8 FORESTRY OF JAPAN. 



Household. Against these forests, applications were made- 

 later on for their transference to their original owners and this 

 was acceded to, so that these forests changed their owners. 

 The similar changes took place in the State forests also for 

 the same reason. It will take a considerable length of time 

 before the area of forests is definitely fixed. The examination 

 of the changes in the areas of the Imperial forests during the 

 space of 1 6 years from 1892 to 1907 shows that in cases of the 

 increase of areas they were owing largely to the rectification 

 resulting from the new survey while in cases of the decrease 

 of areas they were due in most cases to the disposal and 

 transference as mentioned above, and on the whole the area 

 of the Imperial forests shows, as a result of these changes, a 

 decrease of over 1,317,337 cho. 



The Imperial forests may be divided into hereditary and 

 ordinary possessions, the former is composed by those forests 

 which bearing all perfect sylvan features and the extent of 

 the proper area where an independent working circle is 

 established and the forest economy may be maintaind. These 

 forests are subject to changes in conformity to the Code of 

 the Imperial Household. The change of the area was chiefly 

 found in the ordinary Imperial forests. The area at the end 

 of 1907 was 1,010,362 cho in case of the former, and 1,249,065 

 cho in the case of the latter. 



The changes in the area of the forests owned by the 

 public body, temples, shrines, and private individuals are more 

 frequent than in the case of the State and the Imperial 

 forests, since works connected with the former class are not 

 brought under the strict supervision and also to the easy 



