THE STATE FORESTS OF SAXONY. 4 1 



Before 1903 the instructions were just exactly the opposite, and 

 trees in such belts were planted far apart and kept well thinned, 

 with the result that strongly rooted well-branched trees were 

 produced which were capable of standing an immense side 

 pressure, but which allowed the effects of the storm to be felt 

 farther into the wood. The planting of hardwoods in protective 

 belts has not found favour. The present system of close plant- 

 ing is very severely criticised by many Saxon foresters, especially 

 where the dangers of snow and wind are combined, as it is obvious 

 that closely grown trees are more liable to injury in this case. 

 Snow is also a danger that has to be reckoned with apart from 

 wind, although the two are most destructive when combined, and 

 the worst damage, so far as spruce woods are concerned, occurs 

 when they are about 40 to 60 years old, as at this age the 

 stems are generally splintered in breaking and a large amount 

 of wood is rendered useless for anything except fuel. A con- 

 siderable loss not unfrequently occurs in the upper parts of the 

 Erzgebirge owing to rime and ice incrustation. 



The ravages caused by red deer are not now so extensive as 

 formerly, owing to the great reduction in the numbers allowed, 

 but still a considerable number of trees are peeled and the pro- 

 portion of rotten stems is thereby very materially increased. 

 Spruce is in this case also the species which suffers most. In the 

 King's special hunting forests a larger head of deer is kept, 

 and special precautions are taken to prevent extensive damage. 

 Fencing the deer out of young woods, hand-feeding and other 

 palliatives are brought into use at a considerable cost, which 

 is, however, borne by the Crown and is not a charge upon the 

 forests. Hares and rabbits are comparatively scarce and cause 

 but little trouble, and the same may be said of squirrels. 



Bark beetles are kept well in check by clean woods and 

 immediate barking of all felled timber. Hylobius abietis is 

 occasionally troublesome, but the common practice of extracting 

 stumps after felling prevents it becoming serious. There is, 

 however, one insect which is dreaded in Saxony, and that is the 

 Nun moth. The epidemic which broke out in Saxony in 1906, 

 and which is now gradually dying out, was the first experience 

 Saxon foresters had had of this pest on a large scale ; but owing 

 to a good system of inspection they were not taken unawares, as 

 has occurred in other states. By counting the number of eggs 

 on sample trees the authorities were enabled to forecast the rate 



