CONTINENTAL NOTES — FRANCE. 53 



Whereas 25 years ago the forest area was more than sufficient 

 for the population, now it is quite insufficient. 



Switzerland has not long taken up forestry seriously. The 

 State started a chair of forestry in the middle of the nineteenth 

 century, but even now the course of instruction seems only to be 

 of seven months' duration. Previously such foresters as there 

 were studied in Germany, especially at Tharandt. Naturally, 

 therefore, the earlier tendencies were German. M. Barbey, who 

 writes on this matter, considers that the results have not been 

 good, though one imagines that the German teaching can hardly 

 have been altogether to blame. Apparently, while in theory 

 the method was that of "Successive fellings" with natural 

 regeneration, in fact it has been "Clear felling" not properly 

 followed by natural regeneration. Thinnings, too, including 

 the important ''preparatory thinning" required for the formation 

 of good seed-bearers, were omitted. Under the influence of 

 Gayer, Boppe and Gurnaud there has sprung up during the 

 last two decades a tendency to believe more in " Selection," 

 though, if the author has been correctly understood, a Selection 

 leaning towards the "Group" method. We might add that 

 this tendency is not confined to Switzerland. 



XIV. The wooded area of Russia (including Siberia) is said to 

 be 2,1 [9,440 square miles. Sixty-five per cent, of the European 

 area belongs to the Crown, the same proportion in the Caucasus, 

 and 75 percent, in Asia. Thirty-four per cent, of European Russia 

 is forest, the figures in the Caucasus and Finland being, respec- 

 tively, 22 per cent, and 45 per cent. The most wooded part is 

 the Government of Vologda, where forest occupies 83 per cent, of 

 the country. The Government forest revenue is rising fast, but 

 much less than the annual " possibility " is— according to the 

 Forest Department — yet utilised, in default of means of 

 communication. This is different to what one imagined. The 

 revenue was, in 1905, 141,000,000 francs, and it has risen 

 regularly to 235,000,000 francs in 191 2. Taking the pound 

 roughly at 25 francs, this is ^9,400,000. But the expenditure is 

 also rising fast. Twenty years ago it was 24,000,000 francs, 

 whereas in 1913 the budget estimate was 92,200,000 francs (say 

 ;^"3, 690,000. There are two forest schools, one at Petrograd 

 and one in Poland. The personnel of the Forest Department 

 appears to consist of 1400 superior officers, 3022 assistants, and 

 32,000 subordinates. There is an immense amount of work to 



