146 



growing-season as well as the grubljiing of stumps. The annual produc- 

 tion of woods amounts to over 3,000,000 cubic feet, about half of the 

 home consumption. 



The second district, outside of the Karst, embraces Capo d'Istria, 

 Pisano, and Pinquenty, with several neighboring sub-districts and some 

 ndjacent islands. The soil is deeper and less absorbent of water. The 

 denudation of forest-areas here also manifests its mischievous conse- 

 quences in the same irregularity of rain-fall as in other sections. The 

 summer sun heats the bare and stony soil, producing a radiation which 

 disperses the rain clouds and causes destructive droughts. Anciently 

 Istria was a fertile country, ranking next to Campania, for productive- 

 ness among the old Eoman iirovinces. T^ien vast forests covered its hills, 

 which remained comparatively intact till the middle ages. Venice, after 

 the conquest of Pola, in 1150, A. D., extorted heavy supplies of piles, 

 ship-timber, and fire-wood. 



But the axe of the w^oodman was less destructive than the teeth of the 

 goats, which were introduced by thousands into the forests. Their 

 ravages were so serious that, in 1754 and 1700, Venice enacted that 

 these animals should be destroyed on sight by the foresters ; these 

 enactments were but partially executed, and not less than 5,000 still 

 roam over these depleted forests. A Crown-forest of ^ak in the fertile 

 Quieto Valley has, by the annual floods of seventy years, received depos- 

 its of mud from 5 to 7 feet thick, greatly inj^uring the timber. This land 

 yields but C florins per joch ; as meadow it would yield 40. It should 

 be exchanged for some of the denuded mountain-tracts. The oak is the 

 prevalent type of tree-growth. On the mainland the durmast (Qnercns 

 imhescens) and on the islands the evergreen varieties [Q. ilex and Q. 

 cerris) are found. Of these the first two are excellent for ship-timber. 

 The common and cork oaks, ((>. ji7e(??/wc«7af« and Q. siiber,) the water- 

 beech, [Ostrya vulgaris,) and common hornbeam, [Carjnnus hefulus,) are 

 spread over the country ; they grow slowly and furnish but indifferent 

 timber and fuel. The mountain and field maples, (Acer pse??<7o-^?af«- 

 nus and A. camijestris,) the flowering ash, {Fraxinus ornns,) the cork- 

 barked elm, ( C'Zmws sitherosa,) and the French maple are occasionally 

 found. The undergrowth represents a southern flora, viz : wild olive, 

 (Phyterea angustifoUa,) red-berried juniper, [Jimiperiis oxijcednis,) &c. 

 The locust {EoMiiia pseud-acacia) has been largely and profitably grown 

 in old fields for vine-poles; it yields biennial crops more valuable than 

 the best grain-crops. The ailanthus has been successful on only a few 

 tracts. The derangement of the conditions of growth has also affected 

 the habits of the people, indisposing them to farm-industry by its imper- 

 fect returns. They live chiefly by gathering wood and raising live stock, 

 both of which pursuits are destructive of the timbered areas and inten- 

 sify the influences which discourage agricultural production. The re- 

 port complains of the number of ecclesiastics on the islands, numbering 

 one for each two hundred and eight inhabitants, and exercising a dead- 

 ening influence upon the industry and welfare of the people. 



Forest-culture is hers at a low ebb. The yearly product of timber 

 per joch (1.4223 acres) ranges from 20 to 60 cubic feet; in the better 

 managed state-forests the yield is 80 cubic feet and above. The wood is 

 cut every 7 or 8 years on the mainland and every 8 to 12 on the islands. 

 If the time were doubled the production would be much more than 

 doubled. The law now forbids the cutting of timber during the flow- 

 ing of sap, but close vigilance is required for its enforcement. Sheep 

 and goats do more injury than the axe. The woodland is mostly owned 

 by the township. The produce of the forests amounts to nearly 6,000,000 

 of cubic feet, about half the home-consumption. 



