10:^ FEI.LTXG AND CONVERSION. 



small allotments of forest lands for cultivation at a low rent, 

 during the good behaviour of the woodcutter ; or of building- 

 timber, at cheap rates, for the construction of new woodcutter's 

 houses, or repairs of old ones. 



Ajipointments, when vacancies arise, of useful woodcutters who 

 have served long in the forest, as forest-guards, fire-watchers, 

 road-guards, foremen, &c., can be only rarely given, but may 

 be mentioned with the other means of attracting good men to 

 the forest. The frequently indifferent pay of forest-guards, and. 

 in Germany, the preference given to old soldiers for these posts, 

 often render the above impracticable. 



In many forest districts friendly societies are established to 

 which every woodcutter is obliged to contribute a certain per- 

 centage of his wages, and the forest owner also contributes 

 proportionally. From these deposits allowances are made in 

 cases of sickness or accident, and usually also to old wood- 

 cutters' widows and orphans. If these societies are to be real 

 incentives to a steady labour-force, they must dispose of sufficient 

 capital and offer real and sufficient help in times of need. 

 Several of these funds are very substantial concerns ; as at 

 Clausthal in Hannover, in the Sihlwald belonging to the town 

 of Zurich, and other localities. In some places these under- 

 takings are of doubtful efficacy. There is now a general imperial 

 fund for the whole of Germany to provide insurance against 

 accident, and pensions in old age for workmen of all classes, 

 and from this fund the best results may be expected. 



Section II. — AVoodcitters' Implements. 



Although custom, experience, and skill may to a certain 

 extent supply the want of good implements, it cannot be denied 

 that, in every industry, not only more but better work can be 

 done with good tools than with bad ones. This must neces- 

 sarily be the case in forestry, and the more so, the less skilful 

 and experienced are the Avoodcutters who are employed. The 

 supply of good implements is, therefore, an important object 

 for the forest nianager which he must always keep in view. 



"Woodcutters' implements are classified according as they are 

 used for hewing, sawing, splitting or grubbing-up the wood. 



