316 Denmark. 



land had to yield early to plow and pasture. Attempts 

 at conservative use of the forest area date back to 

 1557 when Christian III issued a forest ordinance 

 directing his vassals or liege lords to permit the 

 peasants to secure their domestic wood requirements 

 at a cheap rate, but not to permit cutting for sale or 

 export, and reserving to himself all returns from such 

 sales. There were also regulations for the pasture, 

 especially as to goats, and for the use of the mast, 

 which then formed more than one-quarter of the 

 income from the royal forests. 



In the 18th century the need of forest management 

 was recognized, and in 1762 the two eminent German 

 foresters, von Langen and von Zanthier (see p. 88) 

 were invited to visit Denmark and Norway (see above) 

 with a view of organizing such management. In 

 1760, eight young Danes were sent to von Langen in 

 Wernigerode to study his methods for three years, 

 and these with the two German foresters returned 

 in 1762, and under the direction of von Langen organ- 

 ized the Seeland forest areas and started the first 

 plantations of conifers, which are now the pride of 

 Danish foresters. 



In 1781, the State forests were altogether placed 

 under an organized administration. 



By the beginning of the 19th century the reduction 

 of forest areas had progressed to such an extent that, 

 in 1805, a law was enacted providing that the then 

 existing forest area containing beech and oak should 

 be maintained as such forever, or at least that for 

 any new clearing an equivalent area be planted to 

 forest. This law was perhaps the result of a journey 



