158 CORSICA 



A visitor's record is maintained to guard against any abuse 

 in the renting of quarters. This includes name, rank, address, 

 signature, date of arrival and departure, with a column en- 

 titled ''remarks" for a record of articles broken or damaged. 



These houses are usually exceedingly well located with south- 

 ern exposures, are provided with an excellent water system, 

 and are conveniently placed with regard to .the work, particu- 

 larly with a view to watching the removal of timber along main 

 outlets. Yet the Papaja house in the Valdoniello forest, within 

 9.1 metres (30 feet) of the main road, has been found to be too 

 close for comfort. 



According to the conservator's report for 191 1 the houses 

 are generally well maintained,*"^ except when the guards' wives 

 are away, but the gardens are often allowed to run down. 



Roads and Trails. — The roads and trails are usually main- 

 tained in good condition, but their location leaves something 

 to be desired. A forest road, it seems, should be laid out in 

 the first place to facilitate logging, rather than as a means of 

 egress to another valley for the general public. Again, an 

 expensive trail, .merely to di\'ide one block from another, 

 even if it is convenient for patrol, should be subordinated to 

 logging trails of permanent value. 



Frequently the grade of both roads and trails is too easy; 

 an 8 per cent trail 5 miles long is certainly less desirable than a 

 12 per cent trail with only 4 miles to walk. The same prin- 

 ciple appHes to roads with interminable windings. 



The standard width for foot paths is i metre (i.i yards) 

 and for mule trails the same width, but with a widening to 

 1.3 metres (1.4 yards) on the turns. A path i metre (i.i yards) 

 wide on easy ground costs by contract 0.40 to 0.50 franc ($0.08 to 

 $0.10) per running metre, but if by day labor the cost with 

 supervision runs up to 2 ($0.39) and even 3 francs ($0.58). For 

 trail in rocky difficult ground the contract price is 2 to 2.50 

 francs ($0.39 to $0.48). 



*^ The maintenance is easy because they are constructed of stone; they have 

 cost from 9842 to 35,930 francs ($1899.51 to $6934.50), according to the space 

 provided. 



