Restrictions in Forest Use. 15 



estates existed in Ethiopia, in Arabia, among the 

 Greeks and among the Romans at home as well as 

 in their colonies. Especially pasture woods (saltus) 

 connected with small and large estates (latifundia) 

 into which probably most forest areas near settlements 

 were turned, are frequently mentioned as in private 

 ownership; but also other private forests existed. 



The institution of servitudes or rights of user (usus 

 and usus-fructus) and a considerable amount of law 

 regarding the conditions under which they were ex- 

 ercised and regarding their extinguishment were in 

 existence among the Romans in the first centuries of 

 the Christian era. 



3. Forest Use. 



Restrictions in the use of woods were not entirely 

 absent, but with the exception of reserving ship 

 timber in the State forests, they refer only to special 

 classes of forest. 



In the frontier forests reserved for defensive pur- 

 poses, timber cutting was forbidden. And in the 

 holy groves set aside by private or public declaration 

 no wood could be cut thereafter, being in the latter 

 case considered nobody's property but sanctified 

 and dedicated to religious use (res sacra), and who- 

 ever removed any wood from them was considered 

 a "patricide," except the cutting be done for purposes 

 of improvement (thinnings) and after" a prescribed 

 sacrifice. 



With the extension of Christendom the holy trees 

 and groves became the property of the emperors, 

 who sometimes substituted Christian holiness for 



