CHIEF FIRE WARDEN, 113 



Rueger, Stuttgart, 1880, gives a fair review of the situation 

 of the forestry of the country. It may here be stated that 

 in respect to net revenue Saxony and Wurtemberg stand 

 at the head of forest administration and forest culture in 

 general. 



PRIVATE FORESTS. 



The aggregate extent of private forests is 528, 794 acres, 

 of which 2 10, ooo acres are administered by technical forest 

 officials; the remainder is also administered in a proper man- 

 ner. As the permission of the government is required for 

 cutting and replanting of forest lands, and this permission 

 is only given under the condition that an equal area to 

 what has been cut shall be planted, the aggregate area of 

 forest land remains the same throughout the whole country ; 

 but portions of it are gradually coming into the possession 

 of the state government. 



FREDERICK THE GREAT, THE FATHER OF GERMAN 

 FORESTRY. 



Frederick the Great promulgated laws in 1740 and 1754 

 for regulating the cutting of wood, which previously had 

 been done as everyone pleased, without any regard to re- 

 planting. In place of such improvident practice he estab- 

 lished rotations of 70 years; that is, he provided that forests 

 should have 70 years in which to mature before being cut, 

 also prescribed methods of thinning so that the young and 

 healthy growth of oak and beech would be better protect- 

 ed. Later instructions were issued in 1764, 1770, 1780, 

 1783. In addition to this he instituted communal forests 

 under the care of wardens, forbade private owners from 

 every wasteful cutting and placed under the care of the 

 state a portion of the forests in Silisia which previously 



