CHAPTER II 

 TUNISIA 



Introduction (p. lo), General Conditions, Topography, Winds, Temperature, 

 Humidity, Rainfall. 



Forest Conditions (p. 14), Forests, Forest Industries, Progress in Forestry. 



Administrative Organization and Legislation (p. 18), Forest Service Organiza- 

 tion, Extensiveness of Administration, Legislation. 



Forest Management (p. 23), Forest Regulation, Silvicultural Systems, 

 Grazing. 



Protection against Fires and Moving Sand (p. 26), Fires, Protection of Cork- 

 oak Forests, Problems in Protection, Fire Lines, Location, Width, Clear- 

 ance, Contract Conditions, Dune and Oasis Protection, Oases Protection, Sand 

 Drifting from a Distance, Sand Drifting from Local Overgrazing, Erosion. 



Forestation and Betterments (p. 41), Government Forestation Policy, Seed 

 Spots, Stock, Spacing, Field Technique, Nursery Methods, Failures, Im- 

 provements. 



INTRODUCTION 



General Conditions. — Any examination of forests or forestry 

 in the French protectorate of Tunisia would be incomplete 

 without a brief preliminary glance at the topography of the 

 country and its climatic peculiarities. Only through a knowl- 

 edge of geographic features of temperature, humidity, winds, 

 and rainfall can one fully comprehend the nature of Tunisia's 

 forest problems and the progress of local foresters in coping 

 with them. Tunisia is bounded on the north and east by the 

 Mediterranean sea, on the south by TripoU, the Italian Colony; 

 on the west by the Algerian province, Constantine. (Fig. 2.) 

 This territory is situated between 32 degrees and 37 degrees 

 north latitude and 5 degrees and 9 degrees of east longitude 

 and comprises approximately 130,000 square kilometres (50,000 

 square miles). 



Topography. — Tunisia is cut by three chief mountain 

 chains:^ Khroumirie and Mogod, in the north; high plateau 



1 The statistics given are taken from the Official Indicateur Tunisien, 191 2. 



