Periodical Literature. 349 



POLITICS AND LEGISLATION. 



A new reboisement law is under discussion 



Reforestation before the Cortes. Under the law of 1863, 



in considerable areas of mountain brushwood 



Spain. have been sold for pasture purposes, with 



disastrous consequences, only 10 per cent, 

 of Spain remaining in forest. The same law and subsequent ones 

 provided for reboisement under expropriation and by assistance 

 with money and plant material; the law of 1891 having special 

 reference to restauration of mountain slopes in torrential basins. 

 The results, according to Miguel del Campo, professor of silvi- 

 culture at the Escurial forest school, are practically nil owing to 

 the failure of private owners and municipalities to act. 



The new project contemplates restrictive measures on private 

 properties, and the formation of planting associations with finan- 

 cial assistance by the State, premiums, etc., or else the State may 

 take over and plant the property, paying 4 per cent, of the value 

 of the soil annually, until the proprietor chooses to take it back ! 

 According to Campo this is an impracticable proposition. He 

 proposes, therefore, first, differentiation of forest zones, which 

 must be kept in forest ; if municipal property, it is to be placed 

 entirely under State administration ; if private, under limited sur- 

 veillance, restricting number of cattle, clearings, use of fire, etc. 

 Territory requiring reboisement to be acquired by the State. A 

 20-year credit to be voted for this work and to be used in 20 equal 

 instalments under a specially organized corps of foresters and 

 subalterns. Creation of special schools for their education, dis- 

 tribution of plant material, exemption from taxes for plantations, 

 low freight rates for forest products, propaganda bureau, arbor 

 days, and the whole rigmarole of methods which have been used 

 elsewhere form part of the plan. 



L'o euvre de la restauration forestiere en Espagne. Revue des eaux et 

 forets. March, 1909, pp. 166-171. 



Partly under French influence the Argentine 



Argentine Republic has set aside two national parks, 



National that of Iguazu on the river of the same 



Parks. name, of 50-60,000 acres, and that on Lake 



Nahuel Huapi in the watershed of Rio 



Negro in Patagonia, lately ceded by Chili. Picturesqueness has 



