18 



The communal forests are supervised by the Government, and are 

 usually managed by the foresters with a view simply to supplying 

 local needs. Sales outside the parishes are permitted only where 

 there is more than enough for these needs. 



SWEDEN. 



Sweden has nearly 50,000,000 acres of forest, covering nearly 50 

 per cent of the total land area. Since the English import duties 

 were abolished in 1866 the wood exports from Sweden have steadily 

 increased, till now Sweden stands next to Eussia, the world leader, 

 in wood exports, with $54,000,000 worth a year, representing nearly 

 4,500,000 tons. England takes half of this, followed by France, 

 Denmark, Germany, Holland, Cape Colony, Australia, and South 

 America. The total cut from the forest is estimated to be near 

 1,000 million cubic feet. 



The State owns about 13,500,000 acres, or 33.2 per cent, and con- 

 trols 4,000,000 acres more. The State lands are, in the main, of lesser 

 commercial value, and this fact, together with the existence of logging 

 rights granted in the past, keeps the net income for the present down 

 to 12 cents an acre. Nevertheless, since 1880 the net revenue from the 

 State forests has risen from $300,000 to nearly $2,000,000 a year. 



Up to five hundred years ago Sweden was overburdened by forests, 

 but by that time cutting and wasting had gone so far that the willful 

 setting of forest fires was forbidden. In 1638 overseers of communal 

 forests were appointed in order to conserve supplies of wood for char- 

 coal used in the iron industry. A general law followed in 1647, and a 

 director of forests in the two southern districts was appointed in 1720. 

 All through the eighteenth century, restrictions upon forest use were 

 in force. Toward the close of the century there was, indeed, a prema- 

 ture scare over a possible timber famine. Yet, despite this legisla- 

 tion, and much legislation which followed, waste continued to go on. 

 While measures were being passed to conserve the forests, the com- 

 munal forests and town forests were actually being sold. It was not 

 till the law of 1903, which went into effect in January, 1905, that a 

 satisfactory policy was secured. In general, this requires the practice 

 of forestry. As in Russia, provincial forest protection committees 

 have to approve the local felling plans. A diameter limit is set, be- 

 low which trees may not be cut. Clearings are forbidden, and cleared 

 land, unless used for other purposes, must be reforested. Pasturing 

 is restricted where it would do harm. 



In the past thirty-five years the State has increased its forest 

 holdings by 45 per cent through the purchase and reforesting of 

 wastes and sand dunes and by the settlement of disputed titles. The 

 purchases amount to over 600,000 acres, for which an average price 

 of $5.30 an acre was paid. 



[Cir. 140] 



