242 



Forest preservation in Europe. — Ilespouses to a circular from the 

 foreign oflice to British diplomatic officials in various countries of Europe 

 have been published recently, embracing an immense mass of informa- 

 tion, showing the efl'ect of the denudation of forest lands upon the cli- 

 mate and rain-deposit of the continent. The inundations which of 

 late years have had such destructive sweep in Switzerland have roused 

 both people and government to the necessity of saving the timber 

 upon their mountain-slopes. A commission of experts, appointed by 

 the federal government in 1858, showed up in a trenchant report 

 the reckless prodigality with which the forests were destroyed. This 

 awakened public attention to a growing evil, and eiibrts have been 

 made, both by legal enactment and otherwise, to restrict the cutting 

 of timber as well as to re aiibrest the denuded areas. Austro-Hun- 

 gary has about 19,000,000 acres capable of producing valuable tim- 

 ber, but it is gradually decreasing. About 31 per cent, of the country 

 has remained under tree-culture, and in some provinces 50 per cent. 

 But in other portions the destruction of forests has been so complete, 

 that it is doubtful whether the land has not lost its tree-bearing quali- 

 ties. The soil is generally unfit for the purposes of agriculture, and 

 hence the destruction of the trees has condemned it to utter sterility, 

 unless they can again be made to grow. The diminution of forest areas 

 has already produced serious effects upon the climate, inducing long and 

 destructive droughts, and exposing the lowlands to the blasts of the 

 Carpathians. The towns and cities are made uncomfortable, if not intol- 

 erable, during large portions of the year, while i)ulmonary symptoms 

 have alarmingly increased. TJie government, and many enlightened 

 citizens, are making every effort to avert the farther destruction of tim- 

 ber, and to encourage its replacement. 



In Prussia, especially in the eastern provinces, all forest land is more 

 or less under governuient control, and greater care of forest lands is exer- 

 cised than perhaps in any other country. Strict precautions are taken 

 to secure an annual replant fully equal to the aiea felled. Most of the 

 large forests are mapped out, according to size, quality, and age of the 

 trees. Sweden has 30,000,000 acres, or 42 per cent, of her area, in forest 

 trees, mostly conifers. Of this surface, 5,000,000 acres are under govern- 

 mental supervision, and the remainder in the hands of individuals or 

 corporations, either by freehold or by lease from the crown. In this 

 country, as also in ]S'orway, the indiscriminate felling of timber has had an 

 unfavorable effect upon the climate. The government finds great diffi- 

 culty in treating the case by legislation, but its efforts in this direction 

 have been warmly supported by intelligent and public-spirited individ- 

 uals and corporations. Planting-schools and nurseries have been estab- 

 lished, and many denuded districts have been re-aflbrested. The steady 

 decline in the exports of timber show the necessity of such efforts, by 

 revealing the extent of the evil they are attempting to relieve. 



British tariff on French wines. — In reply to a request of the 

 French government, the British Board of Trade sent special commis- 

 sioners to the different wine-producing regions of France, in order to 

 determine, by actual experiment, the alcoholic strength of each kind of 

 "wine, so as to discriniinate in favor of the milder brands in the imposition 

 of import duties. Of fifty-five different wines examined in 1862, eight 

 contained of alcohol less than lO'^.Sl centesimals; forty-one, over 10,34, 

 and less than 10*^.94 ; six contained over 14'^.94 and less than 22='.99. 

 Wine-producers in Portugal and Spain, jealous of French producers, were 

 pressing the British government to reconstruct its tariff-schedule so as to 



