FORESTRY IN HUNGARY. 9 



The spruce, Abies excelsa, is the most important of the conifers 

 found in Hungary. It is, generally speaking, grown unmixed with 

 other species, and the forest is clean-felled, the ground being 

 restocked artificially two years afterwards. The advantages of 

 growing forests composed of a mixture of species has not yet 

 been fully recognised except in the State forests, where in suitable 

 regions, when the production of large timber is aimed at, it is now 

 the rule to mix spruce, silver fir, and beech in the following 

 proportions, viz. : 



50 to 60 per cent, of spruce. 

 20 to 30 ,, of silver tir. 

 10 to 20 ,, of beech. 



There is a great deal to be done in the way of restocking bare 

 ground ; the funds hitherto granted for this purpose being insufficient 

 to admit of satisfactory progress being made. But the State gives 

 out plants gratis to proprietors of all classes, and nearly eleven 

 millions of them have been distributed during the years 1883, 

 1884, and 1885, The species principally employed are as follows, 

 viz. : The Rohinia pseudo-acacia, which grows very rapidly, yields 

 excellent firewood, vine props, and timber of small size ; the Scots 

 pine, which is planted out at a year old, but in some districts is 

 without needles for a part of the year, and in the northern pro- 

 vinces suffers much from snow ; and the black Austrian pine. The 

 larch does very well in some districts, and considerable attention 

 has recently been paid to it. 



In former days forest management was directed principally to 

 the production of firewood, and this is the case still on many 

 properties. But as soon as the improvement of communications 

 enabled timber to be carried to distant markets, even beyond the 

 national frontiers, and the diminution of stock caused a rise in 

 prices, attention began to be directed to the production of large 

 timber of good quality. During the last ten or fifteen years, how- 

 ever, many young oak and spruce forests have been cut for tanning 

 bark, and a good deal of harm has been done by over-cutting for 

 this purpose. 



The minor products are at present confined almost exclusively to 

 grass, acorns, and nut galls ; the various industries which usually 

 flourish in the neighbourhood of extensive forests not having yet 

 been developed to any considerable extent. 



Grazing, is, however, an important question, both on account of 



