214 



FORESTRY INVESTIGATIONS IT. g DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Tbe following figures sliow these ownership relations for the eight larger States, which 

 involve 06 per cent of the total area of the empire: 



State 



Goimany 



Prussia 



Ba\aru 



Wurttemberg 



Saxony 



Baden 



A lsace Lorraine 



Hesse 



Meckluibuxg-Scliwerm 



Population 



Millions, 



47 



29 9 

 5.6 

 1 9 

 3 2 

 1.6 

 1.5 

 .9 



Total land 

 sui t.ice 



21 acres 

 133, 392 



Forests. 



Total. 



M ao es 

 34, 750 



88 000 



20,240 



18, 800 



6,200 



4,800 



1,470 



3 700 



1,020 



3 730 



1, 360 



3, 600 



1,100 



1,900 



590 



3,290 



560 



Per cent. 



100 



58 

 18 



4.2 



3 



4 



3.1 



1 7 



Owned by tlie- 



State. 



M acres. 

 11, 360 



6,100 



2,160 



480 



430 



360 

 170 

 255 



Corpora 

 tions. 



If acres 

 6, 710 



3, 240 

 890 

 470 

 60 

 667 

 520 

 220 

 85 



Pnvate. 



M acre? 

 16, 680 



10, 900 

 3,150 

 530 

 530 

 447 

 220 

 200 

 220 



This same relation, expressed in per cent, becomes 



State. 



Germany 



Prussia 



Bavaria 



Wurttemberg . . . 



Saxony 



Baden 



Alsace Lorraine 

 Hesse 



Mecklenburg Schwerm 



Forest 

 cover of 

 total area. 



Per cent 



25 7 



35 

 31 



27 

 37 

 30 

 31 



17 



Foiests owned by- 



States 



Per cent. 

 32 7 



30 

 34 

 32 

 43 

 18 

 33 

 29 

 46 



Corpora- 

 tions. 



Per cent 

 19 



17 



14 



32 



6 



49 

 47 

 37 

 15 



Private. 



Per cent 

 48 3 



53 



36 

 51 

 33 

 20 

 34 

 39 



The condition of the forests to a great extent depends on the degree of supervision or control 

 exercised by the State authorities. It is best in all cases in the State forests, is equally good in 

 the corporation forests under State control, and is poorest in the private forests, particularly those 

 of small holders. 



STATE CONTROL. 



The amount of State influence or control varies in the several States, and varies in some cases 

 even in one and the same State for different districts. Of the State forests, without exception, it 

 can be said that they are nearly in that form which, according to present knowledge and with 

 reasonable effort, is able to produce the greatest quantities of wood material in those dimensions 

 and of such kinds as best to satisfy the demands of the markets and at the same time render the 

 management as profitable as possible. This does not mean that they are not improving, for as 

 forestry knowledge increases and the methods are perfected the results are better. From what 

 follows it also appears that all State forests as a whole pay, and pay handsomely, when the low 

 intrinsic value of the land on which the forest stocks is considered. 



The control of the corporation forests is perfect only in a few of the smaller States, notably 

 Baden, Hesse, and Alsace-Lorraine; also in some districts in Prussia where the corporation forests 

 are managed by the State authorities, the wishes of the villagers or corporate owners being, however, 

 always duly considered. In a large portion of Prussia, in Wurttemberg, and in Bavaria the corpora- 

 tion provides its own foresters; but these must be approved, as well as their plans of operations, by 

 the State authorities, so that here the management is under strict control of the State, and favora- 

 ble forest conditions at least partially assured. In Wurttemberg the corporation is given the choice 

 of supplying its own foresters or else joining their forests to those of the State. This has led to 

 State management of near 70 per cent of all corporation forests. Only the corporation forests of 

 Saxony and those of a small part of Prussia are without any supervision. Of the private forests, 

 those of Prussia and Saxony, involving 69 per cent of all private forests of the Empire, are entirely 

 free from interference. They can be managed as the owner sees fit, and there is no obstacle to their 

 devastation or entire clearing and conversion into field or pasture. The remainder of the private 

 forests are under more or less supervision. In most districts a State permit is required before 



