NOTES ON GERMAN FORESTRY 



By PROF. W. R. LAZENBY 



a RARE opportunity to observe wood and timber from all state forests, 

 the forests, and to learn some- That is, no more wood should be cut 

 thing of the German forest pol- than was produced in the same year ; or 

 icy prompts me to write a few things in other words only the annual incre- 

 concerning the German forests and ment should be cut. After a time and 

 their forest policy, which may be of in- with the advent of better means of 

 terest to the forestry men of the United transportation, the fear of a wood fam- 

 States. In the first place it should be ine passed away, but the idea and 

 understood that the German Empire in practice of conservative forestry had 

 its federal capacity has nothing what- taken such a deep hold upon the public 

 ever to do with the forests. The con- mind that the development of a sane 

 trol of the forests is exclusively in the and rational forestry policy met with 

 hands of the various states, who in little or no opposition, 

 their confederation form what we know It is well known that trees, especially 

 as the nation called Germany. Each of the evergreen class, can be grown on 

 state government directs the forestry soil that is too poor for agriculture, and 

 policy of its own state and the national the artificially planted forests on either 

 government has never interfered in any rocky or on poor barren sandy lands 

 way with this procedure. We should that were unfit for remunerative farm- 

 not forget that the relation between the ing. Each German state has three 

 German states and the German Empire classes of forests. First those owned 

 is exactly the same or analogous to the by the states themselves; second those 

 relation existing between our American owned by the cities or small communi- 

 states and our Union. In our country, ties ; third those owned by private in- 

 however, the federal government has dividuals. Most of the communial and 

 done much more to develop forestry private forests are regulated by the 

 than has so far been done by any of state, that is to some degree at least, 

 the state governments or state activity. One of the important restrictions is 

 The first general forestry movement that no private owner or community 

 began about 1750. At this time the can cut more than is produced and that 

 population began rapidly to increase, all deforested land must be reforested, 

 most of the agricultural land had been One of the largest state forests is 

 cleared of timber, there was no coal, that of the Spessart mountains in Ba- 

 and no means of transportation of varia. This forest is composed very 

 wood from the mountain forests. A largely of white oak, which is said to 

 succession of winters unusually severe be the finest in the world. Owing to 

 caused much discomfort and suffering, its slow growth it is very fine and even 

 and the people awoke to the importance in texture and yields veneer logs for 

 of a fuel famine. which extravagant prices are paid. The 



average price of first class logs in the 



^ RAPID FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT wood j ^ miles f rQm the ^^ . & 



From this time forestry developed something over $250 per thousand 



with great rapidity. Everybody was board feet. While the choicest logs sell 



interested because everyone needed for more than double this price. Not 



fuel. Within the next 25 years most a few of these old oaks have a value 



of the leading state governments had exceeding $1000 each and they are only 



formulated some forest policy, the cut when it is evident that they have 



principal features being an effort to se- attained their highest value. The white 



cure a continuously substantial yield of oak of this district is as famous 



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