GERMAN NOTES. 215 



this means that the foundations of scientific research can be 

 made firm. Our greatest and best laboratory is the forest, and 

 the greater part of the time during the week the conference 

 lasts will be spent in our school divisions. The success and 

 usefulness of these conferences rests equally on the shoulders 

 of all members. It is difficult to foretell the actual results 

 of these conferences, but I hope for the best." In this 

 sense the Director concluded his welcome. 



The following lectures formed the basis of the discussions : — 



1. The precipitation of moisture in North Germany, and its 

 causes. 



2. The importation of wood into Germany in connection with 

 the general economic conditions of the country, illustrated by 

 diagrams. These diagrams, amongst others similarly instructive 

 and interesting, show at a glance the, of course, well-known 

 fact that the course of Government securities moves in a 

 negative way to the general prosperity of the country. They 

 sink with an increase of prosperity and rise with any check or 

 fall in the general welfare. 



3. During a visit to the Botanical Gardens explanations were 

 given of its most interesting treasures, especially in regard to 

 recently obtained results in graft bastardisation. 



4. A walk through the selection fellings of the Eberswalde 

 division brought the members to the area given up to zoological 

 research, including experiments with fish culture and fish 

 feeding. 



The nth July was given up to a visit to the Chorin forests. 

 An address was delivered by Forstmeister Kienitz on the old 

 and modern manner of creating mixed forests. The old way, 

 he explained, was comparatively easy, as it depended on the 

 large herds of pigs driven into the forests, but since the 

 disappearance of the old herds and the utter uselessness as 

 forest workers of the fashionably-bred pigs, other measures had 

 to be adopted. These had been successful, but, owing to an 

 excessive stock of red deer, they proved more costly than need 

 otherwise have been the case. However, the forests form part 

 of the Emperor's favourite shooting grounds 



The discussions rose to great animation during this excursion. 

 The most modern ploughs and harrows of German and Danish 

 origin are represented in Chorin, but the consensus of opinion 

 was in favour of the Geist-Kaehler Wuehlgrubber, already 



