French Forestry. 



383 



and extension has been given by successive administrations. 

 In 1840, the woods and forests covered an area equal to i6*6i 

 per cent, of the total surface of the country. In 1892, they 

 covered 18*03 pei" cent. This gain of 1*42 per cent, repre- 

 sents an addition to the forest area of France during this 

 period cf 1,772,000 acres, or from 21,747,000 acres to 

 23,519,000 acres; but these figures are not really comparable, 

 since the total area of France has been altered by the acqui- 

 sition, in i860, of Savoy and Nice, and by the loss in 1871 of 

 Alsace-Lorraine. The gain since the previous decennial 

 inquiry of 1882 is, however, 0*15 per cent., representing an 

 area of about 164,000 acres. 



Comparing the area under forests with the agricultural, 

 instead of the total, surface of France, it amounts to i8'87 

 per cent, of the agricultural land ; and, as regards proprietor- 

 ship, is thus distributed : — 



(i) State woods . . . . . . 2*16 per cent. 



{2) Woods belonging to Depart- 

 ments, Communes, and Public 

 Institutions . . . . . . 4-39 ,, 



(3) Woods belonging to private 



proprietors . . . . . . 12-32 



18-87 



The State woods are, of course, subject to strict forest 

 regime ; those belonging to local authorities and public 

 institutions are only in part so subjected, while the woods of 

 the private proprietors are managed according to the will of 

 their owners. The effect of these different methods of treat- 

 ment may be briefly summarised thus : — 



The woods of the private proprietors, who generall)^ hesi- 

 tate to engage a considerable capital on their estates, are 

 grown chiefly with a view to the immediate returns obtain- 

 able from their underwood when sold at the stage of growth 

 suitable for firewood. The woods belonging to the com- 

 munes are worked less exhaustively, but still usually with 

 the desire — if not the necessity — of obtaining a yearly 

 revenue. The woods of the State are, on the other hand, 

 jealously regarded as capital investment, and are adminis- 



