Statictics and Description. 25 



territory with 5 million acres of forest. The balance 

 of the area is divided among the other 19 states. 



Fifty per cent, of Germany roughly speaking, is 

 plains country, the larger part in the northern and 

 eastern territory of Prussia; 25% is hill country, 

 mostly in West and Middle Germany; and 25% is 

 mountain country, the larger portion in the southern 

 states. 



There are at best only five species of timber of 

 high economic general importance, the (Scotch) pine 

 which covers large areas in the northern sandy plain 

 and the lighter soils in the south ; the (Norway) spruce 

 and (Silver) fir which form forests in the southwestern 

 and other mountain regions and represent, in mixture 

 with broadleaf forest, a goodly proportion in the north- 

 eastern lowlands; the (English) oak, of which botani- 

 cally two species are recognized; and the beech. 

 The last two are the most important hardwoods 

 found throughout the empire, but especially highly 

 developed in the west and southwest. In addition, 

 there are half a dozen species of minor or more local 

 importance, but the five mentioned form the basis 

 of the forestry systems. 



The history of the development of forestry in Ger- 

 many may be divided into periods variously. Bern- 

 hardt recognizes six periods; Schwappach makes four 

 divisions, namely, the first, from the earliest times 

 to the end of the Carlovingians (911), which is occupied 

 mainly with the development of forest property con- 

 ditions; the second, to the end of the Middle Ages 

 (1500), during which the necessity of forest manage- 



