FORESTRY IN HUNGARY. 55 



Steirdorf, Oravicza, Dognaczka, Bogsan, and Maldova, over each 

 of which is placed a superintendent with a foi-esi officer under 

 his orders. 



Since the Company obtained the concession in 1855, it has 

 constructed 500 miles of new railway lines, and organised a 

 navigation service on the lower Danube, to connect Servia, 

 Eoumania, and Bulgaria with its railway at Bazias. By this 

 means, and- by the enlargement and improvement of its factories, 

 it has quadrupled its out-turn of produce ; and can now dispose of 

 it, not only in Austria and Hungary, but also in the neighbouring 

 countries of Eastern Europe. 



The Banat is situated on a geological basin formed principally 

 by thick beds of the secondary groups, presenting all important 

 ages except the trias, and lying on gneiss and mica schist. 

 Where the secondary strata are traversed by syenite, the Jurassic 

 and cretaceous limestone has been crystallised, and here are found 

 the metals which constitute the principal i-iches of the country ; 

 they comprise magnetic iron, red and brown hematite, copper, 

 lead, ii'on pyrites (from which sulphui-ic acid is made at Maldova), 

 zinc, bismuth, silver, and gold. A large quantity of coal is found 

 in the Carboniferous and Jurassic groups. Considerable deposits 

 of Tertiary formation are also met with in the basin, principally 

 in the neighbourhood of Krassova, Tirnova, and Maldova. 



The plains are covered by a deep layer of black vegetable 

 mould, which is well suited to the cultivation of cereals, and 

 produces excellent crops of wheat, oats, and maize. On the lower 

 hills, where the soil is chiefly clay, lie the pastures, with forests 

 here and there and large quantities of plum trees, cultivated, 

 especially near Krassova, for the "raky'^ which is distilled from 

 the fruit. The higher hills ai"e as a rule covered with forest. 



The plains of the Banat are the hottest part of Hungary, the 

 spring and summer being very hot, and marked by protracted 

 periods of dry weather. Snow does not lie here during the 

 winter. Great cold is experienced in the mountains, where frosts 

 occur late into the spring, but there is much less drought. In 

 the exceptionally dry season of 1863, the rainfall at Oravicza 

 (680 ft.) was 15-7 inches, while at Frauzdorf (1770 ft.) it was 

 21*25 inches. The dry and cold winds from the south-east do 

 much damage in all parts of the Domain, carrying the fine soil 

 from the fields, overturning fruit trees, and making havoc in the 

 forests. 



