A VISIT TO GERMAN FORESTS. 427 



There are four forest ranges, or reviers, in the neighbour- 

 hood of Eberswalde, each being about 10,000 acres in extent. 

 The town is so centrally situated that the most outlying 

 forests may be readily reached on foot; but cycling, even 

 through the woods, is everywhere possible, and is a great 

 saving of time and energy. Scots pine is the most frequently 

 occurring tree ; one finds it both in pure woods and with 

 beech, or with beech and oak, in mixture of even or of uneven 

 age. The most common system of management is High Forest 

 of pure pine; next is the Two-storied High Forest, where the 

 pine is the upper, and beech, forty or fifty years younger, 

 the lower story. Pine of even age with beech is found not to 

 do well, but where the former has the lead, and the latter covers 

 the ground with its shade and its litter of leaves, better pine 

 timber is produced than under any other system. Soil and situa- 

 tion, however, do not always allow of such a mixture, and on 

 the vast sandy tracts of north-east Prussia the Scots pine is 

 found alone. The American species, Pinus banksiana, is show- 

 ing wonderful powers of endurance upon arid, drifting sand ; but 

 whether it will ultimately supplant the common pine on the 

 poorest land is as yet uncertain. 



At Freienwalde, a few miles from Eberswalde, the occurrence 

 of clay and heavy marly soils allows of oak being grown ; while 

 at Chorin there are pure woods of beech, so that the district is 

 not without variety of species. Spruce and silver fir are not 

 suitable to the locality, and are seldom met with. A memorial 

 stone at Freienwalde, bearing the words, " Zur Erinnerung an 

 die Excursion der Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society" marks 

 the spot near the picturesque "Baa See" visited by members of 

 the Society in August 1895. The pamphlet, "A Short Account 

 of the State Forests of Prussia," which Dr Somerville prepared 

 for that year's excursion, contains the most valuable information 

 regarding the districts inspected by the Society. 



Thuringia. 



In the end of May my companion (Mr Nobbs) and I accom- 

 panied Professor Schwappach in a tour through the Thiiringer 

 Wald. Thuringia is a mountainous district in Central Germany, 

 lying to the east of the river Werra. Its forests are essentially 

 coniferous, spruce largely predominating ; but, especially in the 

 vicinity of Eisenach, beech also occurs. Naturally regenerated 



