CAUSES OF DIMINISHED SUPPLY OF WOOD. 147 



this, it does not follow that they are the only cause or 

 occasion of this. 



The question with which we have now to do is one relative 

 to the merits and demerits ^ of this method of exploiting 

 forests, seen in the light of the facts which I have stated. 

 Officials in the forest service of Russia are dealing man- 

 fully with existing evils. With a view to the instruction 

 of aliens, my countrymen and others, I have stated my 

 opinion that a method of exploitation inherently defective 

 has here become still more manifestly defective through 

 conditions under which it has been practised. It is, more- 

 over, my opinion that the appropriate remedy in any 

 similar case would be that which is being adopted an 

 endeavour to supersede this by an improved exploitation 

 in accordance with the principles regulating the improve- 

 ment which has been carried out successfully elsewhere. 



The Ordinance of 1669, published in France, which is 

 associated with this method of exploitation, is still 

 spoken of as the famous Forest Ordinance of 1669. The 

 principle upon which it was based was extensively adopted, 

 not only in France, but also elsewhere. Less than 150 

 years, however, sufficed to show that it was not in its 

 original form a panacea for the evils in connection with 

 forest exploitation which were everywhere in Central 

 Europe being deprecated. It was found that the repro- 

 duced crop did not equal in cubic contents the crop which 

 had been cleared away. And early in the present century 

 there was devised, primarily and chiefly by Hartig and 

 Cotta, a modification of the method which seems to meet 

 every desideratum, and which, so far as I know, excepting 

 in this Government and the regions around, it has super- 

 seded that method of exploitation from which some 200 

 years ago so much was expected. It is known in different 

 countries as Die Fachwerke Method, or La Methode des 

 Compartiments, or the Scientific method of exploitation. 



In this the forest, or a number of forests associated to- 

 gether, are divided into sections corresponding to the 



