EXCURSION TO SWEDEN. 59 



this machinery alone constitutes a lasting monument to the 

 engineering genius of the Swedish people. On making inquiry 

 as to whether the aspen timber, which is being used in this great 

 industry, was grown in Sweden, we were rather surprised to find 

 that practically the whole of it is imported from Russia. This, in 

 our opinion, is not as it should be ; for the Excursionists passed 

 through many acres of land well adapted to the growth of this 

 particular species, and indeed in some parts naturally grown aspen 

 saplings could be seen stocking the ground like weeds. 



Our attention was next directed to the Government forest of 

 Visingso, an island beautifully situated in Lake Vettern, where we 

 had our first view of Swedish methods of forestry. The crop, 

 which is chiefly composed of oak, was found to have suffered very 

 seriously from an attack by the caterpillar of the leaf -roller moth 

 {Tortrix). The system of management practised in this forest is 

 briefly as follows : — For oak, the rotation or felling-age is one 

 hundred and twenty years. The wood is originated either from 

 acorns or from young plants put out at distances apart of from 

 5 to 6 feet. These are allowed to stand for about thirty years, 

 when the first thinning takes place. Immediately after the 

 thinnings have been cleared away, another species of tree, a shade- 

 bearer, is introduced to take the place of those which have been 

 cut out, and thus to act as a soil protector, and in other ways to 

 further the interests of the oak, which is to form the principal 

 crop. From this time the plantation consists of what is known 

 as an uneven-aged crop, carrying an upper storey as well as an 

 under storey of two or more species. The under storey is allowed 

 to grow up until it is seen that the crowns of these trees are 

 beginning to imperil the crowns of the oaks, a stage generally 

 reached when the undercrop attains an age of from thirty-five to 

 forty years. The younger trees ai-e then removed, but are imme- 

 diately replaced by a second crop. In some cases even a third 

 crop may be required to bring the oaks to their maximum 

 value. 



While thoroughly agreeing with the principle on which this 

 oak forest is managed, the writer doubts whether enough attention 

 has been given to the question of the species of tree best adapted 

 for planting as an undercrop. Those made use of in the Visingso 

 forest for this purpose are chiefly Norway spruce ; but, in less 

 quantities, silver fir and beech have been used. Judging from 

 what we saw, the Norway spruce has proved the least successful 



