Periodical Literature. 343 



On actual blowing sands, first a quieting of the soil by the cus- 

 tomary mechanical means is necessary. 



To improve soil conditions, sometimes mineral fertilizer, some- 

 times a leguminous crop is plowed under, or a frugal soil im- 

 proving species, like Pinus rigida or divaricata, is used.. 



The writer cautions against the use of pure stands of Jack 

 Pine, which is too valueless a crop and liable to attack of root 

 fungi. 



Altogether the question of future success of plantations on 

 these exhausted soils is still open. 



Some of the plantations made in the early nineties show already 

 a retardation of growth, while natural seedings seem to thrive 

 better. As a consequence of these observations the spacing has 

 been increased to 4.5x3 feet. 



To prevent fires from spreading, firelanes of 250-300 feet ( !) 

 width separate the plantations, and every other known precaution 

 is employed. 



The profitableness of the undertaking is only touched and, of 

 course, is left uncertain, as the movement of wood prices is un- 

 certain. A table shows the interesting remarkable rise of wood 

 prices during the last half century. In the State forests of the 

 tour counties the yield for wood per acre has increased as 

 follows : 



Danzig, 

 Marienwerder, 

 Posen, 

 Bromberg, 



These figures look hopeful for financial success. It is also 

 shown that the consumption of log material has grown ahead of 

 the population; the import during 1866-71, averaging 80 million 

 cubic feet, had risen in 1897-1901 to around 320 million cubic 

 feet, and in 1908, a year of economic stagnation, to 450 million 

 feet. 



The increase of State forests then, which since 1887 has 

 amounted to 435,000 acres, promises at least in part to satisfy a 

 need, besides making useful these waste acres. 



Die Ankaufspolitik in West Preussen und Posen. Zeitschrift Forst- 

 und Jagdwesen. February, 191 1. Pp. 65-96. 



