438 Forestry Quarterly. 



recent importation of creosoted Oregon pine ties, which he de- 

 scribes as "fair to good for sleepers (ties) as far as conifer woods 

 go." American exporters would profit by this excellent market. 



T. S. W., Jr. 



The Supply of Railway Sleepers in India. The Indian Forester. April, 

 1913. Pp. 169-173. 



STATISTICS AND HISTORY. 



The newest area statistics of Switzerland 

 New show up a number of peculiarities in the 



Siviss political affiliations, which, for instance, 



Area brings it about, that communes belonging 



Statistics. to a canton are found outside the boun- 



daries of that canton. No uniformity of 

 subdivision exists. In 18 cantons the political communes are ag- 

 gregated into districts or circles, but other cantons do not know 

 this districting. The smallest districts are less than two square 

 miles, the largest over 300 square miles. The six smallest com- 

 munes comprise only ^6 to no acres, while the largest go over 

 70,000 acres, but 57 per cent, of the six largest is unproductive. 



Taking the whole country, the real mountain region, over 

 2600 feet, occupies less than 20 per cent., with a little over 4 per 

 cent, alpine and subalpine, the bulk of the lowlands lie below 1800 

 feet; the lowest situation of settlement is at 650 feet above sea 

 level, the highest at 6360 feet. The ten communes owning the 

 largest forest area are, of course, located on the mountains, with 

 forest per cents varying from 15 to 44-6 per cent of their whole 

 area, and from 22.5 to 59 per cent, of their productive area. 



Forest statistics are being carefully collected by the Bund since 

 1907 under the direction of Prof. Decoppet, the third section re- 

 ferring to the statistics of workwood production having ap- 

 peared. Workwood production has fallen far below consump- 

 tion : the import which in 1885 was around 32 million cubic feet, 

 with an export of over 6 million, had increased in 1907 to over 

 16.5 million, the export dropping to less than 3 million cubic feet, 

 that is to say the whole wood trade has doubled, and the gross 

 import has become 5 times what it was only 22 years ago. 



At the same time with this increase in workwood (lumber) 



