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M. £ s. d. The income in 1884 from Government forests was... 4,361,500 = 181,729 3 4 Expenses ... 1,615,885 = 67,328 10 10 Net income ... 2,745,615 = 114,400 12 6 Austria. Area of State forests, 952,689-96 hectares = 2,281,729-96 acres. Florins. £ s. d. Eevenue ... ... ... ... ... 3,951,650 = 329,304 3 6 Expenses ... ... 3,546,240 = 295,520 0 0 Net profit ... ... ... 405,410= 33,784 3 6 Italy. Area of forests, 10,270,467 acres, comprising— Acres. State forests ... ... ... ... ... ••• 425,835 Communal, Corporation, and private forests ... ... ... 9,844,632 10,270,467 Of the State forests, 145,393 acres are inalienable, and 280,442 acres alienable. The revenue from inalienable forests is $46,320, and from alienable, $156,231: total, $202,551 = £42,198 2s. The expenditure is about $510,285, of which the Government pays $165,600, and the Communes, &c, $344,685 = £67,809 7s. 6d. In Italy, therefore, the forests cost more than they yield by £25,615. Switzerland (1885.) Total area of forests, 785,374 hectares = about 1,963,435 acres. Of these are— Hectares. Acres. State forests ... ... ... 32,995= 82,487 i = 4-20 per cent. Communal forests 520,183 = 1,300,457 i = 266-23 per cent. Private forests ... ... ... 232,196= 580,490 = 29-47 per cent. 785,374 = 1,963,435 The Swiss Confederation does not hold directly any of the forests, and hence derives no revenue from these sources. It, however, undertakes the administration of forests laws in certain districts, but in most entrusts the enactment and administration of their own laws and regulations to State or other local authorities. The Cantons hold but a very small proportion of the forests, the rest being the property of Communes, Corporations, or private persons. It is estimated that the amount of timber which can be taken annually from the Swiss forests, with due regard to their efficient maintenance, is 2,759,000 cubic metres. Cubic Metres. From State forests ... ... ... ... ... ••• 156,000 Communal and Corporation ... ... ... ... ... 1,859,000 Private forests ... ... ... ••■ ... ••■ 744,000 2,759,000 The amount of timber which it is allowed to remove from the forests per hectare, or for every 10,000 square metres, is 4-75 cubic metres. Of the total output, 40 per cent, is for lumber, and 60 per cent, for fuel. The first has an average value of 16 francs (about 12s. Bd.) per cubic metre, and the latter 9-25 francs. The total value of forest produce is 33,179,000 francs (about £1,314,019 165.) at 11-92 francs (9s. 5d.) per cubic metre, giving 42-13 francs (£1 13s. 5d.) per hectare (2| acres). The income from the State forests in the Canton of Berne, with a ground valuation of 13,500,000 francs (£534,653 9s. 4d.) is 700,000 francs. From this sum, however, must be deducted harvest expenses, 136,000 francs; supervision, 35,000 francs ; cultivation, 21,000 francs ; roads, &c, 28,000 francs; taxes to State and Communes, 86,000 francs; administration, 55,000 francs : total, 361,000 francs. The net income is therefore 339,000 francs (about £13,425 4s. lid.). Forest Protection. —The destruction of forests is well safeguarded by the Federal law passed in March, 1876, though even before that date most of the cantons had in force rigid State enactments against any dangerous clearing of the forests. As a rule, any person, Commune, or Corporation wishing to make a clearing must obtain the consent of the forest director, or if the proposed clearing is included wholly or in part within a Federal forest, the assent of the proper Federal authority. Permission to make a clearing is only given on condition that the person or corporation obtaining it undertakes either to replant the area with shoots, or to pay a sum sufficient to cover the cost of having this done. Swiss Imports and Exports. — lmports. Metres Cent. Francs. Firewood 965,750 2,414,375 Undressed lumber 212,816 851,264 Dressed lumber 351,996 2,500,341 Charcoal 56,010 504,090 1,586,572 6,270,070