3^8 Forestry Quarterly. 



to be keen in engaging in such business, which is profitable only 

 in the long run. 



That in the old countries, France and Germany, private forest 

 management has, in part and with many exceptions, been success- 

 ful, can be explained by historical development and by special 

 economic and political conditions. Among these is the institution 

 of the so-called Fideikommis, i. e., trust property — private prop- 

 erty placed by some previous owner under State control in 

 order to prevent mismanagement, exploitation or disposal by his 

 successors, under which institution nearly one-quarter of the 

 private forest area of Germany is kept in producing condition, 

 besides 30 per cent of the private area which is under State con- 

 trol for other reasons, so that over half of the private forest-area 

 experiences State control. 



The other half is very frequently mismanaged, exploited and 

 destroyed, and it is decreased by the State governments buying 

 it up and reforesting. Over one million acres were thus acquired 

 by the States during the last two decades, Prussia alone having 

 spent some $25,000,000 in that direction. 



It is only long lived corporations, municipalities and govern- 

 ments that can afford and can be expected to carry on a persistent 

 conservative policy and spend money and tie up capital which 

 is not returning interest for many decades. Such large persistent 

 corporations as railroads needing a continuous supply of ties, or 

 those engaged in paper manufacture whose business run with 

 expensive plants is based on continuity of forest supplies may 

 embark successfully on growing their raw material. The small 

 farmer, who does not count his time, may also in a very small 

 manner contribute toward eking out supplies. But in the end, 

 I am afraid, we will have to abandon the democratic dream of 

 individual endeavor and learn the lesson that communal interests 

 must be attended to by the community. In the end, only the 

 State and municipality can be expected to provide for -a distant 

 future! There are some foolish notions abroad as regards the 

 distance of that future, the length of time it takes to grow a log 

 tree. We may not go at length into this subject, only stating 

 that with most species in most localities nothing can be expected 

 in less than 60 to 100 years. An adequate plan, then, for supply- 



