238 Finland. 



Being left without supervision it mattered little who 

 owned the land, the forest was ruthlessly exploited. 



Not until 1851 did an improvement in these condi- 

 tions occur when a provisional administration of the 

 State forests was provided in connection with the Land 

 Survey; but a rational organization materialized only 

 after an eminent German forester, v. Berg, Director of 

 the forest school of Tharand, had been imported (1858) 

 to effect a reconstruction. His advice was, however, 

 only partially followed and the organization was not 

 perfected until 1869, 



Almost immediately a powerful opposition to the 

 administration developed, because it could not at once 

 show increased profits, and the personnel which had 

 been scanty enough, was still further reduced, the large 

 districts into which the State property had been divided 

 were still further enlarged, and to this day improvement 

 in these respects has been only partial. 



The State forest area situated mainly in the north 

 and comprising nearly the total forest area, namely, 

 between 35 and 45 million acres (variable because of 

 clearing for farms and new settlements), contains about 

 15 million acres of bogs and moors and much other 

 waste land. 



This area was divided (1896) into 53 districts, the 

 districts being aggregated into 8 inspections, and the 

 whole service placed under a central office with a forest 

 director and 5 assistants under immediate control of the 

 Senate. The forest guards number 750, their ranges 

 averaging 50,000 acres, while the districts average 

 600,000 acres and several contain as high as 2.5 millioi 

 acres; the Forstmeister in charge may live sometime 



