FORESTRY IN HUNGARY. 31 



Accompanied by this accomplislied forester and linguist, as well 

 as charming companion, we left Buda-Pesth on the evening of the 

 2d July, and travelled by Miskolcz, Ssito rally a-Ujheli, and Kiraly- 

 haza, to Marmaros-Sziget, which lies at the foot of the Carpathian 

 range, in the north-eastern part of the kingdom. Between Miskolcz 

 and Satorallya-Ujheli, we passed through the celebrated Tokay 

 wine country ; and then crossed a vast plain, with very poor soil, 

 on which Rohinia pseudo-acacia is now being successfully culti- 

 vated. In the neighbourhood of Kiraly-haza, we twice crossed the 

 Tisza, on which we saw many rafts slowly making their way down 

 to the Danube. 



We were about to visit four Conservatorships, viz. : — Marmaros- 

 Sziget, at the head of the Tisza ; Bustyahdza, on the Taracz ; 

 Sipto-UjvAr, on the northern slopes of the Alacaony range of hills, 

 which run parallel to, and to the south of, the general line of the 

 Carpathians ; and Beszterczeb4nya which lies round the head 

 waters of the Garam river. The conditions in the four districts 

 are sufficiently alike to make it possible to give one general descrip- 

 tion of them all. 



The total area is 1635 square miles, of which 1329 square 

 miles are actually under forest, and the remainder consists of fields, 

 meadows, and unproductive ground. Of the former, 1203 square 

 miles are situated above the elevation of 2000 feet. The main 

 crop is composed as follows, viz. : — oak, 34 square miles ; beech and 

 other broad-leaved species, 412 square miles; conifers, 883 square 

 miles. The whole of this area, with the exception of 95 square 

 miles of Forests of Protection, managed on the selection system, 

 are maintained as high forest, with a revolution of from 80 to 120 

 years. The average annual revenue, expenditure, and surplus, 

 during the four years from 1881 to 1884 were — 



Revenue, .... £191,157 

 Expenditure, . . . 129,484 



Surplus, . £61,673 = ls. 2d. per acre. 



The four Conservatorships are formed by 40 divisions, averaging 

 41 square miles, and 196 guards' beats, averaging 8 square miles. 

 There are 144 officers of the superior staff, and 318 subordinates ; 

 the total annual cost of this establishment being £24,435, or S^d. 

 per acre of the entire area. 



Provisional working plans have been framed for the whole of the 

 forests. The area annually felled over is 6677 acres ; 6805 acres 



