GERMANY. 



It is generally conceded that both the scienci and urt 

 of forestry are most thoroughly developed and most in- 

 tensively applied throughout Germany. It must, how- 

 ever, not be understood that in the practical application 

 of the art perfection has been reached anywhere, or that 

 the science, which like that of medicine has been largely 

 a growth of empiricism, is in all parts safely based ; nor 

 are definitely settled forest policies so entrenched, that 

 they have become immutable. On the contrary, there 

 are still mismanaged and unmanaged woods to be found, 

 mainly those in the hands of farmers and other private 

 owners ; there are still even in well managed forests prac- 

 tices pursued which are known not to conform to theo- 



Beiides a dozen or more earlier histories of forestry in Germany^ some of 

 which date back to the beginning of the 19th century, there are two excellent 

 modern compilations, namely: 



Geschichie des WaldeigentkumSy der Waldwiriscka/i und Forsiiuissensckaft 

 in Deuischlandy by August Bernhardt, 1872-75, 3 Vols., 1063 pp., a classic, 

 which treats especially extensively of political and economic questions having a 

 bearing on the development of forestry ; and 



Handhuck der Forst — und Jagdgesckichte Deutschlands^ by Adam Schwap- 

 PACH, 1886, % Vols., 892 pp., which appeared as a second edition of Bernhardt^s 

 history abridging the political history and expanding the forestry part. This 

 volume has been mainly followed in the following presentation of the subject. In 

 condensed form this history is also to be found in Lorev's Handbuch der Forst- 

 wissenscha/ty 1888, Vol. I, pp. 143-310. 



In Schwappach's history a full list of original sources is enumerated. These 

 are, for the oldest period, Roman writers, which are unreliable ; the laws of the 

 various German tribes ; the laws of kings {Capitularia) \ the laws of villages and 

 other territorial districts ; "Weisthiimer" (judgments); inventories of propertiei 

 (especially of churches and cloisters) ; documents of business transactions and 

 chronicles. For the time after the Middle ages the most important source is found 

 in the Forest Ordinances of princes and other forest owners ; forest laws ; police 

 orders ; business documents and finally special literature. 



