778 



FOREST-LITTER. 



weather, in order to obtain dry litter, the peasant will select 

 the very places that are most liable to damage. 



7. Plan of Operations. 



It is in many places usual to draw up a plan of operations 

 for the removal of litter, to serve for a longer or shorter series 

 of years ; this is revised usually at the same time as the forest 

 working-plan. In such a plan all compartments are designated 

 which may be opened for the removal of litter, subject to a 

 suitable close-time, and the plan is based on area. Although 

 this plan is drawn up on different principles in the different 

 German countries, yet they all agree in excluding from the 

 usage areas requiring protection, and especially all kinds of 

 young woods. After this has been deducted, the remaining 

 area is divided by the figure representing the rotation of the 

 litter, the quotient being the area which is opened annually 

 for the removal of litter. In order to compensate for the 

 withdrawal of the annual felling-areas from the area open to 

 the removal of litter, an area of the oldest woods equal to 

 those which were closed, must be opened annually to the 

 usage. In countries where years of scarcity of straw 7 occur 

 periodically, a reserved area of woodland should be set aside, 

 which may be opened when required. 



In Baden, removal of litter is not allowed in the case of 

 broadleaved woods, till they are 40 years old ; in coniferous 

 woods 30 years, and in coppices 12 to 15 years. The 

 shortest close time is three years. In Hesse, removal of litter 

 is not allowed in high forest till after the first thinning, and 

 in coppice till the second half of the rotation. In Bavaria, all 

 woods are closed to the removal of litter till the second half of 

 the rotation; the close-time is as follows : 



In the Wurtemberg State forests all rights to litter have 



