4 FORESTRY OF NORWAY. 



a timber merchant, who had that day completed the 

 purchase of a ship-load of wood which was still 

 growing in the forest ; and who courteously and frankly 

 informed me in regard to the transaction. The farmer, a 

 small landed proprietor, had engaged, on terms agreed 

 to, to fell, prune, and deliver in the river the quantity of 

 wood required, in logs of a specified average length and 

 girth. All the debris remained his property, and might 

 be cut up for firewood and used or sold, or otherwise 

 disposed of as he might please. And the logs would be, 

 when delivered and accepted, floated down to Christian- 

 sand, and shipped by the purchaser. 



I have used the expression farmer or small landed 

 proprietor, for such is the character of most of the inhabi- 

 tants of this district. The banks of the Topptal river are 

 dotted with houses, and with mansions, which speak of 

 greater wealth or more extensive possessions ; and many of 

 the farmers are dependent on the cutting and sale of wood 

 to enable them to pay their rent. The logs I found to be of 

 but limited dimensions, and I asked the timber merchant 

 if the exploitation adopted did not tend to devastate the 

 woods. ' Look/ said he in reply, ' there are young trees 

 growing in every corner down to the water's edge on both 

 sides of the river, throughout the whole course of our 

 voyage. And so is it for miles inland. As fast as we fell 

 others grow.' I called his attention to the small size of 

 the logs, and told him of what was being done in Sweden 

 and elsewhere for the conservation and improvement of 

 forests ; but he only laughed, as if that were a thing alto- 

 gether unnecessary here, and one which it would be ridicu- 

 lous to propose, and he called my attention to the floats 

 of timber we were constantly passing. 



At one mill at Christiansand it is said 70,000 trees are 

 thus floated down and sawn up every year, and there are 

 several other saw-mills in the town. At Vigelund, about 

 ten miles above the town on the Torristal river, a little way 

 above the rapids of the river to which the steamer goes, 



