105] Government Forestry Abroad. 11 



* 



the purposes of this paper, its chief interest lies. 

 From this point of view public interests " must be 

 taken to mean all interests other than private ones. 

 So understood, this maxim may be said to sum up 

 the forest policy of nearly all the nations of Europe, 

 as well under republican as under governments of a 

 distinctly paternal character. 



The Kingdom of Prussia, both as the head of the 

 German Bund and as the State which has developed 

 the forest organization most worthy to be taken as 

 an example, will furnish the completest illustration. 



Covering an area of some 8,153.946 hectares, the 

 forests of Prussia occupy 23.4 per cent, of the total 

 surface of the country. Of this wood land it may 

 be said roughly that one-third is stocked with decidu- 

 ous trees, and two-thirds with the less demanding 

 conifers, a reversal of the old conditions, which is 

 largely due to the deterioration of the soil and to the 

 fact that the richer ground has been rightly claimed 

 for agricultural uses. The ownership, a point of 

 capital importance in relation to our subject, is di- 

 vided as follows: To the State belong nearly 2,718,- 

 256 hectares, or 29 per cent.: to towns, village com- 

 munities and other public bodies. 1,302,508 hectares, 

 or 16 per cent., and to private owners 4,382,251 

 hectares, or 55 per cent. 



The relation of the State to the forests which it 

 owns is simple and rational, based as it is on the idea 

 that its ownership will be permanent. 



Holding it as a duty to preserve the wood lands 

 for the present share which they take in the economy 

 of the nation, the State has recognized as well the 

 obligation to hand down its forest wealth unimpaired 

 to future generations. It has recognized and re- 



