LIVING PLANTS. 619 



The utilization of dead firewood is important in national 

 economy, for usually its collection and removal is left gratui- 

 tously to poor men, women and children ; in many forest 

 districts, it forms a servitude on the forest. 



As all fallen wood, if it remains in the forest, is a manure to 

 the soil and renders it porous and well aerated, its utiliza- 

 tion should he abandoned on poor soils, or on heavy, wet ones ; 

 but the increased danger from fire, especially on sandy soil 

 in sunny, dry places, renders its removal there advisable. 



Highly resinous pieces from the stumps of felled pines, and 

 other coniferous trees are used as torches in mountainous 

 countries, as in the Himalayas. 



Sub -division III. Utilization of living plants or of parts 

 of plants. 



The sale of living plants or of parts of plants has become so 

 profitable to the forest-owner, especially near large towns, as 

 to deserve mention. 



1. Plants with roots, for plantations or parks. They are 

 either reared in home-nurseries or purchased from pro- 

 fessional nurserymen. They are classified according to their 

 age and height, but it would be better if both age and height 

 were specified, as then the quality of the plants could be 

 estimated better. Exotic plants are expensive, partly owing 

 to the high cost of the seed, partly on account of their beauty, 

 and partly because the purchasers are unaware of the real cost 

 of producing them. 



"2. Plants without roots. Christmas trees (sometimes rooted) 

 are almost exclusively conifers, usually of spruce or silver-fir. 

 In Franconia birches are used ; they are cut at the beginning 

 of September, placed in water, and kept in warm rooms, so 

 that they are green on Christmas Day. 



The height of Christmas trees varies from 3 to 16 feet, and 

 their age from 5 to 20 years ; plants grown in the open have 

 the strongest branches and the best appearance. Mencke 

 recommends f dicing in areas near large towns for the growth of 

 Christmas trees, planting them at the rate of 160 plants an 

 acre, and selling them when twelve years old. 



