Forest Administration. 121 



the end of the Napoleonic wars (1815) which had 

 undoubtedly retarded the peaceful development of 

 this as well as of other reforms. 



The present organization of the large Prussian 

 forest department in its present form dates from 1820, 

 when Hartig instituted the division into provincial 

 administrations, and differentiated them into direc- 

 tive, i nspection and executive services. The direc- 

 tion of the provincial manajjpmpnt was placed in the 

 hands of an Obe rforstmeister . with the assistance of 

 a number of Forstmeister . who acted mainly as in- 

 spectors, each having his inspection district consisting 

 of a number of ranges. The ranges (100,000 to 

 125,000 acres) were placed in charge of Oberforst er 

 or Rgyiexfotslej, who with the assistance of several 

 underforesters (Forster) conducted the practical work. 

 At first only indifferently educated, these latter were 

 allowed little latitude, but with improvement in their 

 education they became by degrees more and more 

 independent agents. 



This tri-partite system of directing, inspecting and 

 executive officers, after various changes in titles and 

 functions, finally became practically established in 

 all the larger German states; in some rather lately, 

 as for instance, in Bavaria, not until 1885, and in 

 Wiirttemberg in 1887. 



With this more stable organization, the character 

 and the status of the personnel changed greatly: the 

 prior right of the nobility to the higher positions, 

 which had lasted in some States until 1848, and the 

 practice of making connection with military service 

 a basis for appointment were abolished, and, instead 



