Development of Silviculture. 61 



In Prussia, in 1773, all recipients of free wood had to 

 do service in the cultures; in 1785 every farmer had to 

 furnish a certain amount of cones or acorns. The 

 method, lately adopted in Eussia, came into vogue in 

 Prussia in 1719, namely, of charging, beside? the value 

 of the wood, a toll to be paid into the planting fund 

 (about 7% of the value), which method was also imi- 

 tated elsewhere. 



The use of the Waldfeldbau (combined farm and for- 

 est culture) was also inaugurated for the purpose of 

 cheapening the cost of plantations (by .. Langen in 

 1744) when the great movement for reforesting wastes 

 and openings began, the tree seed beinir sown with the 

 grain either at once or after farm u.=e for some years. 



Regular annual planting budget- (of $50 $100 

 $200) were inaugurated in Brunswick by v. Langen 

 in 1745 , and in 1781 the Prussian forest administration 

 had attained to entirely modem planting plans and 

 annual planting budgets. 



It was no wonder that the fear of a timber famine and 

 the apparent hopelessness of bringing improvement into 

 the existing forest conditions created anxiety and a desire 

 to plant rapid growers, such as birch, willow, aspen, 

 alder ; the planting of the White Birch became so general 

 ia the beginning of the 18th century that a regular 

 betulomania is recorded. 



At that time, to be sure, firewood was still the main 

 concern, and these rapid growing species had some justi- 

 fication. But where birch was mixed in spruce planta- 

 tions its baneful effects consisting in whipping off the 

 spruce tips and injuring its neighbors were soon recog- 

 nized and much trouble was occasioned in getting rid of 

 the unwelcome addition. 



