Forest Conditions. 9 



le rule, until necessity arises for greater care ia the 

 sploitation, for more rational distribution of farm and 

 )rest area, and finally for intentional reproduction of 

 ood as a useful crop. 

 Correspondingly forest conditions change from the 

 ensely forested hills and moimtaia slopes during the 

 ^e of the nomad and hunter to the "enclaves^' or patches 

 f field and pasture enclosed by the forest of the first 

 irmers, then the opening up of the valleys and low- 

 inds, while the hills and mountain farms return to 

 >rest and finally with the increase of population and 

 .vilization in valleys and plains a reduction of the f or- 

 it area and a decrease of forest wealth. 



While we have many isolated references to forest con- 

 itions and progress of forest exploitation among the 

 Qcients in the writings of poets and historians, these 

 re generally too brief to permit us to gain a very clear 

 icture of the progress of forest history; except in iso- 

 ited cases, they furnish only glimpses, allowing us to 

 11 in the rest to some extent by guess. 



That the countries occupied and known to the an- 

 ents, even Spain and Palestine, were originally well- 

 ooded there seems little doubt, although in the drier 

 jgions and on the drier limestone soils, the forest was 

 erhaps open as is usual under such conditions, and 

 "uly arid, forestless regions were also found where they 

 xist now. Although it has been customary to point out 

 )me of the Mediterranean and Eastern countries as 

 aving become deserts and depopulated through defor- 

 Jtation, and although this is undoubtedly true for 



