THE MEDITERRANEAN 

 PENINSULAS. 



Geographically, and to some extent climatically, 

 the three peninsulas of the Mediterranean Sea, the 

 Iberian, Italian, and the Balkan, are situated alike. 

 Their people, if not in race, are in temper and charac- 

 teristics, and in their political economy more or less 

 alike. They represent the oldest civilization in 

 Europe, and in their long history have been frequently 

 in collision with each other. Their forests, through 

 centuries of abuse, are wherever accessible, in poorest 

 condition. Long-continued political disturbances, 

 which have prevented peaceful development, and 

 poverty, have been the greatest hindrances to economic 

 reforms like the recuperation of forests, which 

 require sacrifices. Ancient rights of user, and the 

 necessity of politicians to respect them are also re- 

 sponsible for the fact that, while praiseworthy at- 

 tempts in legislation have been made, execution has 

 been usually lagging behind. 



The accessibility to sea, permitting readily importa- 

 tion, the temperate climate, the simple life and ab- 

 stemiousness of the people, and the lack of industrial 

 development have made the deficiency of wood 

 material less felt than it would otherwise be, but the 

 detrimental influence of forest destruction is being 

 repeatedly experienced in floods and drouths. 



There is probably no more potent cause of forest 



