216 THE FOREST LANDS OF FINLAND. 
advantages for cultivation, or other use, can be entirely 
removed without the law allowing any proceeding against 
the same. This circumstance the Committee look upon 
as the principal cause of the fear that the forests would be 
destroyed, which was observable some time ago as being 
diffused to some extent in the land. The view of bald 
and bare mountains and holms, which had been formerly 
covered with wood, brought up at once the question, What 
would such a forest economy lead to if it became universal ? 
‘To prevent this misuse or abuse the Committee. 
advise the replacing of the statute of 1851, section 
35, with another to the following effect :— Woodlands 
must not be laid waste, and the proprietor must not cut 
down the wood on an area of more than ten tunnlands 
width, or within that distance from a holm in the neigh- 
bourhood of which wood does not grow; and he must see 
to it that on the ground, when not used for a garden, 
cultivated land, or meadows, or is built upon, or used for 
some such purpose, seedling trees to the number of at 
least twenty shall be left on each tunnland, or some 
equally beneficial means must be used for the restoration 
of the forest. And moreover, the Court may forbid on 
penalty of a fine, injury to young trees, or the cutting of 
them for other than household purposes, until the young 
wood be sufficiently grown. If the destruction of the forest 
does not cease as soon as the injury done to the wood has 
been sufficiently proved through the proper person, it 
shall be the duty of the Governor to request the Court to 
inflict a proper fine. If it still continue, the Governor 
may order the ground to be replanted.” 
“In reference to this statute, the Committee admit 
that the remark may be made, that this does not fully 
secure its end, for the wood may be much wasted and 
damaged without the locality be laid completely bare. 
As one reason why the Committee have, nevertheless, 
adopted the above wording of the statute, they point to 
the fact that nature repairs, though slowly, the damage 
done to the forest by improper methods of cutting; and 
