56 ALGERIA 



and Oran, in High Plateau, and in southern Constantine, where 

 the soil is less fertile, the damage has been so great that there 

 is real danger of the forests disappearing. 



Extent of Forests. — The wooded area in Algeria, as has 

 been stated, is about 2,800,000 hectares (6,918,800 acres), of 

 which some 1,750,000 hectares (4,324,250 acres) are federal and 

 70,000 hectares (172,970 acres) communal. The area under 

 military control is about 350,000 to 400,000 hectares (864,850 

 to 988,400 acres). There are approximately 162,000 hectares 

 (400,302 acres) of private cork-oak forest, given in former con- 

 cessions; but there are no statistics in regard to the species on 

 private holdings. 



The 1,750,000 hectares (4,324,250 acres) of State forests com- 

 prise approximately the following area (in hectares) by species: 

 Cork oak, 240,000 (593,040 acres); zeen oak, etc., 40,000 to 

 50,000 (98,840 to 123,550 acres); kermes and holm oak, 400,000 

 to 500,000 (988,400 to 1,235,500 acres); aleppo pine, 600,000 

 to 700,000 (1,482,600 to 1,729,700 acres); cedar, 25,000 (61,775 

 acres); juniper and thuya, 100,000 to 150,000 (247,100 to 

 270,650 acres); miscellaneous species, such as poplar, elm, ash, 

 olive, maritime pine, etc., 15,000 to 20,000 (37,065 to 49,420 

 acres). The remainder of the area is open or mere brush land. 

 It must be admitted, moreover, that the greater part of the 

 existing forests are impoverished and that at least 1,200,000 

 hectares (2,965,200 acres) have been burned over one or more 

 times during the past 40 years. Not exactly a picture of well- 

 preserved forest wealth! 



Settlement Policy. — The colonization of agricultural land 

 is encouraged though it is not the policy to clear potential 

 forest land for agricultural purposes. Openings within state 

 forests may be leased, but not granted in fee simple, be- 

 cause theoretically they will some day be planted. The usual 

 annual lease rate is 15 francs per hectare, varying, of course, 

 with the quality of the soil. A settler outside the forest receives 

 free 20, 30, or 40 hectares (49, 74, or 88 acres) of land accord- 

 ing to its soil quality, but is not entitled to sell it until after 

 10 years' residence. Another method of disposing of public 



