294 Sweden. 



private forest area, which includes the bulk of the 

 commercial forest, is about 30 million acres (61.3%), 

 unreclaimable waste lands swelling the figure to over 

 50 million. 



2. Development of Forest Policy. 



From the times of Olaf Tratalja, the first Christian 

 king of Sweden (about 1000 A.D.), who gained fame 

 by the part he took in exploiting the forests of Werm- 

 land, down to the 14th century Sweden suffered from 

 a superabundance of forest. Nevertheless, by the end 

 of that century restriction of the wilful destruction 

 by fire was felt necessary, and an ordinance with that 

 object in view was promulgated. 



It is questionable whether this order had any effect 

 in a country, where the homestead law provided, 

 that a settler might take up "as much pasture and 

 arable land as he could make use of, twice as much 

 forest, and in addition on each side of this homestead 

 as much as a lame man could go over on crutches 

 without resting." 



Not till 1638, do we again find an attempt at forest 

 conservancy, this time in the interest of supply of 

 charcoal for the iron industry, by the appointment of 

 overseers of the public forests. 



The first general forest code, however, dates from 

 1647, which among other useless prescriptions made 

 the existing usage of planting two trees for every one 

 cut obligatory, and this provision remained on the 

 statutes until 1789. In spite of this and other, re- 

 strictive, laws, exploitation by the liege lords and the 

 communities continued until, in 1720, a director of 



