14 



coppice stands, light fires were allowed. to run over 

 the area as a preparation for cultivation. This method 

 was employed most particularly in the Ardennes, in the 

 districts of Liege and Luxembourg in Belgium, and in 

 certain localiliies of Southern Germany. 



Likewise in Pinlan^ forest- land is ibften cleared 

 by means of fire. Here the practice is called "sved- 

 jande". The trees are felled and the debris burned. 

 In Finland where burning was indulged in extensively, 

 the soil became in many cases so impoverished that the 

 forests could not reestablish themselves on such areas. 

 The forest resources became so depleted that the gov- 

 ernment has endeavored to limit the destruction of for- 

 ests in this manner. 



Bringing the subject home, every one knows that 

 the American pioneer employed fire to aid him in clear- 

 ing the forests away that he might have space to erect 

 his cabin and cultivate the soil. As the new country 

 is opened up, however, and all t>f the agricultural land 

 is cleared, the pracUice of firing the forests is usual- 

 ly dispensed with. 



Light Burning in the Southern Pine Region 



In the Southern Pine Region of the United States 

 there exists today the practice of burning over the 

 forest lands at varying intervals. It is a well estab- 

 lished fact that surface fires aid geicmination of long- 



