THE TOWN-WOODS OF CARLSBAD (BOHEMIA). I5¥ 
immemorial, the beautiful woods which extend to the S.W., S., 
and S.E. of the town, flanking the hills on both sides of the tiny 
Tepl, flowing northwards and joining the river Eger at the lower 
extremity of the town. 
Among German poets, Goethe, Schiller, and Korner have sung 
the beauties of this well-wooded valley, and at different times 
during the nineteenth century the amenities of the woodlands have 
been enhanced by opening out pleasant walks and clearing well- 
situated points of view. But of recent years far more has been 
done to increase the charms of the Carlsbad woods, both by 
opening out carriage-drives and foot-paths, and by subjecting the 
forestal management to almost purely esthetic considerations, 
thus placing ornamental effect in the first place, and making 
income per acre entirely a subordinate side-issue. In taking 
definite action in this respect some years ago, the municipality 
were unanimous, and they resolved to be thorough. And there 
can be no doubt that the step they took was well considered in 
the best interests of the town, because the townspeople of 
Carlsbad (numbering about 15,000) subsist almost entirely on the 
cure-guests, and the combined amount of income deliberately 
forfeited by non-sylvicultural treatment of the woods, and of 
expenditure on ornamental effect and up-keep, is very amply 
repaid in the greater attractions offered to cure-guests and 
tourists. Further, this was even a matter of self-defence, because 
the municipality and the citizens of Carlsbad are wise enough to 
know that unless the attractions of their quaint old town and its 
charming woodlands are made progressive, there is always a 
danger of the tide of fashion ebbing, and a flow setting in 
towards other places offering, on the whole, very similar 
attractions, 
When the systematic working-plan was first drawn up, about 
ten years ago, its details were very soon found to be too 
elaborate for successful application, and a modified scheme 
was adopted, which has now been in application for several 
years with excellent results, and to which the following remarks 
apply. 
The total woodland area amounts to about 3145 acres (or 
about 5 square miles), divided into the three main blocks, 
Stadigut (1975 acres) to the west of the town and of the Tepl 
valley, Soos (720 acres) to the east of the town, between the 
Tepl and the river Eger, and Ploben (450 acres), forming the 
