193] Government Forestry Abroad. 



time and the narrow boundaries of supply, it was on the whole by 

 no means unjustified. It gave, at least, the first impulse to economy. 

 Under the influence of this universal sentiment, but perhaps caused 

 even more by the interest in hunting and in the security of the 

 rights of property, a gradual change for the better appeared in the 

 destiny of the forest. Its importance as a national treasure had at 

 all events penetrated the minds of the more intelligent classes. 



"There begins now a time of restless work in the forest, a time 

 of struggle for its preservation and rehabilitation, the results of 

 which no other nation has realized so fully as the German. 



"Apart from the measures which were demanded by the security 

 of property and the economical ordering of forest utilization, the 

 efforts of the forester were chiefly directed to the regeneration of 

 the forest. This was accomplished in those regions which had 

 partially escaped destruction by tin- assistance of the free regenera- 

 tive power of nature, in the totally devastated areas by artificial 

 means. The rational treatment of the wood lands had begun." 



All forest management may be said to rest on two 

 closely related facts which are so self-evident that 

 they might almost be called axioms of forestry, but 

 which, like other axioms, lead to conclusions of far- 

 reaching application. These are, first, that trees 

 require many years to reach merchantable size; and, 

 secondly, that a forest crop cannot be taken every 

 year from the same land. From the last statement 

 it follows that a definite, far-seeing plan is necessary 

 for the rational management of any forest, from the 

 first; that forest property is safest under the super- 

 vision of some imperishable guardian: or, in other 

 words, of the State. 



GERMANY. 



It is natural in treating the subject of State for- 

 estry to begin with Germany, since it is here that it 

 has reached its furthest development and most stable 

 condition. In Germany, then, the forests cover an 



