either do it in a manner approved by the lo- 
cal forest officer, or within a specified time, 
two years, replant it artificially with nursery 
stock. If he fails to do so the government 
does the planting and sends him the Dill. 
Payment or imprisonment are the remaining 
alternatives. This provision of the law ap- 
plies even to areas in the agricultural valleys 
where the owner desires to transform his 
forest into farming land. He may be permit- 
ted to do this after due consideration by the 
local officials, but he must still afforest an 
equal area somewhere else. The present pro- 
portion of forest land to total area must be 
maintained. 
During the war, owing to the high prices 
that could be got for lumber shipped to 
France or to Italy, all the forest lands of 
Switzerland were temporarily declared pro- 
tection forest and thus made subject to in- 
spection and more effective control. In this 
way wholesale exploitation of private forest 
land was prevented, for with wartime prices 
the owner who clear cut could well have paid 
his fine and still made a very handsome 
profit. The government did not wish to see 
the local supply so much reduced. This law 
is still in force, though by now of course 
prices have dropped. The question of 
whether or not it shall be repealed comes up 
before the National Assembly of next winter. 
CONCLUSIONS—APPLICATIONS 
OF THE PRINCIPLE 
The conclusions which an American may 
draw from visits to the city, town, and com- 
munal forests of Europe may perhaps be 
summarized somewhat as follows: It is 
quite obvious that the economic conditions 
that obtain in Europe do not hold for the 
United States. There nearby markets and 
dense population justify highly intensive 
forest management, with permanent roads 
and absolute utilization. With us there is 
another set of conditions altogether, to say 
nothing of differences in climate, in the spe- 
cies that make up the forest, and above all 
in the customs and habits of the people. But 
notwithstanding all this, it is borne in upon 
the visitor that these European communities 
have got hold of a principle, and are using it 
to their advantage, that could equally well be 
applied in other countries. 
In a few of the smaller German villages, it 
is said that the annual net proceeds from the 
community forest are sufficient not only to 
pay all the local public expenses, such as 
schools, roads, official salaries and the like, 
but also to permit of a cash dividend to all 
the land owners, in place of a tax levy. That 
this is exceptional is true; also it is true that 
it is only found in a few very small communi- 
ties. But in many European towns the net 
revenue from the town or communal forest 
is enough materially to reduce the yearly 
budget of the town, which would otherwise 
have to be raised wholly by taxation. 
In Switzerland, with at least some of the 
city forests, the net income goes to the sup- 
port of specified public, or quasi-public insti- 
tutions, like schools, hospitals, libraries, and 
art museums. Just how much of their in- 
come these and perhaps other similar or- 
ganizations receive from the forest, the writer 
in the time at his disposal was unable to as- 
certain. But that does not particularly mat- 
ter. The important thing is the principle. If 
only a part of the upkeep comes from the for- 
est it is a good thing for the community. 
And further with a community forest there 
is bound to be a development of local indus- 
try; small perhaps, but nevertheless of value. 
The more persons who are employed in per- 
manent, stable industries the better it is for 
any community. 
Now for the application. Almost every 
American city, town and village has in its 
neighborhood areas of waste land, of little or 
no value for agriculture or for any other pro- 
ductive use except the growing of trees. But 
it can do that. And moreover it can be 
bought very chéaply. Very often there is al- 
ready enough young growth on the land ta 
make, under proper care, the beginning of a 
forest. Refinements and intensive practice of 
forestry can come later when the forest be- 
gins to pay a revenue. A very small invest- 
ment by the town at the start will set things 
going. 
And so the lesson that the writer believes 
America can gain from these European town 
forests is not the importation of European 
methods or systems, but rather the adoption 
in practice of the principle that has led to 
such beneficial results on the other side of 
the Atlantic. 
(69) 
