236 



FORESTRY INVESTIGATIONS U. 8. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Considering the fact that these forests, in the aggregate only about as large as ten townships, 

 are scattered over considerable area, and thus their protection and management is rendered much 

 more costly than if in more compact form, these results are certainly most remarkable. 



Of the expenses, those of special interest are: 



Logging (generally) $221,000 



Administration 132, 000 



Protection 54,000 



Koads, new and repair 



Sowing, planting, etc 42.000 



As stated before, wherever the forest is cut, reforestation is at once begun. As in other 

 States, part of this is carried on by the process of natural regeueration, where the old trees are 

 never entirely removed until they have been made to seed the ground, but part is also done by 

 artificial sowing and planting. In 1894 about 125 acres were seeded anew; f>5 acres were seeded 

 to correct failures of former years; 760 acres were planted for the first time, and about 850 acres 

 of former failures were corrected. 



The work of seeding costs $11.95 per acre, the planting $11.43 per acre, which shows that it 

 is not by a peuuy-wise and pound-foolish system of retrenchment that the most extraordinary 

 results of the Baden forest management are attained. 



ALSACE AND LORRAINE. 



These two small provinces, formerly under French rule, have an area of about 3,000,000 acres 

 and a population of about 1,500,000, and are under the Imperial Government. The existing forest 

 laws of these provinces were left in force on their transfer to Germany, so that now, as in former 

 times, the French " code forestier " of 1827 and some subsequent dates decide in all affairs 

 concerning the forests. The laws in the main are like those of Baden; they restrict the right 

 of the private owner to a proper use of the forest and forbid all devastation; any clearing requires 

 a State permit, and with regard to protection against fire, insects, etc., they are subject to the 

 ordinary forest police regulations. As in Baden, the forests of corporations are managed by State 

 authorities, so that a well-planned forestry system applies to all forests except those of private 

 owners, and even these are under rigid supervision and partial control. 



The total area covered by forest is 444,466 hectares, or about 1,100,000 acres, forming about 

 30 per cent of the entire land surface. Of this forest area there belong to the State 340,000 

 acres, or 31 per cent; villages and towns, 490,000 acres, or 45 per cent; private owners, 220,000 

 acres, or 20 per cent. Besides these there are about 40,000 acres of laud belonging jointly to the 

 State and villages and 6,000 acres belonging to corporations other than municipalities. 



Since all forests, except those of private owners, are under the management of the State 

 forest authorities, fully 80 per cent of the forests of these provinces are in most excellent condition. 

 Though the exact proportion has not been ascertained, it may be said that about 60 per cent of 

 the forests are hardwoods, largely beech and oak, and only 40 per cent conifers. 



The total cut for 1891 was 



Cubic feet. 



For State forests 21,400,000 



For corporation 33, 000, 000 



Total 54,400,000 



of which about 17,500,000 cubic feet was nutzholz, or timber not sold as cord wood or firewood. 

 Of the 21,000,000 cubic feet of wood cut iu the State forests there were in 1891 : 



