FORESTRY IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 249 



in times past caused desolation in many a lovely valley. In fact it is but 

 a few years since railway communication between Trieste and Vienna was 

 for several days interrupted near Steinbriick from this cause. 



3. Those on the borders of rivers. The immense fall of the Isonzo, 

 Save, Drave and Murr, with their branches from their sources in the Alps to 

 the plains, gives them a rapidity and force that the strongest and best bar- 

 riers of stone-work, constructed by the ablest engineers, can hardly with- 

 stand, and the fields and meadows through which they rush are every spring 

 in danger of being washed away. Whenever a communal forest borders on 

 these rivers its maintenance is held to be of especial importance. In all 

 these forests, therefore, not a tree can be felled without the consent of the 

 state foresters. No animals are allowed to pasture, and the greatest precau- 

 tions are taken to guard against fire. 



In the provinces within the limits of this consular district are the follow- 

 ing named forest departments, each with its own bureau: (i) Trieste, Gorizia, 

 and Istria; (2) Carniola; (3) Carinthia; (4) South Tyrol; (5) Dalmatia. 



As the bureaus have the same organization, to describe one is to describe all : 



1 . At the head of this department and residing in Trieste is Hermann Rit- 

 ter von Guttenberg. He is "imperial-royal-state-forest-inspector," "forest 

 councilor" in the council of the governor of the three united provinces, 

 Trieste, Gorizia, and Istria, and " head-forestmaster. " Perhaps he has other 

 equally expressive titles, but these are doubtless sufficient. 



The salaries attached to the offices vary in different departments from 3,000 

 to 4,000 florins. Of course, he has the general direction of all matters per- 

 taining to the forests throughout his district. By him all general orders are 

 issued, and to him all reports are made; in. short, he is responsible for the 

 entire administration of the forest laws. 



2. The department is divided into districts, containing from 2,000 to 

 6,000 hectares of forest each, according to circumstances. At the head of 

 each district is a " forestmaster, " or inspector, with salary from 2,000 to 

 4,000 florins, free quarters and fuel, and from 300 to 500 florins for traveling 

 expenses. Their duties are the general superintendence over the full execu- 



' tion of the forest laws and regulations. 



3. The districts are subdivided into what may be called "ranges," each 

 under the charge of a "head-forester" {pberforstef) or a "forester," with 

 annual salaries ranging for the first from 1,100 to 1,300 florins and for the 

 second from 900 to 1,000 florins. They superintend the felling, planting, 

 delivery of wood and lumber, and control the subordinate employes, rangers, 

 guards, &c. 



All these officials have studied forestry scientifically and passed an exam- 

 ination at th& forsUkule at Vienna. 



Forestry is their profession, and the possibility of rising in position and 

 emolument is a constant incentive to an active and faithful performance of 



duty. 



Two or three lawyers of reputation are attached to each bureau to take 

 cognizance of the many legal questions that arise between the forest function- 



