Government Forestry Abroad. 



MY (ilFKORI) IMN'CHOT. 



The following article has been rather hastily pre- 

 pared from such materials and experience as the 

 writer was able to command, and while from the 

 nature of the case it cannot claim to be a compre- 

 hensive treatment of the subject, it is believed that 

 the statements and statistics which it contains are 

 accurate. 



Germany, France and Switzerland have been dwelt 

 upon more at length, both because forestry has 

 reached a wider development there, and because the 

 writer can speak concerning them from personal 

 observation. 



The history of the forest has developed itself along 

 similar lines in all the countries of Europe. Its course 

 in. the central part of the Continent, which may be 

 taken as fairly representative of what it was else- 

 where, is thus briefly summarized. 



At first the forest held the same relation to man 

 as to the game upon which he lived. His demand 

 upon it was insignificant, but. as he advanced in the 

 scale of civilization, he began to call upon the forest 

 for greater supplies of timber, and especially for the 

 pasturage of his herds. Until comparatively recent 

 times this was the chief service which gave the wood 



