Development of Forest Policy. 317 



in 1802, to Germany made by two leading officials of 

 the forest department, German influence through 

 Cotta and Hartig being at this time visible every- 

 where. 



Other restrictions in the disposal of peasants' farms 

 or woodlands and in the manner of farming the large 

 estates (otherwise than by renting to farmers), were 

 also enacted in order to secure stability of the peasant 

 class. It was at this time that the accumulative 

 taxing of landed estates now under heated discussion 

 in Great Britain, was used effectively to break up 

 the aggregation of landed property and changed the 

 country from one of baronial estates to small farmer's 

 holdings. In this reform movement the name of Count 

 Reventlow, Chief of the State forest department, 

 appears as the leading spirit. 



The forest area, which until 1820 was on the de- 

 crease, has since that time increased steadily, and is 

 especially now increasing through reforestation of 

 waste lands. 



At present, most intensive forest management 

 is practised in the State forest as well as in the com- 

 munal and private forest areas, which latter as stated, 

 are largely in farmers' wood lots since the law forbids the 

 union of small farms into large estates. There is HttLe 

 com munal property, and large private estates are 

 also rare. The State owns about 24% of the forest 

 area or 142,000 acres, of which one third is nonpro- 

 ductive or otherwise occupied, and one third con- 

 sists of coniferous plantations. Excepting in the beech 

 forest, most of the timber is of the younger age classes, 

 below 60 to 80 years, and it is anticipated that the cut 



