity from the atmosphere, and of retaining 
it in such a way as ‘to yicld it only slowly to the plants, 
It is said, moreover, to be undeniable that they constitute 
® powerful stimulant for vegetation, whatever that may 
mean. It may then easily be imagined that after Sartage 
both the cereals and the shoots will grow with great 
vigour, If sometimes it happens ‘that the effects of the 
fixe are injurious to the reproduction of wood, by 
