EXCURSION TO SWEDEN. 63 



a fact which is of greater importance than many foresters care to 

 admit. 



Leaving the State forests, we now come to those owned by 

 private companies, the first of these visited being Finspong, in the 

 province of Ostergotland, which has an area of about 125,000 acres. 

 The syndicate which owns this immense forest has one of the largest 

 iron-works in Sweden. For the making of charcoal to smelt the 

 iron, timber to the enormous quantity of five million English 

 cubic feet is annually required. Besides this, 200,000 logs of 

 matured timber are yearly manufactured, partly for sale and partly 

 for home use The system of management on this large estate 

 is practically the same as that adopted in the State forests. The 

 staff consists of one chief officer, ten foresters, and 150 ordinary 

 woodmen; but besides these, 150 more men are employed in the 

 saw-mills. 



The whole forest is worked on a ninety years' rotation, and the 

 most commendable part of the management is the principle where- 

 by the quantity of timber removed yearly is limited to that 

 which the area can annually grow. It is only by such a system 

 as this that proprietors of woodlands can hope to derive every 

 year a nearly equal income. If this admirable system is to be 

 practised, the necessity of framing "working plans" for the 

 management of the woods is obvious. 



Although by far the greater portion of this forest has been 

 naturally reproduced, a large area — about 40,000 acres — has been 

 planted ; and to this large tracts are added yearly, involving the 

 use of 264 lbs. of forest seed. Tiie method of planting here is 

 practically the same as that already noticed. Here also the 

 seed is sown in temporary nurseries in the vicinity of the 

 planting-area, the soil being protected by a covering of spruce 

 needles and branches. 



It is customary for the Swedish forester to allow ground which 

 is going to be restocked artificially to remain fallow, after the final 

 cutting, for a period of five years. This is to lessen the chance of 

 weevils and other insects attacking the young plants. In the 

 opinion of the writer, this method is in most cases a mistake. If 

 the ground is properly cleaned, and all refuse carefully burned 

 immediately after the old crop is removed, there is not much risk 

 of trouble from beetles ; whereas during the fallow period all 

 manner of weeds and rank herbage grow up, necessitating the use 

 of larger plants, at a corresponding increase of price ; and, at the 



