150 FORESTRY 



also, such work has grown in a marked manner in recent 

 years. 



Communal Forests 



Distinction is made between the various classes of forest 

 property according to ownership. Communal forests are 

 those in the corporate possession of a town, village, or 

 association. Reference has already been made to the gradual 

 subdivision of property that took place in Germany from the 

 time when the forests belonged either to the princes and lords 

 on the one hand, or to communities of peasants on the other. 

 This movement lasted till well into the nineteenth century. 

 The economic conception prevalent at the beginning of the 

 nineteenth century was more in favour of individual than 

 of collective ownership. This policy was successful with 

 agriculture, but destructive to forestry. The reasons why 

 the latter is less adapted to treatment on a small scale than 

 on extensive areas have already been discussed, and need 

 not be repeated here. Dismemberment led to very poor re- 

 sults ; systematic management of the small piece of forest 

 which became each man's lot was impossible. Even where 

 any effort in this direction was attempted, its effect was too 

 often nullified by the pests that spread from the woodland of 

 a careless neighbour. 



The fallacy of dividing forest lands has been exposed, 

 however, and the present trend of forest policy is decidedly 

 towards combination. Communal forestry is encouraged, and 

 much is being done to promote the co-operative working of 

 forest properties previously separated. 



Protection Forests 



One of the most difficult questions, and at the same time 

 one of the most important, in connection with forest policy, 

 is that which deals with the treatment of protection forests. 

 By the term "protection forest" is understood a forest 

 which from its situation, or the nature of the land which 

 is enclosed within it, is of importance to the cultivation not 



