2 TIMBER 
soil and climate. Gradually man and _ civilization 
advanced and reckless attrition of these forests took 
place, by fires to clear the land for agricultural pur- 
poses, by unnecessary extravagance in supplying 
domestic requirements and other ways. This prodigal 
waste was rampant wherever civilization progressed, 
and gradually such tracts of country became denuded. 
This extinction of the forests which had protected the 
land led, especially in tropical countries, to radical 
alterations in the water supplies, to changes in the 
climate, to great erosion of land and, finally, to a 
transformation in the sylvan character of the country. 
The position at the present time is that many coun- 
tries are more or less devoid of timber, others by careful 
afforestation have kept up a moderate supply, while 
in several more, mostly undeveloped or which are in 
course of development by civilization, the reckless 
waste and non-provision for the future, as carried on 
in bygone times, is still more or less prevalent. 
Statistics of the forest areas of many parts of the 
world at the present time can only be vaguely 
estimated. Those relating to Europe may however be 
taken as approximately correct, and Sir William 
Schlick estimated that in 1901 over 758,000,000 acres 
of land in Europe were more or less afforested, the 
figures giving a proportion of 31 per cent. of the total 
area, and to the population 2 acres per head. The 
full figures in regard to the different countries in Europe 
are interesting and from the above author’s Manual 
of Forestry the following details are quoted— 
Russia has 516,000,000 acres afforested * per cent. of the total 
Sweden 5a 48, 000, 000 ,, Pe ai ss 5 
A.-Hungary ,, 46, 410, 000 ,, i 30 ” ” ” 
France “ 23'530,000 a sy 18 id i" ss 
Spain * 20;960;000 7 A MES ch Ag us 
Germany » 34,490,000 _,, “9 26 a ei ‘ 
Norway » 17,000,000 _,, i 21 ee te a 
