112 ANNUAL REPORT OF 



permit) an equal annual cutting. At present the cutting 

 is fixed at 1.94 cubic meters per acre. The cutting is con- 

 tracted for with laborers living in the neighborhood of the 

 woods. By good management there are at a given plot 

 generally trees of about the same age: If the natural seed 

 falling is intended to be used, the larger trees, either sin- 

 gle or in crops, are cut out in a direction against the pre- 

 vailing winds ; the remaining trees are thinned and grad- 

 ually cut out as the growing young trees may demand. 

 If the natural seed falling is not taken into consideration, 

 the wood crop is cut clean in narrow strips, also in a 

 direction against the prevailing winds, and the cutting of 

 the second and following strips is postponed until the 

 young plantings can dispense with the side protection of 

 the old woods. It is a principle that replanting follows im- 

 mediately after the cuttings. Moreover, the state buys 

 every year about 400 acres of woodland to increase and 

 round off the forests. 



The amount of damage annually caused by forest fires 

 is only $642.60, and the principal cause of such fires is 

 carelessness and negligence while smoking and lighting 

 fires in or near the forests. In the last ten years, out of 

 1 20 forest fires only 8 were caused by sparks from locomo- 

 tives, and of these only one caused considerable damage 

 (about 13, 570). 



In regard to the rank in the forest service, as compared 

 with other branches of the public service, it may be said 

 that the forest officials rank in general equally with those 

 state officials who are graduates of the university. The 

 Department of Forests is directed by one president, four 

 technical and four administrative members and one com- 

 mander of the forest guards. The salary of the president 

 is $1,844.50 per year; the salary of the members of the 

 Board of Direction is from $1,190 to $i, 6 1 8. A work 

 entitled "The Forests of Wurtemberg," published by 



