THE CULTIVATED FORESTS OF EUROPE. 



193 



The destruction of insects and fungi is attended with great difficulties and is 

 not very- satisfactory. Preventive measures, however, receive great attention. 

 » Diseased trees and rotting wood are carefully removed from the forest, as these 

 favor the spread of fungi and offer breeding-places for the insects. Stumps are 

 often taken out of the ground on this account and sold by the forester, even 

 though they may bring no profit. 



Extent and Location of tl)e Fore^. 



The forests of Europe occupy land that is unfit for agriculture — mountains 

 where the climate is severe, hills where the ground is rocky, plains where the 

 soil is sterile. In some of them the wood supply is only a secondary consideration, 

 the forest being kept principally as a game preserve, a tourist resort, or because 

 it exercises certain protective functions. In the Spessart there is a forest devoted 

 largely to raising wild boars. Another, visited by many tourists, has splendid 

 drives, with species of trees planted for their esthetic effect. 



The following brief table gives an idea of the extent of area devoted to forests 

 in several countries of Europe. The figures are taken from " Forstwissenschaft," 

 by Dr. Adam Schwappach: 



TABLE OF FOREST AREAS IN EUROPE. 



COUNTRY. 



Germany .... 



Austria 



Hungary . 



France 



Russia in Europe 

 Finland .... 



Norway 



Sweden 



Italy 



Switzerland 



Total forest area 



Forest area, 

 in acres. 



34 

 24 

 22 

 20 

 478 

 50 

 19 

 43 

 10 

 2 



981,067 

 456,272 

 958, 977 

 992, 827 



845,175 

 971,125 

 405,250 

 395,430 

 231,840 

 053,630 



708,291,593 



Percentage of 



total land area 



in forests. 



^5.0 

 30.7 

 35-2 

 15-9 

 38.3 

 56-0 



31-5 

 34-1 

 14.2 

 20.0 



31-5 



Percentage of 



forest belonging' 



to the State 



and Crown. 



33-3 



7-3 



16. 1 



12.9 



60.3 



71. 1 



12.5 



19.9 



4-0 



4.2 



These countries are constantly increasing their forest areas. From 1872 to 

 1892, France acquired 300,000 acres; Prussia, 280,000 acres. Austria purchased 

 60,000 acres in 1886, 230,000 in 1888 and 210,000 m 1891. 

 1 3 



