FORESTRY IN GERMANY. , 47 



swamps have appeared where previously forests covered the sand or absorbed 

 the stagnating moisture. In the Northern Hanover tracts of Istod, where in 

 former times grew leaf-woods, are now deserts and waste land (the so-called 

 "Luneburg- Haide " Heath), open to violent hurricanes, oifering now-a-days 

 nothing but a poor food to sheep, while the progressive formation of stones 

 obstructs all endeavors either to prepare arable land or to rene>v foresting. 



In the western provinces, which are rich in mountains, the fertile forest 

 soil, the result of a thousand years' leaf and needle nourishment, has disap- 

 peared from the heights of the mountains. The scorching rays of the sun, 

 wind and storms rendered the ground arid and unproductive. Rain and 

 snow-water have carried what little soil remained down into the valleys, and 

 even the latter have not been benefited. The crude and sterile soil of the 

 mountains, rubbles and pebbles have followed and filled the valley with mud 

 and fragments. 



■ The ranges of mountains are barren and hardly afford pasture even for 

 sheep and goats ; in the valleys the fertile meadows have disappeared ; again 

 and again they are torn up by the torrents which, not restrained or absorbed 

 by covers of moss or leaves, rush down the slopes and, particularly in the 

 spring, if accelerated melting of the snow sets in, cause ruin and despair. 



The masses of water, which, owing to their rapid descent, assame up to 

 their emptying into the sea, a larger head, defy all dams and dikes. 



Moisture is no longer returned to the atmosphere, neither by exhalation 

 from forestal plants nor by evaporation from leaves and loose forest soil. 

 Forests breat no longer the violence of storms, and high-moors, succjessively 

 arising from cleared tracts, develop every season vapors and fogs which ex- 

 tensively destroy vegetation. 



THE INFLUENCE OF FORESTS UPON THE ELECTRICITY OF THE AIR AND UPON 



HAIL-STORMS 



seems to be no irrelevant reason for preserving woods. Observations have 

 been made in Southern Germany ; localities were pointed out where, after 

 high class clearing, the hail-storms had increased in a remarkable degree. 

 Other localities were shown where hail-storms were less frequent and, in some 

 instances, had ceased altogether, where a new forest-growth had succeeded a 

 cleared area. Forests of great extent are said to prevent the formation of 

 hail. But in this respect a marked difference has been observed between 

 coniferous and deciduous woods. And it is stated that places in which con- 

 iferous forests predominate, are more rarely visited by hail-storms than places 

 where deciduous forests largely preponderate. 



MEASURES OF THE GOVERNMENT. 



The Government of this country has, however, not been slow in endeav- 

 ors to further, as much as possible, the preservation and culture of forests by 

 proper instruction and by strengthening the influence of forestal and agricul- 



