FORESTRY COMMISSIONER. 127 



FORESTS OF THE UDDEHOLM COMPANY, SWEDEN.* 



The forests of the Uddeholm Stock Company are situ* 

 ated in nine parishes in the province of Vermland and in 

 two parishes of the province of Dalarne. Karlstad, on 

 Lake Wenern, about fifty (English) miles distant, and 

 Gothenberg, about one hundred and eighty miles distant, 

 are the nearest export harbors. Lake Wenern is con- 

 nected with the Baltic and also the North Sea by the 

 Gotha and Trollhatte (canals). The company owns fifty- 

 six miles of railroad Nordmark-Klarelfven with thirteen 

 stations/ which transports all sorts of goods, especially 

 iron and lumber, to and between the works. The com- 

 pany owns 400,000 acres of land in Vermland and 25,000 

 acres in Dalarne. About 60,000 acres have been acquired 

 within the last ten years. Of the entire area, not exceed- 

 ing 60,000 acres consist of naked tracts, fields, meadow, 

 also unproductive surface of moss, lake and rocky eleva- 

 tions; while at least about 375,000 acres consist of natu- 

 ral forest-bearing land. Hereof perhaps 15,000 to 18,- 

 ooo acres are pasture land. Pine comprises 70 per cent 

 of the forest, and spruce 30 per cent of all trees large 

 enough for the saw. The birch is the prevailing species 

 within the pasture, but among the birch conifers are gen- 

 erally found. 



The Uddeholm Company's lands lie on both sides of 

 the Klar river along its middle course. The parish of Ra- 

 men, in Vermland, and the boundary of Dalarne termin- 

 ate the extent of the property on the east and the two 

 judicial districts of Fryksdal on the west. About 375,- 

 ooo acres lie in one body. Only a very little public for- 

 est and some belonging to farmers are included therein 

 here and there. The rocky elevations consist of primary 

 rocks, ' principally granite and gneiss, with interspersed 



"Information furnished in Swedish by Dr. Fredrik I,oven, chief forest master, through 

 Mr. Gust. Jansson, manager of the Munkfors Iron Works. 



