Forest and Property Conditions. 307 



the annual growth is estimated at less than this 

 amount, namely at the rate of nearly 21 cubic feet 

 in the southern districts, and in the northern not over 

 12 cubic feet. 



Scotch__Eine is the principal timber, and occurs 

 beyond the Arctic Circle the northernmost forest 

 in the world where its rotation becomes 150 to 200 

 years, with Norway Spruce more or less localized, 

 these two species forming 75 per cent, of the forest 

 growth ; oak, ash, basswood and elm occurring sporadi- 

 cally, and White Birch being ubiquitous. 



Forest property developed on the same lines as in 

 Sweden and in other European countries, hence we 

 find State, communal, and private property. 



When in the ninth century, upon Harold's accession, 

 the commons were declared the property of the king, 

 the rights of user, both to wood and grazing, were 

 retained by the marker, and the so-called State com- 

 mons (stats-almenninger) remain to date encumbered 

 by these rights, similar to conditions in Sweden. 

 From the end of the 17th to the middle of the 19th 

 century it was the policy of the kings to dispose of 

 these commons whenever their exchequer was low, 

 and the best of these lands became, by purchase, 

 property of the districts (bygdealmenning), provinces, 

 city and village corporations, or else became private 

 property on which the rights of user continued (privat- 

 almenninger) . 



At present the State owns, largely in the northern 

 districts, somewhat over 4.8 million acres (28.5% "k 

 but of this hardly 2 million acres are productive, and 



n 



