24 Germany. 



hardwoods found throughout the empire, but especially 

 highly developed in the west and southwest. In addi- 

 tion there are half a dozen species of minor or more 

 local importance, but the five mentioned form the basis 

 of the forestry systems. 



Politically it may be mentioned that out of the very 

 many independent principalities, variable in number 

 from time to time, into which the German territory had 

 been divided, the 26 which had preserved their autonomy 

 formed in 1871 the federation of States, known as the 

 German Empire. Each of these has its own representa- 

 tive government including the forest administration, 

 very much like the United States; only the army and 

 navy, tariff, posts, telegraphs, railroads, criminal law 

 and foreign policy, and a few other matters are under 

 the direct jurisdiction of the empire, represented in the 

 Eeichstag, the Bundesrath and the Emperor. 



The history of the development of forestry in Ger- 

 many may be divided into periods variously. Bernhardt 

 recognizes six periods; Schwappach makes four divi- 

 sions, namely, the first, from the earliest times to the 

 end of the Carlovingians (911) which is occupied mainly 

 with the development of forest property conditions ; the 

 second, to the end of the Middle Ages (1500), during 

 which the necessity of forest management begins to be 

 sporadically recognized: the third, to the end of the 18th 

 century, during which the foundation for the develop- 

 ment of all branches of forestry is laid; the fourth, 

 the modern period accomplishing the complete estab- 

 lishment of forestry methods in all parts of Germany. 

 For the later historian it would be proper to recognize a 



