Silviculture in Hungary. 167 



as a check has been mostly employed in this work, which 

 is by no means as yet completed. 



To promote forest planting several nurseries have been 

 established by the government, from which around 10 

 million plants are anmiaUy distributed free of charge 

 and subventions for reforestation of wastes are also 

 granted annually. It is interesting to note in this con- 

 nection that more than 170,000 acres have been planted 

 to Black Locust, which is managed as coppice for vine- 

 yard stakes. 



In 1884 a special fund for the purchase of forest land 

 by the State was instituted by turning all moneys 

 received from eventual sales of forest land into that 

 fund. Another fund for forest improvement is accumu- 

 lated by placing four-fifths of all penalties collected for 

 forest trespasses into a separate account for that purpose. 

 These funds have not accumulated very fast, the forest 

 improvement fund in 1896 being only about $130,000. 



Similar to the Landes in France there exist in various 

 parts of Hungary extensive sand wastes and shifting 

 sands, partly caused by deforestation. Ever since 1788 

 legislation has attempted to secure a re-habilitation of 

 these waste areas, which cover in all some 600 square 

 miles. In 1817 a first systematic beginning was made 

 in the Banat on the "Alfold" of the Magyars under the 

 forest director Bachofen, similar to Bremontier's under- 

 taking in France. By 1843 the total plantations 

 amounted to about 13,000 acres and by 1869 some 

 30,000 acres had been reforested and parts of the planta- 

 tions had begun to yield profits. But even to-day there 

 are still large areas in a desert condition. 



A classic volume in German by Joseph WesseVy, Hun- 



