238 Finland. 
Being left without supervision it mattered little who 
owned the land, the forest was ruthlessly exploited. 
Not until 1851 did an improvement in these condi- 
tions occur when a provisional administration of the 
State forests was provided in connection with the Land 
Survey; but a rational organization materialized only 
after an eminent German forester, v. Berg, Director of 
the forest school of Tharand, had been imported (1858) 
to effect a reconstruction. His advice was, however, 
only partially followed and the organization was not 
perfected until 1869. 
Almost immediately a powerful opposition to the 
administration developed, because it could not at once 
show increased profits, and the personnel which had 
been scanty enough, was still further reduced, the large 
districts into which the State property had been divided 
were still further enlarged, and to this day improvement 
in these respects has been only partial. 
The State forest area situated mainly in the north 
and comprising nearly the total forest area, namely, 
between 35 and 45 million acres (variable because of 
clearing for farms and new settlements), contains about 
15 million acres of bogs and moors and much other 
waste land. 
This area was divided (1896) into 53 districts, the 
districts being aggregated into 8 inspections, and the 
whole service placed under a central office with a forest 
director and 5 assistants under immediate control of the 
Senate. The forest guards number 750, their ranges 
averaging 50,000 acres, while the districts average 
600,000 acres and several contain as high as 2.5 million 
acres; the Forstmeister in charge may live sometimes 
