308 Norway. 



of these productive acres half a million consists of 

 encumbered commons from which the State receives 

 hardly any income. The district commons or com- 

 munal, and other public institute forests comprise 

 around 7,800,000 acres (46%) ; but here again only 

 580,000 acres are productive. The balance then, or a 

 full one-quarter is in private hands. 



Export trade in wood had been very early carried 

 on, and had been considerably developed in the 13th 

 and 14th century. By the middle of the 17th century 

 the coast forest of oak had been cut out by Dutch 

 and English wood merchants who had obtained log- 

 ging privileges under special treaties of 1217 and 

 1308, and by Hanseatic cities, especially Hamburg 

 entering this market in the middle of the 16th 

 century. 



There are records which would make it appear that 

 at least some of the now denuded coast was forested 

 in olden times. The development of the iron industry 

 increased the drain on these supplies, which forest 

 fires, insects and excessive grazing prevented from 

 recuperating. 



As early as the middle of the 16th century we find 

 attempts to arrest the devastation by regulating the 

 export trade and supervising the sawmills, forbidding 

 especially the erection of sawmills intended to work 

 for export only. 



In the 17th century, various commissions were ap- 

 pointed by Christian IV to make forest reconnais- 

 sances and elaborate rules for proper forest use. In 

 1683, Christian V issued a forest ordinance increasing 



