62 FORESTRY IN GERMANY. 



CHEMNITZ. 



REPORT OF VICE-CONSUL MURPHY.* 

 FOREST AREA. 



Saxony is a rolling, well-wooded country. Forests of great extent occur, 

 especially in the neighborhood of the principal cities, and among the Erzge- 

 birge and the hills of the Saxon Switzerland. 



The dark-green foliage of the fir and larch is a distinctive feature of the 

 average Saxon landscape, dotting the hillside with their symmetrical cones, 

 and giving a sombre coloring to the valleys. 



The entire forest area of Saxony amounts to 409,119 hectares, or nearly 

 two and one-half times as many acres. 



Of this area 59,987 hectares are given up to the growth of deciduous 

 trees, and this area may again be subdivided as follows : 



Hectares. 



Oak, whose bark has been stripped for tanning and other purposes 1,463 



Willow 612 



Stumps of various kinds, without shoots 9)727 



Stumps of various kinds, with shoots 26,217 



Oak 3.323 



Birch, alden and aspen 8,882 



Beeches 9,260 



Unclassified , 503 



It is a notable fact that the area covered by forests of pine and kindred 

 woods is six times as extensive as that by deciduous trees. The pine area is 

 itemized thus: 



' Hectares. 



Fir 127,435 



Larch i,o77 



Pitch and white pine 220,620 



Total pine area 349,132 



The proprietorship of the forest area is divided as follows : 



Hectares. 



Crown and state forests 166,287 



Seventeen city parks 18,637 



Charitable institutions 8,368 



Corporations 1,885 



Private estates 213,924 



Unclassified ig 



Total forest area 400 no 



Forest areas which are the property of charitable institutions or corpora- 

 tions are managed in the same manner as those which are the property of 

 the crown or state. The private forests are of course managed according to 

 the pleasure of the owners ; though as they usually belong to large landed 

 proprietors, they have, as a rule, a fixed system of management. 



•For the statistics contained in this report I am indebted to the kind assistance of Dr. Andre, Ober- 

 burgomeister of Chemnitz. 



