HISTORIC SKETCH 5 



could not be refused, and so arose that system of so-called 

 " servitudes," or forest rights, which still exists in many parts 

 of Germany. 



Conversion of the forest into arable land was a common 

 practice far into the later Middle Ages. The particularly 

 rapid growth of the population during the eleventh and 

 twelfth centuries gave rise to a period of active forest 

 destruction. Favouring this was the improvement in agri- 

 cultural methods, which gradually spread from west to east. 



Before the end of the Middle Ages it became apparent 

 that the destruction of the forests was endangering the 

 timber supply of the towns and trades dependent on the 

 forest for their raw material. Not unimportant also, as an 

 incentive for legislation, was the necessity of forests for the 

 purposes of the chase. Prohibitions limiting further clear- 

 ances were brought about, first in the more settled and, for 

 those early times, comparatively densely populated parts of 

 Germany. 



In the Rheingau, restrictions were made in 1226, and 

 many enactments in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries laid 

 down laws and prescriptions for the regulation of the fellings. 

 These ordinances were welcomed alike by individual land- 

 owners and village communities. Their object was to intro- 

 duce methodical treatment in place of previous haphazard 

 utilisation of forest products, and to ensure the permanence 

 of the supply. 



Even thus early, we find such subjects dealt with as esti- 

 mates of the actual requirements for timber and fuel, extent 

 of existing woods, supervision of work done in the forest, 

 regulation of grazing cattle, and similar matters. 



At the same time, rules were formulated prescribing the 

 means whereby exhausted forest might be reproduced. The 

 oldest method of regeneration was the protection of young 

 growth which had arisen spontaneously. This led very 

 naturally to the preservation of seed trees whose function 

 was to sow the ground, and any persons destroying trees left 

 for this purpose were severely punished. 



