FOREST ADMINISTEATION. 13 



their deputies, have ruined and pillaged it. We have 

 gone there ; we have made an inventory of all the papers 

 of the mattrise ; have reconnoitred the boundaries in pre- 

 sence of the officers ; caused to be made in our presence a 

 survey and chart of the forest ; carried out the ordinance 

 in regard to all that borderers, usagers, and others claiming 

 rights had to produce their titles to ; questioned the officers 

 in regard to their functions and their performance of their 

 duties; and sub-delegated for giving instructions relative 

 to the reformation, to the Sieur Milen, assessor of Tours, 

 who is labouring in this incessantly. 



'There are but few usagers and usurpations. The 

 Archbishop has a usage entitling him to .'52 cords of fire- 

 wood, and to the entire so-called Great Usage. 



LOCHES. 



'For officers there are in the mattrise of Loches a 

 forest-master, called Armience, who does not sin through 

 ignorance; a lieutenant, who is a young man; and a pro- 

 cureur de roi, who is no great things ! For woods there 

 is only the Forest of Loches, which is a considerable one; 

 it contains in all 6000 arpents, or thereabouts ; and a 

 soil which is very unequal in quality. There are some 

 cantons which are very good, others which are very sterile, 

 and others of medium quality. 



' There are about 5000 arpents under wood, namely, 

 2000 of timber forest fenced, and 3000 of coppice of un- 

 equal quality — some pretty well conditioned, and some 

 impaired by browsing ; the remainder of the forest land is 

 empty and waste-land. 



' There are always executed there four kinds of fellings, 

 namely, 25 arpents for the king ; 10 arpents for the officers ; 

 12 to 13 for gratuitous gifts, as they call them; and. 15 

 for firewood for the grand-masters. 



' It may be said that generally the soil in this forest is 

 good, and very proper for wood ; the young shoots spring 

 up so abundantly that it is necessary to make clear.^nces 

 of them to give air to the young reproduced timber forest. 



