280 Finland. 



resistant has increased its area and in spite of the 

 deterioration of the soil by fire reproduces well. 



Originally the forest was communal property, but 

 in 1524, Gustav Vasa declared all forest and water 

 not specially occupied to belong to "God, King and 

 the Swedish Crown," although he allowed the usufruct 

 to the people free of charge or nearly so. These 

 rights of user are still the bane of the forest adminis- 

 tration. Being left without supervision it mattered 

 little who owned the land, the forest was ruthlessly 

 exploited. Later, the rights of user thus originating 

 were bought off by ceding lands to the peasants. 



Not until 1851 did an improvement in these con- 

 ditions occur when a provisional administration of 

 the State forests was provided in connection with the 

 Land Survey; but a rational organization materialized 

 only after an eminent German forester, v. Berg, 

 Director of the forest school of Tharandt, had been 

 imported (1858) to effect a reconstruction. His 

 advice was, however, only partially followed, and the 

 organization was not perfected until 1869. 



Almost immediately, a powerful opposition to the 

 administration developed, because it could not at 

 once show increased profits, and the personnel which 

 had been scanty enough, was still further reduced, the 

 large districts into which the State property had been 

 divided were still further enlarged, and to this day, 

 improvement in these respects has been only partial. 



The State forest area, situated mainly in the north 

 is stated as between 35 and 45 million acres (variable 

 because of clearing for farms and new settlements), 



