CHIEF FIRE WARDEN. 107 



states, nor to the forests of the cantons of Soleure, Bale, 

 Schaffhouse, Argovia, Thurgovia, Neufchatel and Geneva. 



The Confederation is not actually the owner of any 

 forests, but a few of the separate states are owners. The 

 forest domains are part of the national wealth, and com- 

 prise 91,587 acres. There are also in the cantons the 

 forests of the municipalities and of the corporations, com- 

 prising 1,403, 772 acres. Besides there are private forests, 

 comprising 609,855 acres. The total area of forests is 

 therefore 2,105,220 acres, or about 20 per cent of the 

 total area of Switzerland. 



Forests are found everywhere in Switzerland. The 

 parts most heavily timbered are the mountain chains of 

 Jura and of the cantons of Schaffhouse, Soleure, Argovie 

 and Neufchatel. Forests are found starting at 200 

 meters above sea level (in the canton of Tessin) and 

 reach as high as 2, 100 meters in the high mountains. In 

 Argovia they even reach 2,300 meters in altitude. 



The more common varieties of trees are among the 

 resinous kinds, the opicea, the fir, the larch, the Scotch 

 and mountain pines, the Siberian pine; among the de- 

 ciduous kinds, the birch and the chestnut tree; this last 

 kind grows especially in the canton of Tessin. 



The value of forest land varies greatly and depends on 

 the location, the nature of the soil, thickness of the settle- 

 ments, the increase of these settlements and on the trade 

 in timber and other products of the forest. The value 

 per hectare (2^ acres) may range accordingly from 300 

 francs to 6,000 francs. 



In regard to expenses of administration, a distinction 

 must be made between the expenses incurred by the Con- 

 federation and those incurred by the cantons. In 1897 

 the expenses incurred by the Confederation for forest ad- 

 ministration amounted to $56,000. 



