66 FORESTRY IN SPAIN. 



details of different phenomena of rivers flowing over 

 permeable and impermeable lands ; of the action of vege- 

 tation on the rainfall. Passing then to the consideration 

 of great inundations, details are given in regard to inun- 

 dations of the Amazon, of the Mississippi, and of inundations 

 within the temperate zones, and local conditions by which 

 they are affected. The author next proceeds to the 

 consideration of torrential inundations in Spain, in Almeria, 

 and in the basin of the Lorga ; floods of the Sangonera 

 and of the Segura ; floods in the great Cuencas ; inunda- 

 tions of the Duero and of the Rodano ; and the inundations 

 of 1857. Information is given in regard to the effects of 

 inundations, and to the alluvial deposits left by inundations. 

 There follows a review of the hydrography of the Peninsula, 

 in which it is shown that to the mountainous character of 

 the country is attributable the fact that there are no great 

 rivers there ; with notices of the various slopes of the 

 country toward the sea, and of the districts included in 

 each. In discussing means of preventing inundations 

 there are brought under consideration, in succession, the 

 contour of the country, and the effects of vegetation ; the 

 geological character of the ground in each locality; the 

 permeability of the ground, pantanott, or large reservoirs ; 

 lateral or littoral deposits; canals; the riches lost in the 

 sea ; and the extent to which the water might be utilised. 

 In the conclusion of the work the author refers to the 

 importance of international arrangements of meteorological 

 observations, and of works designed to prevent the abrasion 

 of the banks of rivers by dykes and other works of defence, 

 a measure which had commanded attention in many 

 countries. 



The advanced forest economy of the day is based on 

 scientific observations, and scientific reasoning. In the 

 first-formed schools of forestry, such as those under Hartig 

 and Gotta-, observation was combined with instruction and 

 practice. The importance of this was felt deeply by two 

 German foresters, Handshagen and Yon Wedekind, and in 



