Property Conditions. 249 
the right of an increased cut for a stated number of years 
at a modified price, after which the grant was to cease. 
In 1900 there were still some 300,000 acres under such 
grants. 
No wonder that under these circumstances the value of 
the State forest property was in 1898 assessed at only 
$1.60 per acre; the net income being $1,680,753, or 
about 12 cents per acre; the expenditures for admin- 
istration, supervision and forest school amounting to 
$423,659, to which should be added an undetermined 
amount for the participation of the domain bureau, the 
agricultural department and provincial governments, all 
taking part in the forest administration. 
Many of the towns and country districts have received 
donations of forest areas from the Crown, which have 
been a considerable source of revenue to them. The 
parish of Orsa, e. g., realized from its forest property 
some 2.5 million dollars, and other similar results are 
recorded. 
These communal forests comprise somewhat over one 
million acres and are placed under management of 
local committees, with the governor of the province as 
chairman. The management consists in selling stump- 
age of all trees over 13 inches in diam. 5 feet above 
ground, to be cut by the purchaser under regulations. 
In the latter part of the 19th century, as the sawmill 
industry expanded, many mill firms acquired wood-cut- 
ting leases for 50 year terms, for prices which were often 
realized from the forest in the first winter. At present 
longer leases than for 20 years are prohibited by law. 
The diameter limit of 12 inches, 18 or 20 feet above 
ground, was usually the basis of the leases; and as the 
