16 



condition of the land, had left it a waste almost beyond recovery. 

 Many laws had been passed from time to time to stop the forest havoc, 

 but without real effect till 1865. In that year the Government, per- 

 suaded by the forestry association, began to offer help to landowners 

 who would undertake forest planting. Taxes were remitted for 

 periods of years, technical advice was given, and plant material as 

 Avell as money was supplied. Further laws were found necessary in 

 1882 and 1887 to meet the objections of stockmen. At the present 

 time over 400,000 acres, or two-thirds of the Karst, have been brought 

 under forest, in part by planting, at a cost of from $8 to $10 an acre, 

 in part by protection and the natural recuperation so made possible. 



This work has been carried on under the direction of the " forest 

 protective service," which was first created for Tyrol in 1856 as a 

 result of floods in the Tyrolese Alps in 1851 and was later (1871- 

 1874) extended to the rest of the Empire. This Service, which is dis- 

 tinct from the State forest administration, has also been especially 

 helpful in encouraging private forestry. Though at first regarded 

 with hostility, it is now held in high regard on the strength of the 

 work it has done and is doing. 



Harmony of interest between the State and private forest owners, 

 which the whole Austrian forest policy favors, is notably secured by 

 the encouragement of the wood export trade through such provisions 

 as reduced freight rates, the absence of export duties, and moderate 

 forest taxation. 



A " reboisement '' or reforestation law, based on that of France, 

 was passed in 1884, to control torrents. This law carries an annual 

 appropriation of $100,000, and the planting work, like that on the 

 lands of the Karst, is carried on under the direction of the '' protect- 

 ive service." For the regulation of the lower rivers $1,350,000 was 

 appropriated at the same time, and of this sum $400,000 has been 

 successfully expended on reforestation. 



HUNGARY. 



Hungary has 23,000,000 acres of forest, of which the State owns 

 16 per cent; corporations, 20 per cent; churches, cloisters, and other 

 institutions, 7.6 per cent; and private persons the remainder. From 

 $10,000,000 to $12,000,000 worth of wood is annually exported. 



About half of all the Hungarian forests are under working plans, 

 by which the cut is regulated so as to provide for a sustained yield, 

 and the present annual cut of 1,000,000,000 cubic feet is believed to 

 be considerably less than the wood actually produced. The State 

 forests yield $600,000 net annual revenue. 



The management of all corporation and protection forests has been 

 supervised by the Government since 1879, and all so-called " absolute 



[Cir. 140] 



