A SKETCH ON SWEDISH FORESTRY FROM AN AMERICAN 



STANDPOINT^ 



By H. R. Wickenden 



Forestry practice in Sweden is in many respects of interest to us 

 Americans because it is yet in a plastic form and is applied to forests 

 which are not as well ordered and controlled as in Germany, or even 

 better, in Denmark ; at the same time it is very broad-minded, not so 

 fixed and predetermined as in some lands where forestry started 

 centuries ago. While some regulations and laws have been existent 

 for a much longer time, the most decisive steps were first taken in 

 the fifties of the last century and these have undergone many revisions 

 since then, until today a fairly permanent system is in force. 



FORESTS AND CLIMATE 



It is unnecessary to comment on the climate and forest types as this 

 information may be known or available to those interested. The fol- 

 lowing generalization suffices here : Scotch pine and Norway spruce 

 are the chief commercial trees, the development of which has its great- 

 est importance in the middle of Sweden, especially in the latitudes 

 one or two degrees north and south of Stockholm, including the finely 

 wooded provinces of Varmland and Dalarme. The forests are almost 

 invariably of very simple composition. It is seldom that more than 

 three species — pine, spruce and birch — occur together, but to a great 

 extent- pine or spruce occur also separately. The freedom of the 

 forests from brush and prolific growths is striking, and simplifies also 

 the work of the forester; even regions which have not undergone 

 special care have a park-like appearance. Taking a common figure 

 for both of the chief species, one might state that they reach a 10-12 

 inch d.b.h. 90 feet in height with a form quotient of .70 for pine and 

 .65 for spruce at an age of 120 years. The coniferous forests are 

 not encumbered with underbrush, but moss (most frequently hylocom- 

 ium), whortleberry, crowberry and blueberr)' shrubs cover the ground, 

 much given in the north to the formation of raw humus. Birch occurs 

 everywhere, its ground-improving quality being in evidence just as in 



1 I wish to express my thanks to Prof. Gustav Lundberg of the Department 

 of Technology, Royal Swedish Forestry Institute. Stockholm, for his helpful 

 criticism of this article. 



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