Neighborhoods of Varna

Plantation has been, and unfortunately

still is, carried on in a very primitive fashion. However, in the neighborhoods

of Varna, Pravadia, Anchialo, Altos, Bourgas, Peschtera, and

elsewhere there are excellent plantations of a better class. The woods are

thick and in good condition, consisting of magnificent oaks, pines, and Picea

excelsa. The trees are tall, round, and smooth. These better kinds of trees are

rare in the other districts, or only to be found in small isolated groups. Good

thick forests have been preserved in outoftheway places difficult of access. No

doubt, when they are connected with the principal arteries of modem traffic

they will be the object of remunerative undertakings.

As to the quality of the kinds of wood, it

should be observed that it is superior to those of exotic growth. Bulgarian

timber is distinguished by its numerous annual rings, its bright colours, rich

structure, and relative flexibility. In a word, it possesses all the qualities

which make wood durable and useful for all kinds of purposes.

As regards climate and vegetation, Bulgaria

may be divided into four zones:

(1)          The

Warm Zone.—This zone is partly lowlying, partly as high as 400 metres above

sealevel. Formerly it was covered by vast forests. Their place is now occupied

by plains under cultivation. The soil is damp for a considerable depth. The

characteristic tree of the zone is the Quercus pedunculate, which is to be

found by itself or mixed with Ulmus,Acer cam pestre, Fraxinus, Carpinus and

Tilia. Quercus cerris flourishes in poor dry land.

(2)          The

Moderate Zone runs almost parallel above the first. The characteristic tree is

Quercus sessiliflora. The plantations are thick, the trees tall and well grown.

In the higher districts the beech is also to be found.

(3)          The

Cold Zone begins where beeches are to be found, and reaches an altitude of

1,300 metres above sealevel. The principal tree is the beech; indeed this zone

might be called the Beech Zone. Although the largest and most wooded of the

three, it is the least valuable; lying as it does in hilly districts, cut off

from means of communication, its immense reserves of timber cannot be utilised.

There are very beautiful woods composed entirely of beech, and others where the

beech occurs mixed with ash and plane. The southern slopes of Rilo and the

Rhodopes and their valleys abound in firs. The higher districts of the beech

zone contain the Picea excelsa, which grows at still higher altitudes.

(4)          The

fourth and highest zone of vegetation extends from 1,300 to 2,000 metres above

sealevel. It begins with the beech, mixed with Picea excelsa, but the latter

has almost the monopoly of this zone, and very thick woods of it are to be

found. The lower boundaries are scattered with pines, above which Pinus pence

grows in beautiful groups or fine single trees. Above this (1,800 metres above

sealevel) Pinus mughus appears among the Picea excelsa. Still higher there is

nothing but bare rocks.

Forests of Bulgaria

The vertical partition of the forests

of Bulgaria is shown in the following table :

Owners.              Up

to 400 m. above sea. Hectares.          4001

,000 m. above sea. Hectares.          1,0003,000

m. above sea. Hectares.

The State            296,5469              347,5467              258,525

Parishes              791,365                466,6487              307,2283

Private owners 314,30745            179,38185           79,57885

                1,402,21935        993,577*25         645,3318