Early Restrictive Measures. 251 



dition on each side of this homestead as much as a lame 

 man could go over on crutches without resting." 



Not till 1638 do we again find an attempt at forest 

 conservancy, this time in the interest of supply of char- 

 coal for the iron industry, by the appointment of over- 

 seers of the communal forests. 



The first general forest code, however, dates from 

 1647, which among other useless prescriptions made the 

 existing usage of planting two trees for every one cut 

 obligatory, and this provision remained on the statutes 

 until 1789. In spite of this and other restrictive laws, 

 exploitation by the liege lords and the communities 

 continued until in 1730 a director of forests for the two 

 southern districts, Halland and Bohus, was appointed, 

 and at least in this part of the country the execution 

 of the laws was placed under a special officer. 



This appointment may be considered the first germ of 

 the later forest department. 



A policy of restriction seems to have prevailed during 

 the entire 18th century, although it is questionable 

 whether the restrictions were enforced since there was no 

 personnel to watch over their enforcement, and the gov- 

 ernors, in whose hands the jurisdiction lay, had other 

 interests, more engrossing. A law, enacted in 1734, 

 restricted the peasant forest owners in the sale of wood 

 from their own properties, and in 1789, this restriction 

 and other supervision was extended to the nobUity. 



It appears that soon after this a considerable senti- 

 mental solicitude inside and outside the Eiksdag was 

 aroused regarding an apprehended deterioration of cli- 

 mate as well as scarcity of wood as a result of further 

 forest destruction, in the light of present experience 



