(1:20 FOHKST J.l'lTl::i:. 



Bad soils and unfavourable climates are not insuperable hin- 

 drances to inotitable af,'riculture ; on the other hand, places 

 where agriculture is contending with forestry for the land, moun- 

 tain-forest regions and extensive sandy plains only penuriously 

 repay the most assiduous industry of the peasantry. There is no 

 more erroneous State policy than that of sacrificing forests to the 

 plough in places where Nalurc denies the means for profitable 

 agriculture. Agriculture will never prosper on actual forest land 

 or on soil naturally adapted for forests. Unfortunately farms 

 have been extended into real forest land, the complaisant forest 

 owner having thus prepared a rod for his own back, and he 

 cannot now refuse moderate concessions of forest litter to the 

 farmers. 



Over-population and excessive subdivision of landed property 

 are cankers in agriculture against which the forester is 

 powerless. In such cases, the forest is invariably sacrificed, 

 for there can then be no question regarding the actual necessity 

 for forest litter, but only how to maintain the forest in spite of 

 its removal. 



During years ^\•heu crops have failed and the supply of straw 

 and fodder is below the average, the scarcity of straw being every- 

 where felt, it is fully justifiable, as an exceptional measure, to 

 meet the deficiency from the forest. Thus, in the year of drought 

 1898, 75,000 tons of forest litter were conceded from the Bavarian 

 State forests. A careful inquiry must, hoAvever, first be made 

 as to the existence of such a scarcity, for the farmer is always 

 poor until one sees his banking account. Even when necessity 

 has been proved in any year, forest litter should only be con- 

 ceded to those actually requiring it, and in accordance with the 

 provisions of Section VII. of this chapter. Obviously, when 

 concessions of forest litter are made, the supplies of litter to 

 right-holders must not be reduced, neither can any prescriptive 

 right arise from such exceptional cases due to the temporary 

 necessities of agriculture. 



No agricultural crop makes greater demands on the soil, or 

 requires more manure or more quickly acting manure, than 

 the vine, ^''ineyards are commonly found in localities where 

 landed property is much subdivided, so that farmers can only 

 ol>liiin a living by growing a higlily valuable product which fully 



