see that the provisions of the law are being 
carried out;, and second, promotive, through 
‘the giving of aid and assistance to forest own- 
ers. A part of the duty of the forester is to 
visit all forests in his district, even tracts down 
to 5 acres in area, and give ‘suggestions on the 
ground as to management. This usually suf- 
fices for the small owner, but his forest must 
thereafter be managed substantially in accord- 
ance with the directions given. If not, he is 
warned, once verbally, again, if necessary, in 
writing. Persistent disregard would lead to.im- 
prisonment, but I was told this almost never 
happens. The usual size of the smaller forest 
properties is between 50 and 60 acres, Sug- 
gestions are also made to larger owners, but 
such persons usually prefer to have regular 
working plans prepared for their forests. Such 
work is done by firms of consulting foresters, 
or by members of the Swedish Forest Service 
during their vacation periods. The fee for 
making working plans is around Kr. 2.20 per 
hectare. It will thus be seen that the inspec- 
tion work, while entailing much time in the 
field is relatively simple, especially where work- 
ing plans, in many cases under a resident for- 
ester, are in operation. 
The commission forester has nothing to do 
with either the government forests, or the 
government controlled forests, within his 
province, nor has the government supervisor 
anything to do with the privately owned lands; 
although the districts of the two men may be 
practically the same as ,to boundaries. But 
good personal relations usually exist between 
these foresters and co-operation, outside of 
strictly administrative matters, as for example 
in meetings of the Forestry Association, and 
the like. 
The promotive phase of the work of the for- 
est commissions is carried on through the dis- 
tribution and sale of a series of bulletins on 
forest work, prepared by the Swedish Forestry 
Association, by the holding of “schools” simi- 
lar to our own extension schools in agriculture, 
and in work with school children, especially on 
arbor days when considerable areas of actual 
forest are planted by groups from nearby 
‘schools. The schools are practical in charac- 
ter and consist of demonstrations in which 
those enrolled do the actual work, as in char- 
Shy 
coal making, draining swamp land to make it 
productive for forest growing, seeding and 
planting, timber measurement, and the like. 
These schools run from one to seven weeks. 
The forest commissions also run forest nur- 
series from which seed and plants are sold at 
cost. 
The point of special interest in all this pro- 
motive work is that none of it is propaganda 
to induce the public to practice forestry, but 
rather the giving of help and assistance as to 
how to proceed with work the need of which 
the public already thoroughly recognizes. The 
Swedes understand the value of forestry. Argu- 
ment is unnecessary. — 
The work of the forest commissions 
(skogsvardstyrelsen) is financed by.a tax on 
the stumpage value of the timber cut in a given 
province, 1.3 percent. Ninety percent is ex- 
pended in that province. The other 10 percent 
goes into a general fund for the whole country. 
Other sources of additional income are an an- 
nual allotment from the Swedish parliament, 
appropriations by the local provincial govern- 
ment, proceeds derived from the sale of seeds, 
nursery stock, etc., and gifts and special allot- 
ments from individuals and private associa- 
tions. 
As has’ been said, the annual reports are 
published by the Swedish Forestry Association, 
indicating the close-knit connection in Sweden 
between the various organizations engaged in 
forestry work. A further sidelight is that the 
secretary of the Forestry Association is Pro- 
fessor Schotte, chief of the Forest Experiment 
Station. It may not be out of place to mention 
here, too, that the Forestry Association each 
year arranges an excursion to one or more for- 
ests. that includes all those interested and that 
it also holds a forest week each spring, which 
is said to be a very interesting and important 
meeting. 
Whether or not it would be desirable, or feas- 
ible, to attempt to introduce into the United 
States any such type of organization as that of 
the Swedish Forest Commissions, the writer of 
this letter is not now prepared to say. But 
~ 
there is no question but that it is a success in 
Sweden and that it is serving a very useful end 
in insuring to that country permanence in its 
forest industries. 
a 
BAK 
>. 
<i g fi; AWS 
(25) 
