22 TUNISIA 



francs ($77.20); forest houses, 14,500 francs ($2798.50). This 

 is a total of 105,578.54 francs ($20,376.66). Intensiveness of 

 administration is especially apparent in the cork-oak region, in 

 marked contrast to the extensive management in the central 

 plateau. There the average, under a head ranger and three 

 guards, is 70,362 hectares (173,864 acres) at a total cost of 

 about 10,000 francs ($1930). At the Djerid oases the revenue 

 is also nil with heavy expenses for protecting valuable private 

 property (the date-palm oases). 



Legislation. There is jio definite forest code, as in Algeria, 

 but within the past 13 years special forest decrees have been 

 signed by the Bey which apply to wooded federal land. The 

 essential details of this recent legislation are summarized: 



A commission 3 was appointed to settle all boundary questions 

 and to fix more definitely the boundaries of bordering holdings 

 in the presence of those interested. A later decree 4 contained 

 protective measures as follows: No lighting of fires from May i 

 to November 15 in the interior or within 200 metres (218 yards) 

 of public or private forests, even for burning charcoal or the 

 extraction of tar or distillation of resin, but the director may 

 authorize an exemption from this rule if there is no fire danger 

 during May, October, or November. It is forbidden to set 

 fire for any reason whatever to forests, brush, grass, or woods 

 between May i and November 15 and during the rest of the 

 year those burning any vegetation are responsible for any damage 

 and must give eight days' notice to adjoining owners. 5 



For six years after a forest is burned over grazing is forbidden 

 and the following fines are imposed in case of trespass: hog, 

 sheep, or calf, i franc ($0.193); cow, steer, goat, or horse, 2 

 francs ($0.386); camel, 5 francs ($0.965). These rates are 

 doubled if the trespass on a burned area is committed at night. 



Steam railways or steam trams are required to keep their 



3 Decree of July 22, 1903. 



4 Decree of July 26, 1903. 



6 This rule was found to be too severe and was modified on July 27, 1911, 

 to permit burning stubble from August 16 to November 15 after making a 15- 

 \ metre (16 yards) fire line around area, after notifying the local magistrate and 

 I the bordering owners of the approximate date of burning at least 15 days in advance. 



