THE STATE FORESTS OF SAXONY. 177 



arrival of Heinrich von Cotta in Saxony in 1811, when he 

 was appointed Forstrat and director of the Forest Survey 

 {Forsfvermessufig), that working-plans were systematically 

 prepared. The great work that Cotta accomplished from 

 that date until his death (1844) is unique in the annals of 

 forestry, and made his name stand out peerless in the history 

 of the science to which he devoted his life. 



The result of this great forester's labours gave Saxony a 

 start in scientific silviculture which, up to the present, no 

 other country has been able to overtake ; and the position the 

 Saxon State forests now hold of being the most economically, 

 and at the same time the most intensively, managed woods to 

 be found, is directly traceable to the period when Cotta had 

 charge of their management. The great degree of perfection 

 in matters of detailed organisation which has now been 

 reached is, of course, to a large extent the work of Cotta's 

 successors, some of whom were his pupils ; but the firm 

 foundation of method which he laid for the administration 

 and management of the State woods still remains intact. 



Ever since the woods were taken over by the State in 1831, 

 the policy of adding suitable areas by purchase has been 

 pursued. Only land unsuitable for cultivation has been 

 afforested, and, from 1831 to 1897, 77,454 acres were bought 

 at an average price of ;^i6 per acre. During the same period, 

 however, 13,256 acres were sold, fetching on the average 

 ;£2)'^, 17s. The underlying idea in buying and selling was 

 to round oflf the State woods, making them more compact and 

 thus easier to administer. Small patches of wood situated at a 

 considerable distance from an otherwise compact Revier were, 

 if possible, disposed of, whereas tracts of wood or land suitable 

 for wood found in or bordering on State forests and not State 

 property were purchased to consolidate the forests. The high 

 price received, on the average, for the land sold must have 

 been due to the enormous strides which industry has made in 

 Saxony during the last half century, and probably a number 

 of towns have expanded so as to absorb parts of the forestry 

 area for building purposes. 



Admi?iisira/ton. — There being no separate minister for 

 agriculture in Saxony, the administration of the State woods 

 is directly under the charge of the Minister of Finance. The 

 FinanznitJiisierium, as it is called, is divided up into three 



