750 FIELD-CROPS IN COMBINATION WITH FORESTRY. 



and then cultivate the soil for agricultural crops as long as 

 these would grow without manure. Subsequently the land was 

 put under pasture. It then gradually became restocked with 

 trees by means of coppice-shoots and seeds coming from 

 adjoining woods. This practice is becoming rare in Europe, 

 but has been practised extensively in America since its first 

 colonization. 



In Europe this barbarous manner of destroying forests and 

 using the burned area for field-crops, or pasture, is followed 

 still in Finland, Northern Sweden, in Poland and certain 

 parts of Russia, and here and there in the Alps and Carpathian 

 mountains. In other localities a regular utilization of the 

 wood has been introduced, only the unsaleable parts being 

 burned, as well as the shrubs and soil- covering. Such a system 

 is still in force in the Swiss cantons of Luzern and Wallis. 

 The wood on these areas is felled every 10 to 20 years, usually 

 for making cellulose, the stumps extracted, and the refuse 

 burned ; then potatoes or corn are grown for a few years, 

 when the land is abandoned to forest growth or used for 

 pasture. Gradually, woody growth reappears, and after a 

 number of years the same treatment is repeated. In the 

 district of Birkenberge in Lower Bavaria, a similar system, 

 now falling into disuse, was followed in woods chiefly stocked 

 with birch and spruce trees ; but in this case, a few standard 

 trees were left to give seed, and the land constantly subjected 

 to pasture and removal of litter, after 2 to 3 years' crops of 

 potatoes or corn had been harvested. Some districts of the 

 Eeutberge in the Black Forest may be included, as the cultiva- 

 tion of trees is quite subordinated to that of field-crops. For 

 the last 50 years, the Baden Government has endeavoured to 

 convert this system into oak-coppice, or coniferous forest ; 

 8 per cent, is still unconverted. 



[In many hill-districts in India, a similar custom, termed 

 jhuming, prevails. As an instance, the mode adopted in the 

 Garo Hills, south of the Brahmaputra river, will be described. 

 The Garo village-communities own land naturally stocked with 

 trees, bamboos or grass. In October they fell all the woody 

 growth on areas they wish to cultivate, and cut the herbage, 

 etc., reserving a few large trees, if found on the area. Some- 



