groups of trees are to be seen, in the ravines and on the precipices. There are, however, two woods of considerable extent ; and one of these, situated in the basin of the stream of Masos, is considered by M. Calas to be the finest which he has seen, as regards the density, regularity, size, and vigour of the trees, which are, how- ever, only about 80 to go years old. The best trees in the district are 50 to 60 feet high by 3 to 4 feet in girth.
In the Cevennes, this variety occurs in three localities. In Herault, near Saint- Guilhem-le-Désert,' it covers, between 1700 and 2300 feet elevation, about 2400 acres, of which 1900 have lately been purchased by the Government. The soil is dolomite limestone and is extremely poor and shallow; and the trees growing either on southern arid slopes or on wind-swept plateaux are in a worse condition than else- where. They usually have twisted stems and average 15 feet in height; attaining at their best 30 feet high by 3 feet in girth.
Another locality * occurs north of Bessèges, in the valley of the river Gagnières, which forms the boundary line between the departments of Gard and Ardèche. The tree grows here at 650 to 1100 feet elevation on siliceous soil, and covers a scattered area of 2500 acres, half of which belongs to the State. It often attains, on northern slopes and on slightly better soil than usual, 60 feet high by 4 feet in girth. This appears to be the only locality where the tree is regularly felled, the timber being sold for pit-props. The maritime pine has been planted in the district in the open spaces caused by forest fires, and though slightly faster in growth than the native Laricio, has proved to be a poorer tree, on account of the inferior quality of its timber.
M. Fabre discovered in 1897 a third locality in the Cevennes, at the Col d’Uglas, eight miles west of Alais in Gard. The area is only 250 acres; but is interesting, on account of Pinus sylvestris growing wild in company with Laricio in the upper part of the forest.
The Pyrenean pine has been planted in a few localities in Ardèche, Herault, Aude, and Pyrénees Orientales ; and has done slightly better than the Austrian pine tried with it. Calas considers it to be a useful tree, on account of its capability of growing on the worst possible soils ; and is of opinion that its meagre growth in the wild state is entirely dependent on the poor conditions of soil and climate to which it is subjected.
Corsican Pine.—This species is widely spread in Corsica in the great mountain range and its ramifications, which occupy the centre of the island. On northern slopes it grows between 2700 and 5500 feet elevation, the lower margin of the forest being often contiguous with dense woods of Quercus Ilex or with scattered groves of Quercus lanuginosa. On southern sunny slopes it only descends to 3700 feet, the zone below that altitude being usually occupied by Pinus Pinaster, the two species mingling slightly at the line of junction. The forests of Laricio, often of great extent, belong almost entirely to the State and to the Communes, and are all treated by the selection
1 Here this variety was first discovered in France by Salzmann in 1851.
2 First mentioned in 1856 by Grenier and Godron, loc. cit.
