ALDER 117 



thus in the struggle for life killed out the latter. The 

 extensive forests of alder which exist round the 

 villages in Car^lie, in the Savolaks, and in parts of 

 Tavastland, originated in this manner. The system, 

 which is still practised in the east of the country with 

 Government consent, has caused the disappearance of 

 great areas of valuable forest in Finland. Already, in 

 parts, efforts have been made to ameliorate the con- 

 dition of affairs by burning areas of pure alder and 

 sowing pine seed on the resultant bed of ashes. The 

 one favourable feature of the alder forests in the past 

 was the fact that, owing to the open nature of the 

 woods, a fine crop of grass grew up which was used 

 for pasturing cattle. But, as has been shown above, 

 most of these areas would carry a much more valuable 

 conifer forest. Large areas of privately owned 

 " forest," if it can be given the name, consisting mostly 

 of birch and scattered alder, are also used as cattle 

 parks, a most wasteful method of utilising good forest 

 land where national economy is considered. 



In the north of Finland and in Lapland the custom 

 of reindeer breeding is also destructive to the forests, 

 by rendering it almost impossible to raise young crops 

 of trees. Since the reindeer lichen, which grows on 

 the moors, is not nearly sufficient for the great herds 

 reared, the shepherds fell large numbers of spruce 

 covered with lichens (Alectoria, etc.), upon which the 

 reindeer, in the absence of a sufficiency of the other 

 plant, have to feed. The State suffers considerable 

 losses owing to illicit fellings made for this purpose in 

 areas where the forests are very large and the protec- 

 tive staff too small to stop these wholesale thefts. 



