CHAPTER III. 



AREA, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT, AND 

 PRODUCE OF FORESTS. 



M. MARNY writes of the forests in Poland : ' In Poland 

 we meet with only a few forests capable of giving any 

 idea of what was the ancient forest condition of the 

 country. A sample of this may be seen in the forest of 

 Wodwosco, which lies upon the domain of that name, 

 between those of Uraniezko and of Sublowiez. Whilst 

 oue part cleared early in this century offers only a con- 

 tinuation of bushes and thickets, in the midst of which 

 spring up here and there a few alders, maples, or hollies ; 

 in that which the hand of man has respected to this day, 

 the forest offers admirably tall trees of oak and beech, 

 mingled with majestic firs. Where the bushes disappear 

 a carpet of moss and heath re-cover the soil. Beyond this 

 the land loses this uniformity, and becomes more broken ; 

 a torrent dashes with fracas over the debris of rocks. 

 The trees are crowded together, and their branches are 

 drawn nearer and nearer, forming a dome which the rays 

 of the sun seek in vain to penetrate/ 



The annual tabulated reports of the area of forests in 

 Poland, and in the different divisions of Poland, vary 

 considerably. This may be attributable in part to one or 

 other, or one or more, or all of the following causes : 

 Extensive clearings, extensive plantings, and rectifications 

 of estimates by new surveys and accurate measurements. 



From a series of these in my possession I give the 

 following, which gives in a tabulated form for 1870 infor- 

 mation which may be generally interesting : 



