238 FORESTRY INVESTIGATIONS U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The net. income, in spite of large yields in wood material and a fairly good market, is com- 

 paratively small, though slightly improving. In 1886, when this income was still lower, a special 

 investigation was undertaken, to set forth the reasons of this small net revenue and to suggest 

 improvement. All oberfoersters of note contributed their opinions, and on the whole good results 

 seem to have come from their suggestions for improvement. The chief trouble evidently lies in 

 the great proportion of hardwoods, which leads to a large production of firewood and a small 

 proportion of timber or work wood. Thus 66 per cent of all oak, 1)1 per cent of all beech, and 80 

 per cent of all other hardwoods had to be sold as cord and fire wood, bringing generally about 5 

 cents per cubic foot solid, or about $5 per cord, while for the coniferous woods only 36 per cent 

 has to be sacrificed as cord wood, the rest being sold as timber for just twice the amount obtained 

 for firewood. 



This condition of affairs is materially aggravated by the general use of coal as fuel and the 

 rejection of beech as tie timber on railways, etc. This condition of affairs in Alsace-Lorraine is of 

 great interest in considering the forest conditions of the United States. It shows evidently that 

 it is the coniferous timbers which must be looked to as the important ones, and that even large 

 supplies of hardwoods can not be expected to replace such staples as white pine or spruce. 



METHODS OF GERMAN FOREST MANAGEMENT. 



The following brief description of the methods of German forest management, by which the 

 results described Lave been attained, was originally prepared in connection with an exhibit at the 

 World's Fair, which the chief of the Division of Forestry collected and installed upon the invita- 

 tion and at the expense of the German Government, and is mainly reprinted with additions from 

 his annual report for 1893. The description having been based upon the objects exhibited no 

 attempt has been made to alter the form. 



MAP WORK AND FOREST DISTRICTING. 



The first requirement in the management of any property is that all its conditions should be 

 known and recorded; hence a topographic survey of the forest district to be placed' under man- 

 agement is the first requisite. Such survey refers not only to the boundaries and topographical 

 features of the district itself, but also to the surroundings, especially with reference to connections 

 with markets. Finally, for government forests, the geographical position of the forest areas in 

 general should be grouped according to ownership. Maps of the latter description were exhibited 

 from the Governments of Bavaria and of Wurttemberg. 



These show in three different colors the forest areas belonging to the Government, to commu- 

 nities and institutions, and to private owners. From these it could be seen not only that the three 

 classes of proprietors share about equally in the ownership of the forest area, but that the 

 Government owns mainly the forests on the mountains, where forest management must be carried 

 on not for profit, but for indirect benefits in the preservation of favorable soil and water conditions, 

 which therefore makes the permanent, well-organized management "by and for the people" 

 necessary. Contrary to the notion to which currency is so often given in the United States, the 

 vnrious governments of Germany do not own more than 35 per cent, exercising partial control (so 

 as to prevent destruction and waste) over only 15 per cent in the hands of communities and 

 institutions, and leaving the balance of 50 per cent of the forest area in private hands almost 

 entirely without restriction. 



Sometimes the contours of the country are also indicated on the maps, which serve the useful 

 economic purpose of permitting ready reference of the forest areas to the topography. As an 

 instance of such work there was shown a relief map of Ilesse. On this the forest areas were 

 indicated in green color. 



For the sake of orderly administration, the whole country is separated into forest divisions or 

 inspections (sometimes both), each of which forms a separate unit of administration. 



It is to be understood that we are now speaking only of the Government forests, which are 

 under a uniform general administration. 



The administration of the Government forests is usually assigned either to the nuance 



