256 FORESTRY IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 



4. To fulfil such obligations as may be imposed upon them by special laws 

 or regulations. 



5. They may be commissioned by the political authorities to make inde- 

 pendent local investigations in matters relating to their functions. 



Under this law detailed instructions are issued by which the actions of the 

 forest commissioners are governed. 



SUBSIDIARY ORGANS. 



1. In 1873 a provincial board of agriculture (JandesculteratK) was created 

 for the promotion of the interests of agriculture, and a section thereof is de- 

 voted to forestry. This section has already rendered some material services 

 to forest culture in Bohemia. It has promoted the establishment of district 

 nurseries of forest trees, twenty-three of which are in the enjoyment of sub- 

 sidies and three are entirely in charge of the board of agriculture. Seeds and 

 seedlings are annually distributed to small proprietors of forests and to com- 

 munes, on the average about four millions of young trees and 400 kilograms 

 of seed. Courses of lectures on forestry have been provided and held in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country at the expense of the board. 



The board of agriculture is authorized to submit to the government 

 drafts of laws bearing on forestry, and to transmit petitions touching the 

 same subject. In its memorial of January 31, 1885, it declared in favor of 

 import duties on timber, which proposition, however, did not prevail. The 

 board encourages the planting of bare hillsides and mountains with forest 

 trees; also the culture of willows for the use of basket factories, for which 

 purpose also a large number of young plants is yearly distributed among the 

 agricultural societies in the country. 



2. The association of Bohemian foresters {der Boehmische forstverehi) 

 was organized thirty-eight years ago, and has contributed its share toward 

 the promotion of forest culture. The seat of the association is at Prague, 

 but its annual meetings are held at different places, and connected with ex- 

 cursions into forests. The reports of the meetings and excursions are 

 printed in the periodical publication of the association, which appears bi- 

 monthly, in pamphlet form, in the German and Bohemian languages. 



The association submits opinions and propositions in matters of forestry 

 to the authorities, and participates by invitation in the appointment of the 

 state commission for examinations in forestry, which takes place once a year. 

 It initiated in 1875 the practice of distributing forest seed and seedlings to 

 small proprietors and poor communes, for which purpose the large domains 

 have annually made, through the efforts of the association, large contributions. 



The association has over 1,700 members, and a yearly budget of about 

 20,000 florins. 



The whole area of government domains in Austria is 1,037,470 hectares, 

 divided as follows : 



Hectares. 



Forest lands 669,218 



Agricultural lands 61,921 



Unproductive lands 306,331 



