. American forestry. Forests and forestry. THE FORESTRY OF FRANCE 499 nor even perennial weeds had a chance. The result was that over 9000 mountain streams in the Alps and the Pyrennees formerly steady in flow became raging torrents after every rain storm, the springs dried up, vegetation disappeared and the mountain slopes became mere arid sheds of detritus, loam and silt. Mountain real estate values shrivelled, the loss being something over three hundred billion francs and the flood and drouths in the low lands became an annual curse. To date over three hundred million francs have been spent
. American forestry. Forests and forestry. THE FORESTRY OF FRANCE 499 nor even perennial weeds had a chance. The result was that over 9000 mountain streams in the Alps and the Pyrennees formerly steady in flow became raging torrents after every rain storm, the springs dried up, vegetation disappeared and the mountain slopes became mere arid sheds of detritus, loam and silt. Mountain real estate values shrivelled, the loss being something over three hundred billion francs and the flood and drouths in the low lands became an annual curse. To date over three hundred million francs have been spent on reforestation and barrage and about GOOO torrential streams have been gotten under control. The procedure otitlines as follows:— The first thing to do is to obstruct the flow in the torrent bed and reduce its velocity. A series of rough rock dams across the bed arrests this difficulty to form deposits of silt and mud. These barrages, so called, are planted with wil- low and alder shoots, forming living hedges which are carried far up the sides of the ravines. Next the mountain. Photo by Waircit H. Miller. STANDARD COPPICE, CIIAMPEROUX. forester begins his first attack, for here slopes are terraced by digging narrow the run-ofl: is least severe. These slopes horizontal ledges and planting seedlings are planted with broom plant, Alpine in the banks formed by throwing the heather, gorse and furze, which shrubs trench excavation down hill. The have been found to secure a foothold trenches are parallel and about (i feet on dry, eroded soils more quickly and apart vertically. The species chosen surely than any others, depend almost exclusively upon maxi- muni and minimum temperatures ob- re; of waste lands taining. In order of temperature— withstanding qualities they are: green The reclamation of the Landes of oak, yew oak, pine Alep, Austrian pine, France constitutes another achievement Cembro pine, from highest to lowest of the French foresters which has added tem
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectforestsandforestry
