The Forester. 



Vol. V. 



JUNE, 1899. 



No. 6. 



The World-famed Forest of Vallombrosa. 



[Seat of the Royal Italian Forestry Institute.] 



With Illustrations from Photographs forwarded from Europe especially for 



The Forester. 



BY THE FOUNDER OF 



One of the most attractive places in 

 Europe is Vallombrosa. Every traveler 

 in Italy should not fail to visit it. No 

 matter what his profession he will find 

 something of interest. All admire the 

 beautiful views and the forests and enjoy 

 the fresh, dust-free mountain air and 

 pure spring water, far above the bells 

 and yells and smells of Italian cities. 



The word Vallombrosa itself means 

 " shady valley." "Thick as autumnal 

 leaves that strow the brooks in Vallom- 

 brosa, where the Etrurian shades high 

 overarched embower," savs Milton, who 

 visited this lovely spot before he lost his 

 sight. 



Such a place in Italy, where the forests 

 have been recklessly wasted, where al- 

 most every tree is lopped and pollarded 

 and where the mountains are bare, the 

 streams dry at times, at others rushing, 

 raging torrents, is certainly refreshing. 



Vallombrosa was formerly one of the 

 richest and most famous of the monas- 

 teries of Europe, and is now of special 

 interest to foresters because the only 

 forestry school in Italy is located here. 

 It may be easily visited from Florence. 

 At S. Ellero, a short distance up the 

 Arno, on the main line to Rome, the 

 traveler must change cars. High on the 

 mountain top in the distance Vallom- 

 brosa is partly visible, as a mass of dark 



THE FORESTER." 



green foliage surrounded by bare moun- 

 tain sides. The little train, consisting 

 of one car and a small locomotive, as- 

 cends by means of a cog-wheel working 

 in a toothed middle rail. The engine 

 was built in Philadelphia and the car in 

 Belgium, although the latter was fin- 

 ished in American pine. 



The train passes through many welJ- 

 kept olive groves and vineyards, the 

 scenery being very beautiful. The fruit 

 trees were in full bloom (April 5) and 

 the olives were a rich, silvery color. 

 Women dressed in bright-colored cos- 

 tumes were working in the soil, the men 

 were lopping the trees, to which the 

 vines are tied with willow withes. Others 

 were ploughing the rich, brown earth 

 with teams of large, pure white oxen. 



Trees in Italy are planted for vine 

 props. The clippings the)' yield serve 

 for fuel and the leaves are used for fod- 

 der. The twigs take the place of twine. 

 Italian agriculture is partly arboricul- 

 ture. Almost every field yields grapes, 

 nuts, figs, olives, wood, fodder and grain. 



We passed through a coppice of chest- 

 nut and oak with large mother trees on 

 the steep mountain side. The ground 

 was carpeted with broom, gorse and 

 many other wild flowers, among which 

 we could hear the busy honey bees hum- 

 ming. The woods were filled with song 



