FORESTRY IN GERMANY. 73 



B. Branch Sciences. 



1. History and literature of forest affairs. 



2. Forest statics. 



3. Forest planting. 



4. Forest preservation. 



5. Forest technology. 



6. Forest valuation, wood measuring, forest survey. 



7. Forest statistics. 



8. Forest administration, particularly with respect to the organization of forest affairs in 

 Prussia. ) 



g.. Forest administration. 

 10. Redemption of forest claims. 



C. Adjunct Sciences. 



1 . Jurisprudence, Prussian civil and penal code. 



2. Forest road construction. 



3. Game law. 



As aids to study these academies have extensive collections relating to for- 

 est and natural science, botanical gardens, seed collections, &c. Each acad- 

 emy is under the direction of an oberforstnieister. The lectures are given by 

 scientifically-educated foresters and special professors. The student, before 

 he is admitted to these academies, must produce a diploma showing that he 

 has passed the course of study required at a German gymnasium or at a Prus- 

 sian technical school of the first class. He must be under 25 years of age, 

 have a good character and show that he possesses the necessary means for 

 studying. 



DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS — CAUSES AND RESULTS., 



The destruction of forests is caused mostly by parceling off large forest 

 estates, which leads to a careless felling of the trees and little disposition to 

 restore the loss. 



An eminent authority on forestry science. Dr. Otto von Hagen, in writ- 

 ing on this subject makes the foHowing observations : 



" The forest is a trust handed down to us from past ages, whose value con- 

 sists not alone in the income derived from wood, but also in the importance 

 which it exerts, through its influence on climate and rainfall, on land culture. 

 Its importance is not merely a question of the present day or of the present own- 

 ership, but is also a matter which concerns the future welfare of the people. 

 This is a truism beyond contradiction, but nevertheless it is daily disregarded 

 by those who are indolent and selfish. 



"When such evils reach the stage of common danger, and this is in a 

 great measure already the case, it then becomes a duty to interfere by legisla- 

 tion. Neither the decrease of the wood production nor the difficulty at times 

 to meet the demand for wood, nor the rise in the price can confer upon the 

 state the right to interfere with the freedom of private ownership or oi private 

 administration of forests. But this right and duty would devolve upon the 

 state in case that any injury is done to the welfare and existence of the in- 

 habitants of a certain locality resulting from the destruction of the forest. 



