GERMAN CASi; II 



4. THE GERMAN CASE OF REGULATION OR PREPAR- 

 ATION OF A WORKING PLAN. 



To understand the task of preparing a Working Plan in a 

 German forest, and also to appreciate the textbooks on Regulation 

 it is necessary to keep in mind the conditions under which the 

 work is ordinarily performed. 



a) Practically all cases of Regulation in the State Forests 

 (and these are chiefly considered in our books) are tasks of Revision. 

 If a plan is due the following conditions hold : 



The present plan is 20 years old. Twenty years ago every 

 stand of timber was examined (except, of course those less than 

 20 years old). The age of the stand was even then known from a 

 previous plan report ; the condition was noted ; if ripe or nearly 

 so, or in bad condition and therefore in need of cutting, the timber 

 was estimated ; the care which the stand had received, i. e., whether 

 properly thinned or not, was noted. In short, the stand was 

 described, and this description is part of the plan which the Forester 

 has in his office. This same plan indicates the stands which were 

 cut during the last 20 years and the plan of planting tells what 

 was to be put on the land; and the Forester's books show what was 

 actually cut and planted, and when each job was finished. 



The Plan report and maps indicate and enumerate the Lots into 

 which the forest is divided, and the independent woods (Cutting 

 Series) which have been established and also the order of cutting 

 the timber and the direction in which this cut should progress on 

 each of these cutting series. 



The Plan of thinning indicates when the stands were to be 

 thinned, and the book records show exactly when each stand received 

 attention. The Plan report also enumerates and describes the roads, 

 the boundaries, and the division lines and their condition; also the 

 houses and other improvements on this property and in what condi- 

 tion they were 20 years ago, the improvements which were to be 

 made ; the book records show how much of this was actually done 

 or left undone. 



The Book of the office states how much timber was cut, its 

 value and the cost of logging. It also tells of all important accidents, 

 bad seasons, heavy storms, etc. 



