Dec. 1895.] EECENT AFFORESTAllON WORK IN FRANCE. 



271 



years, created in the former district 58,100 acres, and in the 

 latter 47,877 acres of plantations, chiefly of the Maritime Pioe 

 (Pin us ijinaster), a tree which, exacting little in the way of soil, 

 yields a wood largely used for pit-props, telegraph poles, and, 

 in its more mature state, for more lasting purposes, and 

 also a resin of high market value. This resin is extracted in 

 two ways. Towards the age of 20 years, only from 600 to 700 

 trees are kept per hectare, and the resin is extracted " a mort "* 

 from the 200 trees or so, which will disappear in the next 

 clearing, five years later. At 25 years this operation is repeated, 

 after which the resin is extracted " d vie from the trees wdiich 

 are intended to stand to the age of 60 and 80 years. As yet, of 

 course, these plantations are not at their full productive height, as 

 will be seen when the question of finance is dealt with, but they 

 form a reserve of valuable and yearly augmenting capital, which 

 is inherent not only in themselves, but in the cultivated land to 

 which they form the protecting barrier against destruction. 



Their initial cost is doubtless ver^i considerable, and, depending 

 upon the difficulties to be overcome and the area of the plantation— 

 both factors of no small moment — may even amount to 500 francs 

 per hectare, or say Si. per acre. For, in addition to the ordinary 

 costs of j)lanting, trenches must be cut at a distance of from 25 

 to 30 metres, which adds, say 40 francs to the hectare, and the 

 seeds of the pine, w^hich are sown with an admixture of gorse 

 and broom, necessary to fix the sand, must be covered with 

 branches planted in the ground, which require to be renewed 

 every four years. When oaks, which, contrary to possible 

 expectations, succeed very well in this soil, are planted, the 

 heath has in addition to be removed, and holes made for the 

 reception of the acorns. With the creation of woods, however, 

 it is, as with other enterprises — the first step which costs " — 

 and in answer to questions put by the Forest Society of Franche- 

 Comte and Belfort in 1892, as to the rapid creation of forests 

 over large surfaces, it was proved that successful results had been 

 obtained, by the use of the plough, by a cross-cut raking of the 

 harrow, and even by bi'oad-cast sowing. The afforesting of 

 arable lands left abandoned by agriculture is naturally much 

 more easy, the soil having been in eflfect prepared for the 

 reception of the seed, and the results being more rapid and 

 certain. Of the rapid conversion of a poor piece of agricultural 

 land placed by the survey in the fourth class, into a paying forest, 

 the following instance may be given, although it was the work 

 not of the Government, but of a private proprietor. 



A small piece of 2*12 hectares, or a little over 5 acres, of cold 

 marly lias, and cultivated under bad conditions, was planted in 

 1845. The trees used w^ere>ak, mixed with ash, beech, and birch s 

 a few poplars and wild cherry trees sprang up spontaneously. A 

 first clearing in 1864 j'ielded 33 steres,t which brought in 167 



* A mort," or, exhaustively ; a vie," or, proportionately, having regard to the 

 future growth of the tree. 



f A stere or cubic metre — -35| cubic feet, 



