Forest Conditions. 189 



19th century, stimulated by the development of the 

 metal industry and the improvement in means of 

 communication. The clearings made here were 

 turned into pasture and, being overpastured, became 

 waste lands. Thus, owing to topographic and soil 

 conditions, a very uneven distribution of forest has 

 resulted and we find a variation in forest area from 9% 

 (Genf) to over 39% (in the Jura) of the total land 

 area of the different cantons, the average being 20.6%, 

 leaving out of consideration the area above timber 

 limit (5,000 to 7,500 feet) and the waters and rocks 

 below. This is less than in Germany and Austria, more 

 than in France; but, if allowance is made for unpro- 

 ductive soil which is included in the German area state- 

 ments, the percentage of forest area on productive 

 soil would about equal that of Germany. In the last 

 25 years, the area has increased by 10 per cent, to 

 2,140,000 acres. This area is insufficient to supply 

 the demand, from 15 to 25% of it being imported. 

 In 1907, the imports had risen to nearly 25 million 

 cubic feet, valued at $9 million. 



Property rights developed at first similarly to those 

 developed on German soil, except that, as we have 

 seen, feudal conditions were not allowed to gain foot- 

 hold to the same extent, and liberty from serfdom 

 was secured earlier. In 1798, seigniorial rights had 

 pretty nearly been extinguished. At present, owner- 

 ship is still largely communal: nearly 67% are so 

 owned, making this property of highest forest political 

 importance; private owners hold only 28.5%, and the 

 cantonal forests represent but 4.6%; the Bund as 

 such owning none. It is also to be noted that com- 



