38 Forestry Quarterly, 



is forbidden. On the other hand we find no such provisions 

 protecting the forests and forest soils in the Palatinate. The 

 privilege of gathering forest-litter extends throughout the whole 

 year and when the )-ear is passed only the mineral soil is left*. 

 Even though the sandstone soils at St. Martin are not of the poor- 

 est quality, they are too shallow to endure such treatment with- 

 out showing some decline in quality. Nor are the climatic con- 

 ditions such, that would enable the treated stands to recuperate 

 in the six years of non-use. 



The utilization of the forest-litter has been in progress for a 

 great many years. At one time the forest litter was of more im- 

 portance than the wood and even to-day there is in St. Martin 

 many a peasant who values his forest more for the litter it pro- 

 duces than for its timber. Many of the stands' are somewhat 

 open and the forest floor was denuded of all living and decaying 

 vegetable matter. These nude soils have no power to absorb 

 much water, as almost any ground cover does, nor do they in any 

 way hinder the water from rushing down the steep inclines, but 

 being almost entirely unprotected soon start to erode much the 

 same as if the area had no forest cover upon it. 



During and after each extra heavy rainfall great damage was 

 done not only by the large amount of water which rushed down 

 the steep inclines surrounding St. Martin but also by the many 

 tons of debris which were carried down with it and deposited 

 upon the fertile fields in the valley, destroying the crops of the 

 peasants and sometimes even blocking up some of the village 

 streets'. 



It was the duty of the Bavarian forest service to do all in their 

 pov/er to prevent such damage. If the utilization of the forest- 

 litter could be prevented the vegetable surface cover would reap- 

 pear in a few years, and a large amount of the water would be 

 absorbed by the more porous and fertile soil. Yet the public needs 

 and the public sentiment would not allow an abrupt change in 

 the rules and regulations governing the utilization of the forest- 



* In cases, such as this, it would be advisable to attempt to regulate 

 the gathering of the litter from late Spring until Sept. i. e. until just 

 before the leaves of the broadleaved species mixed in the stands begin to 

 fall, thus insuring some humus for the soil. Mature stands should be pro- 

 tected for 5-10 years before clearing so as to provide a suitable seed-bed. 



