306 Mediterranean Peninsulas. 
time the best managed forest; the southern, the richest 
in farm lands, with semi-tropic climate and flora. 
The entire forest area is only 640,000 acres or 3 per 
cent. of the land area. By including brushwood this 
may be increased to a million acres. Of the forest area 
80 per cent. is coniferous (Pinus pinaster and pinea), 
and 20 per cent. cork oak and other oaks, mixed with 
chestnut. An export of 5 million dollars worth of 
cork is the best developed industry, besides a consider- 
able naval store production. The oak forest is largely 
used for hog raising. 
The State property comprises only 80,000 acres, and 
this includes over 30,000 acres of sand dunes in process 
of recovery. The first attempt at management of this 
property dates from 1868; a regular organization, how- 
ever, did not take place until 1872, when, under the 
Director-General of Commerce and Industries, a forest 
administrator with a technical staff of three division 
chiefs, corresponding to the three sections of country, 
and six forestmasters were installed. 
The only really well managed forest, the pride of the 
Portuguese foresters, is the forest of Leiria in Estre- 
madura, a planted pinery of about 25,000 acres, with 
naval store distilleries, impregnating works, and saw 
mills. 
Besides attending to the management of the State 
forests, a committee composed of the administrator and 
some of the technical staff, were to examine the country 
and decide what parts needed reforestation. As a result 
of a very full report, in 1882, a reboisement law was en- 
acted under which some of the sand dunes were fixed. 
In 1903 a more thorough organization of this work 
