FORESTRY COMMISSION. 81 



transportation of timber impossible, many of tlie towns began to feel 

 the evil effects of this bad usage, and conservative men began to plead 

 for protection and better care of the forest. This agitation required 

 time, but as early as the year 1165 the authorities of certain districts 

 began to issue regulations and organize a suitable service to prevent fur- 

 ther forest destruction. The matter was sporadic; the greater part of 

 that immense forest was still to be subdued, but nevertheless the good 

 work of a reasonable caic and use of the forest spread from these many 

 centers, and by the year 1300 a considerable number of districts had 

 regulations concerning the cutting of timber, and in several of them 

 furtlipi- clearing without official permit was forbidden. 



By this time, too, there had established itself in all the better settled 

 districts certain rules concerning the use of the forest, the running of 

 stock, the liunting, gathering of grass, fruits and seeds, the manner and 

 time of felling timber, etc., had become matter of public discussion and 

 official instruction, and thus forestry grew up, as it were, side by side, 

 with the primitive agriculture of those times. 



Ey the year IfiOO the dangers of forest destruction and the proper 

 use of the forest were quite fully understood throughout Central Europe, 

 and ])rartically all acessi'ole forests of France, German, Austria and the 

 neighboring states w<'r(' under some form of control. At the same time 

 the owniM-ship of the forest was established, and instead of being com- 

 mons, the forest now had passed into the hands of definite owners, a 

 large portion fortunately falling to village, town, church and state. 



A very instructive case in this connection is the forest property 

 known as Sililwald, belonging to the city of Zurich, Switzerland, ever 

 since about the year 1000 A. D. xVs early as the year 1314 there existed 

 here a forest service, and in the year 1342 the principal forester of the 

 Sihlwald became the "Sihlherr," and as such was a member of the town 

 council. At tlie same time a definite system of cutting timber had de- 

 veloped, and by the year 1422 the budget or amount of timber to be 

 cut each year was determined and prescribed by the council, which ex- 

 pressed itself appropriately in its city order about as follows: ''In order 

 that this forest shall not be overcut or damaged, but shall be used in 

 an orderly manner, maintained and its growth preserved for our chil- 

 dren, therefore it is decided that the f<u'ester shall not order or cut more 

 than 3(!, 000 pieces (about 900 cords)." From the year 1630 to the present 

 time a record has been kept of the amount of timber cut each year, and 

 it is evident that we have here a forest property in the possession of 

 this town for about 1,000 years, under good management for over 600 

 years, yielding every year its regular crop of timber and in better shape 

 today than it was ever before. 



It was in such ways as these that the forests of Central Europe at- 

 tained their present form and systems. 



At present Germany, for instance, has 25.7 per cent of its land area in 

 forest, nearly half belonging to private persons, the other half to the 

 states and corporations (cities and villages, etc.). About two-thirds of 

 these woods are under state control, the other third being in the hands 

 of private persons entirely free to do as they please with their forests. 

 The state forests and those under state control are, as is so well known 

 to all American travelers, in excellent condition and under the most per- 

 il 



