Forest Conditions. 91 



the 18th century, the conditions of the forest at the be- 

 ginning of the new century were most pitiable; the divi- 

 sion of the Mark by which the peasants became indi- 

 vidual owners, profited little and led to devastation 

 rather than to improving the condition of the property. 

 In addition, export trade in wood had become brisk and 

 the financial depression, a result of the French wars, 

 led to increased exploitations, which, with the improve- 

 ment in means of transportation, progressed to the more 

 distant forest areas and enlarged the waste area. Espe- 

 cially in the more densely populated parts of the country 

 the deforested area widened, and large wastes with poor 

 yoimg growth increased in all directions in the same 

 manner as now in the United States. The alarmists 

 had good cause for renewing their cries and about the 

 year 1800 a considerable literature on the subject of the 

 threatening timber famine grew up, and the desire for 

 rapidly growing species became once more prevalent. 



It is interesting to note that at that time the Catalpa 

 played a role, at least on paper, as it does in our own 

 day, being recommended in 1801 as the only means 

 of counteracting the timber famine. The betulomania 

 spread widely over the country. In North Germany 

 especially great efforts were made to replant the 

 denuded areas and to change the coppice areas, fit only 

 for firewood, to coniferous species, pine, etc., by which 

 eventually a great change in the forest type from the 

 original mixed forest to the pure forest was effected. 



3. Personnel. 



The great change to improved conditions, which took 

 place in the first half of the century, was pre-eminently 



