224 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Maz., 1900 
In a paper read before the National Geographic Society, at Washingt? 
by Mr. B. E. Fernow, the writer, alluding to the destruction of timber 0% 
hill-sides, says :—“ Man has by this action handed over the naked soil 
action of wind and water. He has accomplished ruin to himself, and tt 
the slopes back into inhospitable deserts. ‘The waters in torrents have brow 
down the soil and débris, covering out of sight the fertile fields of thou 
of toiling farmers in France. By the irrational destruction of the forests 
for the supply of timber, then through the careless use of fire, by the cae 
for unsuitable farm use, by excessive grazing of sheep and goat, the mount 
sides themselves are not only devastated and made useless, but fertile ee 
200 miles from the source of evil are ruined by the deposits of the débri 
the population pauperised and driven from their homes.” tl 
All practical foresters are aware that the above statements are absolu | 
correct, and that millions are being spent in France and other countries! f- 
order to re-afforest such denuded areas. sfecli 
Where forests are necessary to produce climatic and mechanical “a if 
. . . a wise Administration will take measures to assure the maintena 
a certain proportion of the country under forest. This can be done, cine | 
maintaining or constituting a certain area of State forests, or by exer 
a certain amount of control over corporation and private forests. 4) 
most civilised countries corporation forests are under the control of wel | 
State. Private forests are free from control in Australia, in the Um fy 
States, and in some countries of Europe. In Germany 33 per Cele 4 | 
the forests are State property, corporations claim 19 per cent., and Pee | 
persons 48 per cent. In Switzerland 4: per cent. are State forests, 67 pet & the | 
corporation, and 29 per cent. private forests. In Sweden 20 per cent. ° stlf | 
forests are State property, and in Norway 12 per cent. ; the remainder is ™? ig 
in private hands. its | 
In Sicily the Government takes the whole of the wooded country und® ab 
protection. ‘Chere are what are called communal forests, as well as private VW? ate | 
The Forestry Department has the right to place any forest communal or Peet 
under the protection of whatis called lo vincolo forestale, which means thatn?™ . | 
the communal authorities nor the private owner can fell a single stick of Ne : 
until permission is given by the Government. If it should appear t# the 
removal of timber is inimical to the public health, or to the welfare © 
community in any way, the veto is at once placed on timber-getting. Now he 
of the principal sources of revenue—indeed, the principal source—°" of | 
commune is derived from the sale of forest produce, and from the rents rece! he 
for grazing areas. Acorns form no fteanittnal portion of the revenue: f 
revenue accruing from grazing rights is even greater than that derived oo | 
other sources on forest lands. In most communes (or, as we should call ¥i, | 
here, “ divisions,” managed by the divisional boards) the inhabitants have js 
right to enter the forests and obtain firewood and such other timber z ts | 
necessary for communal works. Poor and wretched as the grass in these 1° 
would seem to Australians, yet the grazing rights bring in large revenue’: | 
We take as an example an estate midway between Messina and Catan ¢ | 
the foot of Mount Altna. This property belongs to the great banking bee lf 
Baring Bros., in England. The land is oceupied by four mountains, and "| | 
area of 12,000 acres. It is planted with oaks of two kinds, walnuts oli 
sycamores. Hormerly the walnut was used for making the felloes of wot | 
and the latter were in consequence very expensive and heavy. It was fo ois | 
however, that the sycamore was admirably adapted for the purposes ; 
lighter, more easily worked, and consequently less expensive. The Mani’ for | 
(Ormus Europea, or Buropean Flowering or Manna Ash) is mainly US jy | 
spokes. The former timber is employed largely for railway sleepers, whit jon | 
sold at 5s. each. This fact is worth noting. Our railway sleepers are 7 feel \ | 
10 inches wide, and 5 inches thick, and measure by volume 22 cubic Fook ish 1 
y HP 
2s. per cubic foot, enormous revenue could be derived from our Aus 
forests. In 1898, 205,337 sleepers were sent from Western Australia 
