FORESTRY. 385 



"I planted a portion of black locust seed last spring. These grew 

 to a height of about eighteen inches, and have not as yet been in- 

 jured b}" frosts. I noticed that a few of these black locust seedlings 

 had been slightly nipped by the frost, while others remained en- 

 tirely untouched. 



"Black walnut trees planted four j^ears ago were slightly touched 

 by frost the first spring after being planted; since that have re- 

 mained thrifty and uninjured. 



"The interest taken in tree culture increases each j'ear, and my at- 

 tention has been called to the fact that inore trees were planted last 

 spring than at any other time in the history of the Red River valley; 

 but I cannot refrain from expressing regret in the face of the fact 

 that Cottonwood trees are. planted in excess of any other kind, well 

 knowing from personal experience and obser^^ation that the cotton- 

 wood is the least adapted to the soil and climate of this country." 



FOREST EDUCATION AND ADMINISTRATION IN 

 EUROPE. 



N. F. BRAND, STATE UNIVERSITY. 



When civilized man first entered Europe he found the forest reign- 

 ing there supreme. Under the Romans these forests were little 

 disturbed, and upon the fall of Rome a part even of the lands re- 

 claimed were allowed to lapse back to the forestal condition. Even 

 after the northern conquerors had settled down and had begun to 

 partially imitate the civilized ways of the conquered — throughout 

 the middle ages— the forest was not much encroached upon; be- 

 cause of the sparseness of population and the languishing condi- 

 tion of commerce and manufactures. 



But when Europe aworke from her sleep of a thousand years and 

 commerce and civilization began to renew their old-time activity, 

 then the destruction of the forests began in earnest; and by the mid- 

 dle of the seventeenth century the French government, in order to 

 avert the speedy annihilation threatened, was obliged to issue the 

 celebrated Forestry Ordinance of 1669. Instead of the former hap- 

 hazard cutting of timber, a plan was then instituted which prevailed 

 for over a century. The forest was divided into blocks, one of which 

 was deforested each j^ear and replanted. Great results were anticipat- 

 ed frotn the operation of this system, and for a time it did well; but 

 after a century's trial, its defects began to be seen. Though the 

 acreage of available forest was preserved the same from year to 

 year, yet the individual trees of later generations were smaller and 

 poorer in qualitj^ than were those standing when the ordinance was 

 proinulgated. Because of the failure to apply scientific principles, 

 the breed was fast running out. 



France had meanwhile ceased to be the scientific center of Europe, 

 and German}' had taken its place. In the latter part of the eigh- 

 teeth centur\' a succession of able Gerinan scholars turned their at- 

 tention to foresty. Foremost among these were Hartig and Cotta. 

 By these eminent men the forest was dealt with from a truly scien- 

 tific standpoint. The several blocks were to be variously treated ac- 

 cording to the differing nature of their soils, elevations, exposures, 



