ger:man forest notes. 87 



against the introduction of red pine into heather land. He 

 has shown the dangers attending this, both to the existing forest 

 and to future generations, owing to a deterioration of the soil, by 

 numerous practical demonstrations, and thereby thoroughly 

 convinced Albert and other admirers of this stately tree. 



No doubt need be entertained that, with the treatment 

 described in the foregoing pages, the whole of the still available 

 heather tracts can be transformed into good and valuable 

 forest, and to this end no sacrifice of money and trouble can be 

 considered excessive. 



Prof. Dr Schwappach has produced a very interesting 

 treatise regarding the removal of litter from forests of various 

 character, based on investigations extending over a number of 

 years. 



The fact that the waste lands in East Prussia owe their origin 

 chiefly to continued and excessive removal of the litter in the 

 forest, which, in olden times, existed on these lands, is not 

 disputed ; but it is shown that, except on very inferior soils, 

 periodical collection of litter, by means of light wooden rakes 

 only, does not interfere with the annual increase of wood in 

 forests which have grown into the early pole stage. An 

 advantage is even claimed for the periodical removal of litter as 

 a prevention against the formation of layers of dry peat humus, 

 thereby favouring natural reproduction, Oberforstmeister Guse 

 meets Schwappach's conclusion with the very appropriate 

 rejoinder that a moderate removal of litter may have, and 

 probably has, no disadvantageous effect on the increase of the 

 growing stock on good soils and under favourable conditions, 

 as everywhere in nature a strong organism is able to resist 

 temporary interferences and to outgrow their consequences. 

 He acknowledges that under certain conditions the removal of 

 litter is an unavoidable evil, the worst feature of which, 

 however, is that it is most necessary in localities with poor soil. 

 Whatever applause Schwappach's treatise may find among 

 socialistic agitators, it is condemned by every practical forester. 

 The loss in the increment of the growing forest may be as 

 infinitesimal as was ascertained by Schwappach's investigations, 

 or be entirely absent, but this is really a matter of the least 

 importance. A comparison of the results of re-afforestation in 

 areas never subjected to the removal of litter with those where 

 even a moderate and periodical removal had taken place, is 



