594 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



and is the first technical forestry school ever established. It has always 

 stood in the front rank of forest schools. Again, the forestry of Saxony 

 is associated with, and has been largely influenced by, Dr. Max Pressler, 

 the father of forest finance and the inventor of many efficient forest 

 implements. 



The average rate of revenue from all the state forests of Saxony is 

 close to 2^ per cent. It should not be forgotten that the Saxon forests 

 have gradually risen in value during the past 100 years at an annual 

 rate of 3 per cent. ; that is, the total income, counting both cash returns 

 and latent revenue, amounts to 5^ per cent. One of the largest and 

 most progressive lumbermen in the United States has declared he could 

 not see a cash revenue of more than 2 per cent, in forest growth in our 

 country under the most favorable conditions. The lesson from the 

 experience of Germany is that conservative forestry is fairly remunera- 

 tive at least, when the price of stumpage increases steadily. At present 

 the most all-around valuable timber species in Saxony is the spruce. 

 There is practically an unlimited demand for this wood in the rapidly 

 developing local industries. The spruce is raised in a rotation of 80 

 years. Clear cutting is practised and the succeeding crops are started 

 by transplanting seedlings from the nurseries. The expense of plant- 

 ing (outplanting) averages about $10 per acre. The Saxon forester, 

 instead of concentrating his logging operations and the subsequent re- 

 plantings in one place, has a large number of cutting series : that is, he 

 removes a small strip of the oldest trees in each of a large number of 

 places at short intervals of time. Although this increases the cost of 

 logging, the advantages are more than balanced by a lessened loss by 

 windfall in the older stands, and better conditions in way of shade and 

 moisture, decrease of insect injur}^ etc., for the young plantations. 

 Owing to the short rotation the trees in the Saxon forests are much 

 smaller than are usually seen in Germany. Inasmuch as small timber, 

 saplings and poles, are in great demand, it is found that the smaller 

 sizes are more remunerative investment than the larger trees of a longer 

 rotation. 



As an example of a completely rejuvenated forest, the one owned 

 and operated by the city of Heidelberg presents an impressive illustra- 

 tion. A little more than a century ago, this forest, which is on abso- 

 lute forest or non-agricultural land, was a worthless wilderness. The 

 few straggling trees were decrepit and diseased. The whole forest had 

 been practically ruined, by the combined action of fire, pasturing and 

 reckless cuttings. To-day tliere are few better or more remunerative 

 forests in Germany. It is an interesting picture, and sliows what tlie 

 art of foresty can accomplish when based on the principles, and oper- 

 ated by the methods, of science. There was one feature of this forest 

 that presented a peculiarly interesting, not to say fascinating, picture 



