EXCURSION TO SWEDEN 65 



Formerly, the system adopted was that of clear-felling and 

 subsequent planting with two years seedlings one year trans- 

 planted ; or regeneration was effected by hand sowing. Now this 

 system has given place to restocking by natural regeneration, and, 

 as was evidenced on every hand, with the greatest success. It 

 could be seen that attention was paid on this estate to the filling 

 up by hand of gaps where the natural seed failed to find a lodg- 

 ment. This important work was too much neglected in some of 

 the other forests which we had seen. The mode of seeding the 

 ground is the same as that already recorded. Only the Scotch (or 

 red) firs are allowed to stand as "mother trees," and these at 

 distances varying from 30 to 60 feet apart. The seed trees are 

 cut out when the young forest reaches the age of eight or ten 

 years ; but a few of the best of them are retained to stand 

 throughout a second rotation and grow into heavier timber. The 

 young plantations on this estate are in very fine condition, and 

 the thinnings appear to be more judiciously executed than was the 

 case on the other estates. 



Where such immense tracts of forest as Sweden possesses have 

 to be maintained, it is absolutely essential that a great deal of 

 the renewal of the crops should be naturally effected ; and such 

 being the case, it is rather remarkable that in all the forests we 

 visited the plantations were invariably grazed over by cattle and 

 horses. In some instances, as previously noticed, calves are 

 allowed to graze in plantations which have passed their fourth year, 

 and in plantations that are either hand-sown or self-seeded, cows 

 and horses wander about at will after the seventh year. This 

 practice must undoubtedly militate against the growth of the 

 plants. Another important consideration is the fact that, owing to 

 this practice of grazing, all nurseries and areas inside a forest tract 

 which are being planted have to be fenced, the initial cost of 

 restocking being thus largely increased. 



When travelling by train through miles of forests, it was a 

 common remark amongst members of the Excursion that there was 

 no sign of fire having occurred through sparks from passing 

 engines. By Swedish law, the funnels of all locomotive engines 

 must be fitted with patent spark flanges, which make it well-nigh 

 impossible for fire to be emitted through them ; but in the event 

 of a casual fire being started by the engine of a passing train, the 

 railway company is at once compelled to make good the loss. It 

 is surely time that the railway companies in our own country were 



VOL. XVII. PART I. E 



