58 Germany. 



the beginning of the 14th century, extensive artificial re- 

 forestation did not begin until the middle of the I8th 

 century, by which time planting methods were quite 

 fully developed. 



Among the hardwoods, the oak was the first to receive 

 special attention. By the middle of the 16th century the 

 forest ordinances gave quite explicit instructions for 

 planting oak in the so-called Hutewald, a combination of 

 pasture and tree growth such as is found to-day in the 

 bluegrass region of Kentucky; the remnants of these 

 poor pasture woods with their gnarly oaks have lasted 

 into modem times. 



In the forest ordinance of Brunswick (1598) 

 orders are given to plant on felling areas : "every fuU 

 farmer shall every year at the proper time set out ten 

 young oaks, every half farmer five, every farm laborer 

 three, well taken up with roots (wildlings), and plant 

 them in the commons or openings at Martini (Novem- 

 ber) or Mitfasten (Easter) and cover them with thorn 

 brush" (to protect them against cattle). 



About that time it was, indeed, incumbent on every 

 marker to sow annually five oaks, or plant several young 

 seedlings for every tree cut and to tend them a few years; 

 and the custom existed in the low country, (afterwards 

 (1700) introduced by law in Saxony) to plant in celebra- 

 tion of certain occurrences — a kind of arbor day — espe- 

 cially to celebrate the marriage day; in order to be mar- 

 ried the bridegroom had to prove that he had planted a 

 certain number of oaks, which in Prussia (1719) had to 

 be six, besides six fruit trees. The existence of this cus- 

 tom, now long forgotten, has given rise in the United 

 States to the story that this is the method by which the 

 German forest is maintained. 



