Periodical Literature. 507 



labor market, of the railroad earnings, of the prices of grain and 

 various others adduced for discussion of the general economic 

 condition of the empire. 



Of forestry statistics we may abstract the following of inter- 

 est in the distribution of private forest properties, according to 

 size. Dividing the private forest area of 16.5 million acres into 

 five size classes, namely below 25 acres, between 25 and 500 acres, 

 500 to 2,5(X), 2,500 to 12,500 acres, and those above 12,500, it 

 appears, that over 50 per cent, falls into the two smallest classes 

 with nearly one million owners, and only 59 owners hold over 

 12,500 acres, namely altogether a little less than 1.2 million 

 acres. The bulk of the government forests falls, of course, into 

 the last two classes, yet there are over 700 districts in small par- 

 cels. The corporation forests are found mostly in the third size 

 class. Taking all forests together, nearly 52 per cent, are held 

 in parcels of less than 2,500 acres, and over one-third of the 

 area is managed in aggregates of between 2,500 and 12,500 acres. 

 A complete table of property distribution is given for Prussia by 

 provinces. 



Generally speaking. State forests and large private holdings 

 prevail in the Eastern provinces of Prussia and in Hanover 

 and Hesse, communal forests in the middle provinces and small 

 private ownership in the western provinces. In this State 13 per 

 cent, are found in large properties, mostly in fidei-Kommiss, i. e. 

 under State surveillance by contract. 



The increase of State forest property during the last 40 years 

 is striking, namely, nearly one million acres, and the end of 

 purchases is not yet. These purchases took place mostly in the 

 eastern provinces ; unfortunately in the west, this policy of eradi- 

 cating the undesirably mismanaged, because too small, private 

 forest properties is not applicable policy, hence attempts at con- 

 solidated or associated management and other persuasive meas- 

 ures through the provincial forestry bureaus (see F. Q. vol. V, p. 

 438). A table exhibits the activities of these bureaux in the way 

 of acting as temporary or permanent advisors, making working 

 plans, furnishing or negotiating plant material, giving assistance 

 in reforestation, etc. 



Some $200,000 were spent in Prussia in combating obnoxious 

 insects, especially the pine geometra and the nun, which latter in 

 East Prussia alone necessitated an extraordinary cut of 124 mil- 



