THE CONIFEROUS FORESTS 237 



Of course, many desolate, treeless valleys are to 

 be found in the Alps. Here the forests have either 

 been entirely destroyed by human agency, or there 

 may be some other special reason, such as a 

 particularly sunless aspect or configuration, or the 

 fact that in winter the valley is the track of frequent 

 avalanches, or that the soil is barren or absent. 



Forests were at one time very much more 

 extensive in Switzerland, as a whole, than they are 

 to-day. How greatly they have been destroyed can 

 be appreciated by a study of some of the older Swiss 

 maps. Many localities, which are there indicated as 

 thickly forested, are almost treeless to-day, or perhaps 

 only a group of Spruces or Larches survives. The 

 same is also the case in England, which in the Middle 

 Ages was a highly wooded country. 



In 1862, according to official estimates, quoted by 

 Dr Christ, the forest area comprised only 15*4 per 

 cent, of the whole of Switzerland. It was estimated 

 that the country consisted of: 



Barren land . '.: + . 31*6 per cent. 



(including snowflelds, 

 glaciers, etc.) 



Pastures .... 33'0 

 Arable land . . . "' . ' 20*0 



Forest . 15*4 



lOO'O 



The percentage of forested land in Switzerland was 

 then less than half that met with in the Jura. No 

 doubt at the present day the percentage is still 

 smaller. 



