Periodical Literature. lie 



The area of private forest has decHned much more than enough 

 to balance the gain in State forests. Land speculation is rife, 

 especially in the eastern provinces, and owners holding for specu- 

 lative rise in values not only neglect the forests but add to the 

 profits of their brief tenure by overcutting them. This speculation 

 is hardly noticeable in the western provinces of Hanover and 

 Westphalia. 



State aid to private forest management in Prussia is given 

 through the provincial Boards of Agriculture which furnish 

 advice, and also through financial assistance at planting time. In 

 some provinces notably Brandenburg, the demands upon these 

 boards have severely taxed their personnel and resources. Some- 

 what more than ii% of the total area of the private forests of 

 moderate area (100-2,000 ha.) are permanently placed under the 

 advisership of these boards. The area of private forest worked 

 under plans provided by these boards increased by 22 per cent, 

 during the year. 



Week-long lecture courses in forestry were given by these 

 boards under various auspices to encourage the rational practice 

 of private forestry. In Posen ten voluntary associations of small 

 forest owners have been organized to co-operate more effectively 

 with the local board. 



These boards have given especial attention to improving the 

 quality of forest tree seed and plants furnished by commercial 

 nurserymen. The use of Scotch Pine seed from southern Europe 

 is regarded as especially calamitous and many of the leading seed 

 dealers and nurserymen have entered into an agreement to handle 

 only German-grown seeds and plants from such seeds. 



The Bavarian State forest administration requires that all 

 Scotch Pine seed ofifered for sale shall be guaranteed German- 

 grown and the price based on 85% germination. Seed collection 

 in the State forest by firms who submit to regulation of their 

 work is encouraged and aided. The use of seeds grown in the 

 forest in which they are to be sown is not yet attempted there as 

 in Prussia. 



This effort to use none but German-grown pine seed has been 

 defeated by the failure of the pine to set a full crop of seed dur- 

 ing several years past. As a result large amounts of cones and 

 seed have been imported from Russia, Austria-Hungary and Bel- 

 gium. The Prussian State forest administration was able to bar- 



