io FORESTRY 



4. The Transition to Present Conditions 



Still further alterations in the ownership of German forest 

 lands occurred in the latter half of the eighteenth century. 

 These were brought about chiefly by the extension of public 

 rights, much land passing out of the possession of the nobility 

 to become the property of the State. The communal forests 

 that had escaped distribution among their joint owners, or 

 seizure by the overlords, were now cared for by the re- 

 spective townships. 



The burdens on the forest in the shape of rights continued 

 to increase till the beginning of the nineteenth century. The 

 augmented value of forest products and agricultural changes 

 have since led to the gradual reduction of these obligations 

 by arrangement with the beneficiaries, though this has neces- 

 sitated considerable expenditure. 



An important step in the progress of sylviculture was the 

 evolution of the so-called Selection System, introduced at 

 the end of the eighteenth century. By it, single trees or 

 small groups in the forest are chosen and felled, according as 

 their state of maturity suggests, and the necessity for younger 

 growth requires. Originally adopted for the utilisation and re- 

 generation of deciduous species, particularly Beech, the system 

 met with the commendation of those pioneers in scientific 

 forestry, G. L. Hartig and Heinrich von Cotta. Upon the 

 selection method being applied to the Scots Pine the species 

 least suited to this treatment failure resulted, which caused 

 a sudden reaction in favour of clear-felling with subsequent 

 planting. Both the selection and the clear-felling systems 

 have their peculiar advantages under particular circumstances ; 

 but the indiscriminate use of either leads naturally enough to 

 disappointment. 



The financial crisis consequent upon the great wars at 

 the beginning of the nineteenth century had its effect upon 

 the forest. Natural regeneration by seed, being a cheap 

 method of restocking, rose again in favour. This period 



