1 88 FORESTRY IN ITALY. 



with a view to obtain timber for civil and public works. From this we see 

 that there are two classes of forest keepers; that is, governinent brigadiers 

 and overseers for the aforesaid crown woods, and provincial brigadiers and 

 overseers for the (aforesaid) other woods, subject to the forest laws, whatever 

 their ownership, provided that any proprietor is at liberty to have especial 

 guards for the better preservation of his woods, in which case the prefect of 

 the province, at the request of the persons interested, approves the nomina- 

 tion of such private keepers. The chief direction of the service of woods 

 and forests is reserved for the minister of agriculture, who has moreover a 

 council, of which three chief inspectors form a part, whom the minister 

 sends into the departments either for reasons pertaining to the personnel of 

 the service or for other interests of the same. 



AREA OF FORESTS. 



The areas of the forests in the province of Naples amount to 10,870.9008 

 hectares, of w^ich 8,476.5423 are subject to the forest laws or regulations, 

 and 2,394.3585 free. Of those subject to the forest regulations 340.1136 

 belong to the crown, 1,820.6140 to corporations and communities, and 

 6,305.8147 to private owners. Of those woods left for free cultivation 

 75.6600 are crown lands, 76.5540 belong to corporations and other com- 

 munities, and 2,242.1445 to private owners. 



The privileges and rights of use and service which weigh upon the various 

 communal woods in favor of the rural population of this district consists in 

 the feeding of cattle, the gathering of dead wood, of wild fruits and herbs. 

 However, at the expiration of the present forest law they will be freed from 

 such obligations by means of a compensation derived from the last preceding 

 fall of timber. Goats, however, are rigorously excluded from woods, and can 

 only be allowed to feed in uncultivated spots, or those clothed with useless 

 shrubs, or whenever they cannot possibly do any mischief. 



FOREST ADMINISTRATION. 



The offices of the inspectors of departments are generally established in 

 the chief towns of the province. They consist of an inspector and a sub- 

 inspector of the same district, who can take the place of the inspector in his 

 absence ; of another sub-inspector, with the duties of secretary, and often of 

 one or more sub-inspectors, or pupils, recently from the government college 

 of woods and forests at Valiombrosa, in order that they may learn the prac- 

 tical management of affairs. The inspectors direct the sub-inspectors in all 

 their work, and give them orders tending to improve the service. They also 

 accomplish annually the circuit of the departments, visiting the offices of the 

 sub-inspectors, making recognizances of affairs important to the service; and 

 they assist at the sittings of the committee when they do not think it fit to 

 delegate the sub-inspector of the chief town where the said sitting is held. 

 They fix the place of residence of the movable offices and of the government 



