FOREST POLICIES OF FOREIGN NATIONS. 317 



million cubic feet of wood over 3-inch, or nearly 

 40 cubic feet per acre, — Germany is next to Eng- 

 land the largest importer of wood materials, with 

 ^70,000,000 excess of imports over exports, adding 

 25 per cent to her home product. 



The condition of the forests depends largely 

 on the amount of control exercised by the state 

 authorities. It is best in all cases in the state 

 forests, it is almost equally as good in the cor- 

 poration forests under state control, and is poorest 

 in the private forests, particularly those of small 

 holders. 



The control of the corporation forests is perfect 

 in a few of the smaller states only, notably Baden, 

 Hesse, and Alsace-Lorraine ; also in some districts 

 in Prussia where the corporation forests are man- 

 aged by the state authorities, the wishes of the 

 villagers or corporate owners being, however, 

 always duly considered. In a large portion of 

 Prussia, in Wiirtemberg, and in Bavaria the cor- 

 poration provides its own foresters ; but these, 

 as well as their plans of operation, must be ap- 

 proved by the state authorities, so that here the 

 management is under strict control of the state, 

 and favorable forest conditions are at least partially 

 assured. In Wiirtemberg the corporation is given 

 the choice of supplying its own foresters or else of 

 joining their forests to those of the state. This has 

 led to state management of nearly 70 per cent of 

 all corporation forests. Only the corporation for- 



