248 Philosophy of Botany. 



litical influence, likewise in Minnesota and Michigan, forest 

 guards were appointed to look after forest fires; while in 

 Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New York the pro- 

 tection of the game was principally thought of. Both these 

 functions do necessarily coincide to eiifect that kind of serv- 

 ice which in Germany is comprehended. under game and for- 

 est keeping. 



It is interesting to notice how the same events which in all 

 European countries led to the introdttction of a regulated for- 

 est administration give also here again the impulse for the 

 like provisions. There, like here, wood was cut for the local 

 needs in building and firewood, without any reflection or care 

 for the welfare of posterity, and would perhaps permanently 

 have sufficed with the natural aftergrowth for all the time to 

 come ; but with the increase of the industries, mining, and 

 shipbuilding the deficit in heavy timbers made itself felt, and 

 preventative measures against excessive depletion had to be 

 instituted. 



■ Thus, it came that toward the end .of the Middle Ages, first 

 Venice, the " Queen of the Seas," enacted laws in which she 

 reserved certain forests exclusively for use in her shipyards, 

 and also laid restrictions for the cutting of timbers in private 

 estates, and placed the management of all under a regularly 

 officered administration. Holland, Belgium, France, and En- 

 gland took similar measures. 



Relatipns of a different character ruled in Germsmy, where 

 the passion for the chase indulged in by princes and nobility 

 drew their attention to the preservation of the forest. 



The right of hunting big or small game was a royal preroga- 

 tive or privilege of the landed nobility. Their numerous reti- 

 nue of huntsmen constantly on the lookout for poachers, ex- 

 pert in all things in connection with woods and" their inhab- 

 itants, formed a sort of clannish organization, and formed an 

 excellent contingent for the gradually developing intelligent 

 supervision of forests, and by and by became converted into a 

 professionally and scientifically educated corps of public 

 service with military organization. Care for the protection of 

 game is in Germany inseparably connected with the economic 

 management. In a similar manner must we also begin to start 



