THE FOREST RESOURCES OF THE WORLD. 61 



South Wales, and South Australia have an excess of imports over 

 exports. For Australia, as a whole, the imports at present exceed 

 the exports, and therefore it must be classed among the countries 

 deficient in timber. The forest area of Australia ought to be suffi- 

 cient to supply fully the local needs. New Zealand also, with its mild 

 and moist climate and its great mountain chains and magnificent 

 coniferous forests, resembling those of the Northern Hemisphere, 

 ought to be able to supply large quantities of timber for export to her 

 neighbors. Some statisticians, like Melard, think that the forests 

 of Australia have been devastated, and that a country which lives by 

 sheep (in 1896 Australia possessed 89,745,000) can not raise at the 

 same time both sheep and forests, as sheep require daily more extended 

 grazing grounds at the expense of the forest. Others believe that 

 the forests of Australia are not yet opened, and that eventually they 

 will be fully able to supply enough good timber at least for home 

 consumption. At present the deficit is covered by importations from 

 the United States, Sweden, and Russia. 



HAWAII. 



The total area of native forerts in Hawaii has recently been com- 

 puted as 1,174,992 acres. In addition to this is the Algaroba forest 

 of approximately 50,000 acres. There are established at present in 

 Hawaii 16 forest preserves, comprising in all 444,116 acres. 



The forest resources of Hawaii 'will be more fully discussed in 

 connection with those of the United States. 



AFRICA. 



The forests of Africa are as yet very little explored. There is no 

 doubt that in some parts of it there are to be found very valuable 

 trees. The French and English colonies are best known. 



FRENCH POSSESSIONS IN AFRICA. 

 ALGIERS. 



In 1900 the forests of Algiers occupied an area of nearly 8,000,000 

 acres, a great portion of which is unproductive. The State owns 

 6,250,000 acres, or 77 per cent of the total; private individuals 

 1,250,000 acres; and communes, 192,000 acres. Forests occupy in 

 different parts of the country from 4 to 25 per cent of the total land 

 area. 



Botanically, the Algerian forests are very rich. The principal 

 species are cork oak (1,025,000 acres) and pine (2,000,000 acres); 

 other species cover 470,000 acres. 



TUNIS AND OTHER COLONIES. 



In Tunis the forests occupy 2,027,000 acres, nearly all in the north- 

 ern part of the country. Like the Algerian forests, they are greatly 

 devastated by fires and grazing. The productive area is probably 

 not more than 1 ,630,000 acres. Of this the State owns 1 , 1 58,740 acres, 

 or 77 per cent; the rest belongs to private individuals, societies, etc. 



