570 PROTECTION AGAINST SNOW. 



stems were broken by snow, over 95 per cent, of which were 

 under 7 inches in diameter. In November and December, 

 1875, in Brunswick, 6,734,000 cubic feet of timber were 

 broken by snow on 85,635 acres, being at the rate of 78 cubic 

 feet per acre, about half the fixed annual yield of the forests. 

 The chief damage was done on the northern side of the 

 mountains. From the 10th to the 13th December, 1883, and 

 from the llth to the 27th January, 1884, 22,500,000 cubic 

 feet of timber were broken in the Hanoverian Harz, and about 

 7,000,000 cubic feet in the Brunswick State forests. 



In the winter of 1894 95, owing to the very heavy snowfall, 

 much game was killed in Obersteirrnark. On an area of 

 1,793 square miles, 5,642 head of red-deer, chamois, and roes 

 perished, being about 15 per cent, of the stand of game, 

 estimated at 21 head per square mile. 



3. Protective Rules. 



Protective rules against damage to forests by snow should 

 be drawn up, either on the principle of reducing the power of 

 attachment of the snow to the trees, or of strengthening the 

 latter. The question will be discussed under the heads of 

 formation, tending, and utilisation of the woods. 



a. Formation of Woods. 



i. Species endangered by snow should not be planted 

 in snow localities, especially in pure forests. Scots pine is 

 absolutely out of place in regions where snow lies deep in 

 winter. The chief species here should be the spruce, silver- 

 fir, or larch. 



ii. In planting spruce, introduce a mixture of silver-fir, 

 larch and broadleaved trees, such as beech and sycamore. 



iii. Natural regeneration, especially for silver-fir and beech, 

 and also for spruce, will give better results than regular plan- 

 tations ; it produces the trees in groups and with a mixture of 

 broadleaved species, which should be encouraged. 



iv. Where the clear-cutting system is followed, strong 

 nursery-trained transplants should be used to restock the 

 felling-areas, the plantations being made in lines parallel to 

 the direction of the prevailing wind, so that the snow may 



