A VISIT TO GERMAN FORESTS. 429 



is delayed until about the fortieth year. The woods are clear- 

 felled at 100 to 120 years, the cuttings proceeding in a more or 

 less westerly direction. Adjoining felling areas are not taken in 

 hand in consecutive years, but an interval of five or six years is 

 allowed to supervene, on account of the presence of the pine 

 weevil (Hylobius abietis). In many parts of Germany this 

 insect, which causes so much damage to young conifers, is com- 

 batted by digging trenches of about 9 inches deep by 6 inches 

 broad round the area to be planted. The weevils on their way 

 to the young crop fall into these trenches, and are later on picked 

 out by persons sent round to destroy them. But in Thuringia 

 this method is not practicable, owing to the stony nature of the 

 soil. Spruce there extends to the tops of hills exceeding 3000 

 feet in altitude, but at the upper levels it is impossible to obtain 

 the close canopy and clean boles that are found lower down the 

 slopes. Silver fir grows nearly as high up as the spruce, but 

 beech finds its limit at a height over sea-level of 2000 feet. 



POMERANIA. 



The tour through the Thuringian forests was the first of several 

 excursions which I took part in during my stay in Eberswalde. 

 Some of the places visited may be mentioned, together with their 

 special features. 



The island of Wollin, in the Baltic, showed examples of the 

 fixation of shifting sand. On much land that was previously 

 worse than useless excellent forests now exist : present operations 

 are confined to maintaining these, and to keeping the margin 

 directly along the sea-coast intact. In settling the drift on the 

 seaward side, Elyimis arenarius and sea buckthorn (Rhamnus) 

 play an important part. Towards the crowns of the sand-dunes 

 are rows of wattle hurdles which arrest the progress of the shift- 

 ing sand ; under lee of them Scots pine seed is sown and lightly 

 covered with branches. 



In the woods bordering on the sea, the Shelter-wood System 

 is in operation. It keeps a constant cover of trees upon the 

 ground, and so prevents the formation of sand-drift. 



Not far from "Wollin is Muhlenbeck, a revier famous for its 

 magnificent beeches. The pure beech woods are treated under a 

 system of natural regeneration by seed. The final fellings take 

 place at 180 to 200 years, and consist of two preparatory fell- 



