GROWTH OF FRENCH FORESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14472, 12 September 1910, Page 4

GROWTH OF FRENCH FORESTS.

Complaints of the disappearance of forests were, of course, hear l in Europe many years ago, when our forests were rather in the way than in need of conservation, and our conservatiorists may be encouraged when they learn that h; France the agitation has been so effective that the forest acreage there is now on the increase. It is the general impression that during the last century forests have been ruthlessly destroyed and that the recent severe floods in Paris are due largely to thi6. A recent investigation by Rothea, published in the Revue des Eaux et Forets and noticed in the Revue Scientifique, indicates, on the contrary, that reforestation has' been going on steadily during the entire latter part of the century. There was in 1825 an acreage of forest about 20 per cent, less than at the time of the Revolution, but in 1892 there was fully 20 per cent, more, or half as much again as in 1825. To quote: — It would not seem that there has been much deforestation since 1892. Mr. Rothea cites figures for the arrondifisement of Toul, where from 1900 to 1908, 2700 acres have been planted and 75 cut off—a gain of 2625 acres. And it is sufficient to compare the editions of the Staff Chart to see that this phenomenon has been quite general in the basin of Paris and in the north of France. Reforestation is a useful, an indispensable thing. The deforestation evil, however, is perhaps not so great as has been asserted. Some large forests have been entirely cut down of late; this is a very regrettable fact, which, perhaps,, effort should have been made to prevent; but the phenomenon is local; the forests will grow again. More, these great cuts have so lowered the price of wood that many owners are now hesitating to cut their tiniber. In any case, it would appear well established that wholesale deforestation is not now taking place, and so could have had nothing to do with the inundations."