71 



one to two kilometers wide, and are situated between the Rhine and the foot of 

 the hills at an elevation of 170 metres. One hundred and forty-nine hectares of 

 this area belongs to Government, and is known under the name of Kaiserwald; 

 the rest belongs to six villages in the vicinity. Of these the best stocked and 

 most instructive is that belonging to the village of Grafenhausen, 148 hectares, 

 adjoining the Kaiserwald on the west side. Over the whole area of these forests 

 the soil is not uniformly good. It always consists of a surface layer ot loam 

 with much vegetable mould, resting upon a stratum of more binding clayey soil 

 under which there is a thick stratum of gravel. The thickness of the soil over 

 lying the gravel varies. At the same time there are slight differences in level, 

 and these circumstances are believed to have a considerable influence on the dis- 

 tribution of the trees of which the forest is composed. 



The whole of this forest is treated as coppice under standards. In low situ- 

 ations and on moister soils, where soft woods prevail, the rotation of the coppice 

 is 25 years, but most of the area is worked under a rotation of 30 years. The 

 species of which these forests consist are ash, oak (Quercus pedunculate^, alder, 

 hornbeam, sycamore, and elm. Of subordinate importance are birch, aspen, maple, 

 wild cherry, and willow. Over the greater part of the forest the ash prevails, 

 and its proportion is being steadily increased by planting. In suitable localities- 

 this is also the case with the oak. In regard to the influence of the soil upon 

 the distribution of the different kinds, it may be said that where the gravel is 

 dry and near the surface the hornbeam prevails in the underwood and the oak 

 succeeds particularly well, while in such localities the ash is apt to become stag- 

 headed after the age of sixty years. Such places also generally have a somewhat 

 higher level. Where the gravel is moist the ash, the hazel, and the elm prevail ; 

 where the gravel is wet the oak is wanting, while the alder, elm, and hazel 

 abound. In such places, and on low ground generally, the rotation is only twenty- 

 five years, because this is sufficient for the prevailing kinds, which, as already 

 stated, are the alder, the elm, and the hazel. In such places, however, the pro- 

 portion of the ash is being steadily increased by planting, and eventually the- 

 normal length of a thirty years' rotation will probably be established. 



COPPICE AND FIELD CROPS ix THE SIEGEN DISTRICT. 



The Sieg, which flows into the Rhine below Bonn, drains a large area of 

 mountainous country, rising to near 700 m. (2,300 feet), the rocks of which, clay 

 slate and grauwacke of the Devonian formation, are remarkable on account of 

 the numerous veins of excellent iron ore which they contain. The oak is the 

 principal tree, forming excellent high forest, more or less mixed with hornbeam 

 and beech, up to the top of the highest hills, such as are rarely found in similar 

 localities, while over an area of 57,000 hectares (140,800 acres), on both sides of the 

 Sieg as well as on the headwaters of the Dill, a tributary of the Lahn River, a 

 peculiar class of oak coppice prevails, known under the local designation of 

 " hauberge." This area is situated in the circles (Kreise) of Siegen and Olpe, 

 which form part of the civil district (Regierungsbezirk) of Arnsberg, belonging 

 to the Province of Westphalia, and in some tracts belonging to the adjoining dis- 

 trict of Coblenz and Wiesbaden. The following remarks relate chiefly to the 

 circle of Siegen. 



^j 



In the narrow valleys of this mountainous country are numerous factories, 

 mines, and iron works, some of them of old standing, formerly worked with 

 water-power, now mostly with water-power and steam, surrounded by well- 

 watered meadows, with very limited areas of fields and gardens. The hills are 

 well wooded, and, as already stated, almost exclusively stocked with oak. In the 



