6 THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH FORESTRY 



sheep, goats, and other domestic animals, in the great 

 forests of Northern Europe, has also assisted in forest 

 preservation until recent years, when excessive felling 

 for export purposes may have nullified this and other 

 natural advantages. 



Applying the above statements and generalities to 

 individual countries, one is able to connect them more or 

 less closely with the present forest areas found in different 

 states. The early civilisation of Greece and Italy, and the 

 commercial development of Spain and Portugal, have left 

 their mark in reduced and attenuated forests, treeless 

 plains, and a general deficiency in forest production as 

 compared with countries farther north. In the Balkan 

 States mountain ranges have preserved large forest areas 

 still, but lack of systematic management is doing much to 

 destroy them. Parts of Hungary are comparatively 

 destitute of forests where grazing on the plains has gone 

 on in the past unchecked, Avhile the mountains to the 

 south and east are still heavily timbered. In France and 

 Germany such mountain and hill ranges as the Pyrenees, 

 Vosges, Black Forest, Harz Mountains, Thuringerwald, and 

 various others still show a heavily wooded surface, while 

 the intervening plains and valleys have been devoted 

 more to agriculture and other industries. Still more 

 prominent in this respect is the great Alpine mass of 

 mountains having its centre in Switzerland, and occu- 

 pying portions of Bavaria, Austria and Italy. On 

 the great plain which stretches across North Germany 

 from the North Sea to Poland, natural forests are scarce 

 south of the 55th decree of latitude, while north of this the 

 influence of a colder winter climate begins to assert its in- 

 fluence. The influence of climates with mild winters upon 

 forest destruction is, perhaps, more clearly seen when the 

 countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, 

 and North Sea are considered in comparison with the 



