Forest Conditions. 299 
acres or 20 per cent. of the land area (196,000 square 
miles) ; in 1885 the acreage had been reduced to about 
17.5 million acres; and, in 1900, to about 16 million, 
or 13 per cent. of the land area remained as public for- 
est, and the total was estimated at somewhat over 20 
million acres 
The following peculiar classification, published in 
1874, gives (in round figures) at once an insight into 
the meaning of montes, and the probable condition of 
the “public forest” area: 
Acres. 
State Reserves 865,000 
Salable State Property 4,550,000 
Public Institute Forest 20,000 
Communal Forest 9,860,000 
Open Commons for Wood and Pasture 1,880,000 
Common Pasture for Draft Animals 425,000 
Total 17,600,000 
An estimate of the actual forest (timber and 
coppice), does not exceed 12 million acres for a popu- 
lation of 17.5 million, or .7 acres per capita. Yet in 
spite of this evident lack of wood material, except for 
firewood or charcoal, the importations in 1903 did not 
exceed 13.5 million dollars, accentuating the absence of 
industrial development. The official statement of im- 
ports reports 6.5 million dollars more than the above 
figure, but this includes horses and cattle enumerated 
as forest products. These also figure in the exporta- 
tions of 15 million dollars, which to the extent of one- 
half consists of cork (some 5 million dollars from 
630,000 acres) and tanbark, while chestnuts, filberts 
and esparto furnish the balance. 
