33 



Semi-official and private Societies and Asso- 

 ciations concerned with Forestry. 



The Norwegian Forestry Society (Det norske Skogselskap), which 

 was founded in 1898, works partly with private means and partly with 

 grants from the State. Its objects are to diffuse information regarding 

 the afforesting of treeless tracts and for the advancement of Norwe- 

 gian forestry in general. 



Under this society stand the local forestry societies (county fore- 

 stry societies) in all the districts of the country I in each county. 

 The county forestry societies have in their service about 50 fully quali- 

 fied officials, who give free of charge to the owners of forests guidance 

 in all matters concerning forestry, in the same manner as is done in 

 the case of agriculture by the agricultural official mentioned on pages 

 24 and 27. 



Through the forestry societies the State gives grants towards the 

 planting of forests both to private plantations and to the local autho- 

 ritites. 



The Norwegian Fores t-owners' Union. 



This union is an amalgamation of the local associations of forest- 

 owners, which are to be found in most of the forest districts through- 

 out the country. The union was founded in 1913 and its object is to pro- 

 tect the common interests of forest-owners, especially as regards the sale, 

 transport, measurement and floatage of timber. The union also co- 

 operates in all more important legal questions and otherwise in all im- 

 portant matters that are of interest for forestry. 



Associations for Joint Floatage. 



Pursuant to the law of the ist of July 1887 concerning the utilisa- 

 tion of the water-courses, those persons for whose account the floatage 

 in a river takes place are entitled, when the majority of them are agreed, 

 to decide that the floatage shall proceed in common and under joint 

 management, as well as to establish the rules under which the floatage 

 is to be carried out. In order that the decision regarding the adoption 

 of joint floatage or alterations in the adopted rules may be valid the 

 majority must represent at least one-third of the quantity of timber floa- 

 ted in the water-course in question during the preceding year. The rules 

 are subject to the approbation of the King in council. These combina- 

 tions are called associations for joint floatage. Such associations have 

 been established along most of the great water-courses throughout the 

 country. They have by improving the river channels given a great 

 impetus to the operation of floatage. The expenses are covered by a 

 charge upon the timber that is transported by floating. 



Associations for Measuring of Timber. 

 Until a few years age the purchaser himself prescribed the rules 

 for the measurement of the timber he bought and himself got the mea- 



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