302 Spain. 
upon graduation and four years’ service in the forest 
department as assistants, besides the performance of 
some meritorious work. The school stands in close re- 
lation to the department service. 
The first work of the new administration was a gen- 
eral forest survey to ascertain conditions, and especially 
to determine which of the public forests, under the laws 
of 1855 and 1859, it was desirable to retain. The in- 
vestigation showed that there was more forest (defined 
as in the above classification) than had been supposed, 
but that it was in even worse condition than had been 
known. The public forests, i. e., those owned by the State, 
the communities and public institutions, were divided 
into three classes according to the species by which 
formed, which was the easiest way of determining their 
location as regards altitude, and their public value; 
namely, the coniferous forest and deciduous oak and 
chestnut forests, which were declared inalienable; the 
forests of ash, alder, willow, etc., naturally located in 
the lower levels, therefore without interest to the state, 
which were declared salable; and an intermediate third 
class composed of cork oak and evergreen oak, whose 
status as to propriety of sale was left in doubt. In 1862 
a revision of this classification left out his doubtful 
class, adding it and the forest areas of the first class 
which were not at least 250 acres in extent to the salable 
property. The first class, which was to be reserved, was 
found to comprise nearly 17 million acres (of which 1.2 
million was owned by the State), while the salable 
property was found to be about half that area. 
Ever since, a constant wrangle and commotion has 
been kept up regarding the classification, and repeated 
