4| 



500 Foreign and Colonial Office Reports, [sept., J 



the fact that the peasants have acquired upwards of 14,800,000 acres 

 since 1873, which means 48*8 per cent, of the total area of the Kingdom 

 of Poland. Of this about 2,500,000 acres were purchased by the 

 Peasants' Bank, which charges b\ per cent, interest. In many cases, 

 however, peasants now prefer to deal direct with the land owners. 

 (F. O. Reports j Annual Series, No. 4,232.) 



Forestry in the New England States. — The Report on the Trade of 

 the Consular District of Boston (F.O. Reports, Annual Series, No. 

 4,266) contains information as to the recent steps for the conservation 

 of forests in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. A 

 considerable proportion of these States is under forest, and some efforts 

 are now being made to encourage planting, &c. 



The same subject is dealt with in the Report on Philadelphia (No. 

 4,255), where it is stated that during the last 10 years the study of 

 forestry has advanced in the United States, and the number of tech- 

 nically trained foresters has increased from about 10 or 11 to over 400. 

 Ten years ago there was not a single forestry school in the country, 

 whereas now there are several which rank with those in Germany, and 

 also about 20 of a more elementary type. Forest lands under the 

 management of State Governments have grown very greatly, and the 

 national forests under the Federal Government have increased from 

 39,000,000 acres, which formerly were practically unused and unpro- 

 tected, to 165,000,000 acres, now used, guarded and improved both in 

 productiveness and accessibility. 



The Pennsylvania Department of Forestry has during the past year 

 directed most of its attention and energy to acquiring new land, the 

 establishment of good nurseries and the promotion of re-afforestation 

 work. The State now holds as forest reserve land about 10 per cent, 

 of the forest area of the whole Commonwealth. The nursery area has 

 been increased to over 12 acres, and in another year the number of 

 seedlings will be more than doubled. There are at present in three 

 nurseries a total number of 2,250,000 seedlings, of which about 8 per 

 cent, are hard woods, the remainder being conifers, mostly white pine. 

 The reserves are being improved, and roads are being built in order 

 to make the land accessible. Special attention is paid to the control of 

 forest fires, and losses have been very greatly decreased thereby. 



Cattle Raising in Brazil. — The Report on the Trade of Porto Alegre 

 (F. O. Reports, Annual Series, No. 4,248) states that cattle raising 

 and the products derived from it undoubtedly form the principal in- 

 dustry of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, but so far, with few ex- 

 ceptions, there has been little or no attempt to carry it on in a scientific 

 and progressive manner. A few cattle breeders are beginning to intro- 

 duce pedigree animals into their herds, chiefly from Uruguay and 

 Argentina, but this is far from being common, and, generally speak- 

 ing, the cattle are poor, boney animals. The State Government, how- 

 ever, is endeavouring to promote the breeding of a better class of 

 cattle, and has instituted a stud book for pedigree animals, including 

 cattle, horses, pigs, &c. Cattle and agricultural shows, organised by 

 private societies, are occasionally held in the country, and one on a 

 larger scale is to be held shortly in Porto Alegre under the auspices 

 of the Government. 



Cattle of mixed breed already obtain a much better price than the 



