FORESTRY COMMISSIONER. 135 



snow-slidings or otherwise, too much timber has been des- 

 troyed, less cutting is done in the following years, in order 

 that as rapidly as possible the forest may regain the num- 

 ber of trees fixed by the management. The forests are 

 operated in various ways, according to localities and ac- 

 cording to the size of timber that is to be grown, as high- 

 forest, coppice with standards and coppice. 



In accordance with the terms of the federal law, the 

 forest area cannot be reduced. The cleared land must 

 consequently be reforested, except in cases where an equal 

 area of land is converted into forest. Furthermore, the 

 cantons as well as the Confederation have the right to 

 compel the creation of protective forests wherever they are 

 needed for public utility. 



Forest fires seldom occur. Of those which do occur the 

 principal causes are carelessness in lighting fires in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of the forests and lack of care in the 

 woods. It is rare that a forest fire is occasioned by loco- 

 motives. 



The administration charged to execute the federal for- 

 est law is the Federal Inspectorate of Forests, forming a 

 part of the Swiss federal department of the interior. Near- 

 ly all the cantons have for their territories a forest admin- 

 istration. In the small states one single technical official 

 is at the head of the service, but in the larger cantons the 

 administration is under the direction of one or more chief 

 forest inspectors or chiefs of the service and of several dis- 

 trict foresters or forest inspectors. An inferior personnel 

 instructed in courses lasting two months is attached to 

 this technical personnel and is organized to execute the 

 work of forest economy. 



A few cities or towns with extended and important 

 forests have also a self forest administration, at the head 

 of which is a person of technical forest training. Among 



