CONTINENTAL NOTES — FKANCE I9 



view, and also diminishes hardship among such of the country 

 people as forget to observe the forest law. The Rumanian 

 Act reduces the taxes by half when a proprietor consents to 

 have his forest worked on a scheme for the production of large 

 timber. The Act makes provisions to enable the Government 

 to buy up forest areas and unproductive ground with a view to 

 reafforestation. If we at home are at the dawn of a proper 

 Government forest policy such Acts as that of Rumania will 

 be worth study. 



VII. — The French have made a beginning of forest conserva- 

 tion in Morocco by sending over two forest officers and a score 

 of forest guards. These got to work in 1914 in the region of 

 Rabat, where there are said to be fine cork oak forests, notably 

 one called " Mamora," and already in about a year they have 

 put a stop to the ignorant devastation by the natives, who were 

 accustomed to strip off the bark for sale to the tanneries of 

 Rabat and elsewhere, and then to make charcoal of the trees. 

 Now these same devastators have been taught to cut the bark 

 (for cork) in accordance with the correct procedure, which of 

 course provides for the continued life of the tree. In 1914 and 

 1915, 143,000 trees were worked, and loi kilometres of fire- 

 lines, 30 metres broad, were cut, and these also serve for roads. 

 Much else, such as the building of quarters, has been done, and 

 the infant Forest Service has in fact made a vigorous start. 

 They think longingly of the fine cedar forests in the Atlas 

 Mountains, but the political situation had not yet allowed them 

 to get hold of these. 



VIII. — It may be noted that Switzerland, before the war, 

 imported wood pulp and cellulose, but has now discovered that, 

 provided the price offered is a little more than that for fuel, she 

 can supply herself. Everywhere we have been learning that it 

 is better to trust to our own home supplies, and this matter 

 of pulp and cellulose is yet another argument for the utilisation 

 of our waste lands by afforestation. Incidentally it suggests 

 the more thorough utilisation of the waste products of our 

 woods, of which waste products one is inclined to believe that 

 there are far more than is generally supposed. The case for 

 afforestation ever grows stronger, but then, if it comes to that, 

 it has been overwhelming for a long time. 



