FOREST POLICIES OF FOREIGN NATIONS. 319 



far it has not been enforced to any extent ex- 

 cept where the government itself is the injured 

 party. 



Lately, as a result of destructive floods in Prus- 

 sian rivers, extension of supervision by the state 

 is urged again. 



Altogether we can distinguish the South German 

 policy which has been always inclined to be re- 

 strictive and coercive, from the North German 

 tendencies which have only lately developed in 

 this direction. The difference is perhaps due to 

 the fact that South Germany is mainly mountain 

 country. North Germany mainly plain. 



The unusual floods in the Prussian rivers, es- 

 pecially the Oder, during the last decade, which 

 occasioned over $2,500,000 damage, led to the 

 appointment of a commission — just as this year 

 in the state of New York — to propose remedies. 

 In the two reports made in 1896 and 1898, the 

 influence of forest cover on retardation of snow- 

 melting, and of the forest floor on retardation of 

 run-off are admitted, but forest conditions are found 

 tolerably satisfactory. Nevertheless, new legisla- 

 tion is proposed to supervise private forest man- 

 agement so as to preserve existing conditions, the 

 following points being made : — 



1. The forest areas which are of importance to 

 the watershed must be definitely determined. 



2. A prescription for their management is only 

 to be made, and if the management is found un- 



