FORESTRY COMMISSIONER 143 



had belonged to private parties. Frederick the Great or. 

 dered the division of the national forests into compart- 

 ments or blocks, each of which was to acquire the age of 

 70 years before being cut. But inasmuch as it was found 

 that 70 years were not sufficient for the proper growth of 

 the trees, each of these main compartments were sub- 

 divided into two compartments, so that a period of growth 

 running 140 years was established. 



There had been, in more ancient times, laws relating to 

 forests for certain parts of Prussia, the first dating 1547. 

 These related to the right of using the forest and necessi- 

 ty of replanting, more than to general systematic care. 

 One can therefore properly claim that Frederick the Great 

 is the father of the German forests, as it was he who 

 created the existing forestry laws and made them apply 

 to private as well as to state forests. 



