290 Sweden. 



be estimated to come near to 1,200 million cubic feet 

 which is believed far in excess of the annual growth, 

 much of the nearly 50 million acres of forest area 

 having been devastated or deteriorated by axe and 

 fire and being located in a northern zone where the 

 growth is slow (1 inch in 12 to 15 years). According 

 to others, the cut remains below the increment by 

 about 25 per cent., the latter being figured at 25 cubic 

 feet per acre. In the State forests, to be sure, mostly 

 located in the more northern tiers, the cut is kept 

 between 6 and 7 cubic feet effective, but here a waste 

 of sometimes 40% is incurred in the exploitation due 

 to the difficulties in transport. 



1. Property Conditions. 



It was Gustav Vasa who, in 1542, declared all un- 

 cultivated lands the property of the Crown. Parts 

 of them, however, were given to colonists, and these 

 as well as the resident population had the right to 

 use the neighboring forest to supply their needs for 

 wood and pasture. By the continued exercise of this 

 right, the forest came to be considered commons, 

 proprietary rights remaining long in doubt. Finally, 

 a division came about, some of the lands becoming 

 the property of the parishes, others of smaller dis- 

 tricts (the hundreds), others again encumbered or 

 unencumbered property of the State, and some re- 

 mained in joint ownership of State and private in- 

 dividuals under various complicated conditions. 



The State now owns somewhat over 16 million 

 acres, of which, however, only 70% are really forest, 

 and controls more or less 4 million more, of which 



