At the same time, considerable areas (some 700,000 acres) had been ceded to communities outright, and others (1.25 million acres) had been sold to private parties. At first, these latter lands were let for exploitation of the cork oak on 40 year leases, later extended to 90 years with indemnities for damage by fire--an incentive to allow these to run, until in 1870, the fire damage having become onerous, all areas burned after 1863 were gratuitously ceded to the contractors, more than one-third the areas involved, and the other two-thirds were then sold at a ridiculously low price and under the easiest conditions of payment, in the same shameful manner in which the timberlands of the United States were given away. In 1836, a forest administration for the state domain was inaugurated, but the unfortunate division of powers between military and civil authorities was a hindrance to effective improvement of conditions. The fire ravages of 1871 led to a thorough re-organization under the direction of Tassy, in 1873. Nevertheless, in 1900, Lefebvre, Inspector of Forests, in his book, _Les forêts de l’Algérie_, still complains that the forests are being ruined, especially by pasturing, the means allowed the administration being too niggardly measured. The Forest Code of the home country and special laws enacted from time to time applies. The administration of the state and communal forest is directly under the home department and is regulated in similar manner. A re-organization and a special forest code for Algiers was enacted in 1903. This legislation relies still largely on the general principles of the Code of 1827. The most interesting features are the provision for expropriation and addition to the state domain of forests the preservation of which is of public interest, and the rigorous forest fire legislation, which permits the treatment of incendiaries as insurrectionists, makes the extinction of forest fires a duty of the forest officials, and provides the forcible establishment of fire lines (rides) between neighbors. In the forests placed under the forestry regime, permits from the governor-general are required for clearing. For the administration of these properties, the state receives ten per cent. of the gross yield. Reforested hilltops or slopes and sand dunes are relieved from taxes for 30 years, burnt areas for 10 years. * * * * *