the pedunculate oak. Beech comes next in per- 
centage of area, 18.2; hornbeam 11 percent. The 
evergreen holm oak is found only in the south 
of France, 4 percent in area; the cork oak 
(Quercus suber) mainly bordering the Mediter- 
ranean. The last named species is limited in 
distribution but is highly valuable commer- 
cially. Miscellaneous species, as ash, poplar, 
willow and others, together 16 percent in area, 
make with those already listed a percentage in 
area of productive forest of 76.7 for the broad- 
leaved species. Of the 23.3 percent of conifers, 
fir has 7.1, Scots pine 6.5, maritime pine 4.0 and 
spruce 2.7, the other 3 percent miscellaneous. 
The maritime pine is found chiefly in the 
Gironde zone of the plains division, though there 
is some on the Mediterranean shore. The area 
is not great relatively, but its commercial value 
for turpentine as well as for timber makes it 
OWNERSHIP OF 
FRENCH FORESTS 
As to ownership Woolsey states that “about 
one-tenth of the French forest area belongs to 
the state, two-tenths to communes and public 
institutions, and seven-tenths to an incredible 
number of small owners,” the great majority 
of whom have less than 25 acres. This is one 
of the striking things about France. “The for- 
est, aS well as the agricultural land, is divided 
among the people.” It does not follow that 
all the privately owned forests are as well man- 
aged as are those belonging to the state, but 
as has been noted in earlier letters as regards 
other European countries, the people of France 
have a clear understanding of the value and 
importance of forests, which creates a point of 
view that has not as yet become general with 
us. In looking at the history of forestry in 
RETURN OF 
VEGETATION 
ON THE 
FIRING LINE 
—MONT PELE— 
PICTURE 
TAKEN BY 
FRENCH 
FOREST 
SERVICE 
IN AUGUST, 
1921 
rank as one of the most important trees of 
France. Originally established artificially, it 
now reproduces naturally. <A further account 
of this forest will appear in a subsequent letter 
in this series. 
All over France the sycamore and the Lom- 
bardy poplar are trees much used for roadside 
planting. A characteristic sight, also, is the 
pollarded trees, those where the tops have been 
cut back and allowed to sprout, 10 feet more or 
less above the ground. 
There has been some introduction of exotic 
trees in France but in general this aspect of 
forestry is not important. The French are bet- 
ter satisfied with the results that can be got 
from indigenous species. In the botanic gar- 
dens and at the arboretum of the National For- 
est School, in the forest of Amance, near Nancy, 
now sadly damaged by war, experimental plant- 
ing of foreign species of trees is now going on, 
and with a return to normal conditions will be 
more actively pushed. 
(46) 
France, one should recall that unlike her north- 
ern neighbors France has for many centuries 
been a homogenous country. with a highly cen- 
tralized government resident in Paris. In Ger- 
many for example the great number of local 
states and petty principalities led naturally to 
diversity in forest management as in other 
things. In France on the contrary there has in 
general been rather close adherence to a definite 
program and continuity of policy over a long 
period. 
HISTORY OF FOREST 
LEGISLATION IN FRANCE 
While the care of the forest in France dates 
back to a much earlier time, an outstanding 
date in French forestry is the year 1669, when 
in the reign of Louis XIV, was promulgated the 
“Forest Ordinance” of the great minister Col- 
bert. On that foundation may justly be said to 
rest all subsequent French forestry legislation. 
In other European countries also the Forest 
