Development of Silviculture. 65 



make them release the seed, was practised, and before 

 Bremontier had written his celebrated memoire stir 

 les dunes, sanddunes had been recovered with pine 

 plantations in Germany in the manner which is still 

 in vogue. 



The planting of conifers came into practice much 

 later, and then it was mostly done with wildlings. 

 Opinions differing as to the value of sowing or planting, 

 it was erroneously held until the 19th century that 

 planting was less successful and too costly in com- 

 parison with the small harvest yield, which necessi- 

 tated cheapness of operations. It was only towards 

 the end of the 18th century that planting of pine was 

 resorted to, but merely for repairing fail places in 

 sowings and natural regeneration, and then with a 

 ball of earth (1779), using a hollow spade, a costly 

 method. The cost of a certain plantation made in 

 1751 is, however, reported as less than $3.00 per M., 

 in 1770 as low as 70 cents per M. To cheapen the 

 operations the labor was exchanged for wood, pasture 

 or other materials or advantages. 



In Prussia, in 1773, all recipients of free wood had 

 to do service in the cultures; in 1785, every farmer 

 had to furnish a certain amount of cones or acorns. 

 The method, lately adopted in Russia, came into 

 vogue in Prussia in 1719, namely, of charging, besides 

 the value of the wood, a toll to be paid into the plant- 

 ing fund (about 7% of the value). This method was 

 also imitated elsewhere. 



The use of the Waldfeldbau (combined farm and 

 forest culture) was also inaugurated for the purpose 

 of cheapening the cost of plantations (by v. Langen 



