352 Spain. 



accomplish reforms even if the people would let it 

 have its way. 



1. Forest Conditions. 



It has been a matter of speculation whether Spain 

 was, or was not, once heavily wooded (see page 11). 

 In Roman times, only the Province of La Manca is 

 reported as being unforested, and, in the 13th and 14th 

 centuries, extensive forest zones are still recorded. 

 The character of the country at present, and the 

 climate, both resembling so much our own arid plains, 

 make it questionable to what extent the forest descen- 

 ded from the mountain ranges, which were undoub- 

 tedly well wooded. 



At present the forest is mainly confined to the 

 higher mountains. The best is to be found in the 

 Pyrenees and their continuation, the Cantabrian 

 mountains. 



The area of actual forest (bosques) is not known 

 with precision, since in the official figures mere poten- 

 tial forest, i.e., brush and waste land, is included 

 (montes), and the area varies, i.e., diminishes through 

 new clearings, of which the statistics do not keep 

 account. Moreover, the statistics refer only to the 

 "public forests," leaving out the statement of private 

 forest areas, if any. 



In 1859, this area was reported as over 25 million 

 acres or 20 per cent, of the land area (196,000 square 

 miles) ; in 1885, the acreage had been reduced to about 

 17.5 million acres; and, in 1900, about 16 million acres, 

 or 13 per cent, of the land area remained as public 



