30 Government Forestry Abroad. 



cent. may be set as the upper limit of production of 

 this class of forest, and therefore far beyond that of 

 other forms of treatment. 



In 1878 the average net revenue of all the State 

 forests was 32.00 francs per hectare per annum, or 

 about $2.50 per acre. The return on the capital which 

 they represented was stated at 2| per cent. As 

 an illustration of the general financial situation of 

 forestry in France, the budget of the forest service 

 for 1891 may be cited. It provides for expenses in 

 the round sum of fifteen and a half million of francs, 

 and anticipates a gross revenue of twenty-five mil- 

 lion. If we subtract the cost of re-foresting the 

 mountains, managing the Algerian forests, which, 

 as yet. cost more than twice as much as they bring 

 in, and similar items which are not directly connected 

 with the current expenses of forest management, we 

 reach a total of ten million francs in round numbers. 

 Subtracting similarly the Algerian income we find 

 that the net revenue is expected to reach the sum of 

 fourteen million francs. Forest management on this 

 basis is very far removed from sentimentalism and 

 the philanthropic forest protection whose watchword 

 is " Hands off." 



The provisions of the code concerning private 

 wood lands are substantially as follows: 



No private owner may root up or clear his wood 

 lands without having made a declaration of his 

 intention at least four months in advance. The for- 

 est service may forbid this clearing in case of the 

 maintenance of the forest is deemed necessary upon 

 any of the following grounds: 



1. To maintain the soil upon mountains or slopes. 



