GRASS-CUTTING. 747 



suitable ; where the soil is poor and dry it is better to abstain 

 from grass-cutting. 



On all permanent forest grass-lands, the grass is mown 

 with scythes as in ordinary meadows ; where the presence of 

 trees would interfere with the scythe the sickle is used instead. 

 Forest revenue is obtained either by leasing the grass for 

 longer or shorter periods, or by selling the crop in well- 

 demarcated lots by public auction. 



The grass among young growth or on felling-areas may be 

 either plucked by hand or cut with a sickle. Hand-plucking 

 is considered a less hurtful method, but it yields little and 

 cannot be continued long without danger to the hands. 

 Cutting grass is nearly everywhere effected with the com- 

 mon smooth-blade sickle, and but rarely with the saw- 

 toothed one. 



The season for grass-cutting cannot be begun too soon when 

 plants are being choked by the grass. In any case, a com- 

 mencement should be made not later than the blossoming 

 period ; and if, as on very rich soil, it is necessary to repeat 

 the cutting, this should be done during autumn, for the snow 

 will press the grass down over the young plants in winter and 

 thus endanger them. 



Grass-cutting on felling-areas is thus permissible with good 

 supervision. The revenue for it is collected either by the 

 issue of cheap grass-permits, giving the holder a right to cut 

 grass on certain designated areas, or by auction-sales of 

 demarcated lots on grassy tracts. 



If the full value of the grass cut in Germany from forests 

 could be given, its immense national-economic value would be 

 thoroughly appreciated ; it would be seen that a very con- 

 siderable number of cattle obtain their summer fodder almost 

 entirely from forests, and that often the maintenance of the 

 poor man's cow or goat only thus is rendered possible. From 

 the Hardtwald near Mulhaussen in Alsace, for instance, the 

 annual crop of forest-grass is estimated as at least 2,500 tons. 

 In the forest range of Berghausen in Baden, the average 

 revenue from grass has been 760/. (6s. an acre). In the dry 

 year 1893, no less than 65,000 tons of grass were obtained in 

 a regular manner from the Bavarian forests. 



