STATE FORESTS OF PRUSSIA. 145 
THE WILD-PIG PARK AT SPRINGE. 
30th July. 
This park forms a part of the State Forest of Springe. In the 
years 1836 to 1838 it was surrounded by a wall, which encloses 
a total area of about 3500 acres. Some 500 acres on the north 
side is fairly level, the rest being hilly, and reaching an elevation 
of fully 1200 feet. The geological formation is the Jurassic, which 
here produces excellent soil, capable of offering very favourable 
conditions for the growth of the beech, ash, and sycamore, some 
of which attain a height of 120 feet. In the lower parts, where 
the soil is deepest, the oak is also found represented. The spruce 
is only grown-on the poorest, steepest, and shallowest part of 
the area. 
The woods of the park afford shelter to about 160 fallow deer 
and 700 wild pigs. Formerly the park also maintained 120 red 
deer, which, however, by peeling the trees, proved so destructive 
to the beeches that the animals had to be exterminated. 
In managing the woods in the park, but little attention is paid 
to the game. The only special modification of a regular system 
of forestry that is introduced for the benefit of the game is the 
leaving of clear-felled areas for afew years unplanted, so: as to 
increase the grazing ground of the animals. The large herd of 
game, however, makes it necessary to fence in all newly formed 
woods. 
Most of the woods are managed on the even-aged high forest 
system, only about 500 acres being managed on an uneven-aged 
system. The oak woods are mostly formed by artificial sowing, 
the acorns being either placed in the furrow made by a “ Botzel” 
forest plough, or spread on the surface of the ground and after- 
wards covered with soil obtained from shallow parallel trenches. 
When acorns cannot be obtained, recourse is had to planting, 
the young trees being two years old, and set out 2% to 3 feet 
apart. Blanks, however, are filled up with much larger trees. 
The oak woods, which are all worked on a rotation of 160 years, 
are thinned early and frequently, so as to stimulate growth and 
protect the young trees against over-crowding. 
The beech woods are exclusively regenerated by self-sown 
seedlings, and are worked on a rotation of 120 years. On account 
of the rank growth of ground-herbage that appears in light woods, 
the beech forests are kept very dense, and are but sparingly 
thinned till sixty years old. The ground is usually prepared for 
the reception of the seed by the use of harrows, ploughs, and 
heavy hoes. The preparation of the seed-bed by means of horse 
