A VISIT TO GERMAN FORESTS. 439 



place at closer intervals than five years in any one section. The fell- 

 ings are so arranged that the oldest woods occupy the east, and the 

 youngest the west or windward side. This method of protection 

 against wind I found practised all over Germany, and it no doubt 

 accounts for the wonderful absence of wind-blown trees. The 

 timber of trees felled in the winter is removed during the following 

 spring and summer, and the area is restocked one year later. 

 Spruce requires to be barked as a precaution against bark beetles. 

 The forests of Allersdorf, which are wholly upon mountain-land, 

 bring in from their 8000 acres a net annual revenue of £11,200, — 

 that is to say, they yield a return of 28s. per acre per annum, 

 calculated on the whole area of the revier. 



Farther into that corner of the German Empire which is 

 bounded by Russia on the east and Austria to the south, lies the 

 district of Proskau in Upper Silesia. The wide plain of which 

 the revier forms a part is moderately fertile. The heavier soils 

 bear oak, spruce, larch, and silver fir in various mixtures ; 

 poorer diluvial sands have crops of Scots pine in pure woods, and 

 in association with spruce. The climate is that of Central Europe, 

 with a hot summer and a correspondingly cold winter. These 

 weather conditions, with an absence of the cold, raw spring of 

 lands which lie towards the sea, suit the larch tree very well; and in 

 woods here one finds that species with an average height of 130 feet, 

 straight, clear of side branches, and with timber of the finest grain. 

 But larch is grown sparingly in Germany ; it is an uncertain tree 

 to deal with, sometimes it succeeds, but more often it fails, and the 

 use of the European species is decidedly declining. That the pur- 

 suance of proper sylvicultural principles is not altogether detrimental 

 to sporting interests is well proved in Proskau. In this forest 

 range there are shot each year an average of 50 red deer, 50 roe 

 deer, one or two fallow deer, a dozen wild pig, and 500 hares. 

 While I was there, the Oberforster brought down a twelve-pointer 

 stag weighing 336 lbs. There is at Proskau a school for training 

 the Forster, or lower-grade forest official. About fifteen young 

 men live together in the school building, very much as in barracks. 

 They are taught the elements of several sciences allied to forestry, 

 and have a small museum for demonstration ; but their main work 

 lies in the forest, where each day specified duties are assigned to 

 them by the Oberforster. These duties they carry through under 

 the guidance of trained officials. The institution receives Govern- 

 ment aid, but each scholar must pay some 9 marks per month 



