Timbers. 



162 



f February, 1909. 



since 1880 the uet 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 wilful setting of forest 

 fires was forbidden. In 1038 overseers of 

 communal forests were appointed in 

 order to conserve supplies of wood for 

 charcoal used in the iron industry. A 

 general law followed in 1617, and a 

 director of forests in the two southern 

 districts was appointed in 1720. All 

 through the eighteenth century restric- 

 tions upon forest use were in force. 

 Toward the close of the century there 

 was, indeed, a premature scare over a 

 possible timber famine. Yet, despite 

 this legislation, and much legislation 

 which followed, waste continued to go 

 on. While measures were being passed 

 to conserve the forests, the communal 

 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 geueral, this requires the 

 pi actice of forestry. As in Russia, pro- 

 vincial forest protection committees 

 have to approve the local felling plans. 

 A diameter limit is set, below 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 reforest- 

 ing of wastes and sand dunes and by the 

 settlement of disputed titles. The pur- 

 chases amount to over 600,000 acres, for 

 which an average price of S5"30 an acre 

 was paid. 



Lumbering is carried on much as it is 

 in the United States. The State, as a 

 rule, sells stumpage, and the timber is 



removed by contractors. Management 

 is by no means so detailed and intensive 

 as in Germany or France. The trees 

 which are to be cut are marked, but no 

 attempt is ordinarily made to prepare 

 complete working plans. Only a 

 moderate amount of planting is done to 

 secure the future crop, and natural 

 reproduction is mainly relied upon. 



Forest fires continue to do great 

 damage, especially in the northern part 

 of the country. A forest patrol is doing 

 effective work, however, in checking the 

 spread of fires. 



Denmark. 



Denmark has about 600,000 acres under 

 forest, of which the State owns over 23 

 per cent., or 142,000 Peres. About 75,000 

 acres of wastes are in process of reforest- 

 ation. 



The need of wiser forest use was felt 

 in the eighteenth century, and by 1781 

 the State forests were placed under 

 administration. But the clearing of the 

 forest continued at such a rate that in 

 1805 it was provided that the still exist- 

 ing forests of beech and oak should be 

 maintained for ever. Further, provision 

 was made as to the selliug of the pea- 

 sants' farms, so that they should not be 

 accumulated in large holdings upon 

 which the peasants would have to 

 depend for their wood. 



Since 1820 the forest area has been 

 increasing. At present reforesting is 

 adding to it very considerably. Nearly 

 200,000 acres of heath have been planted 

 in the last forty yeais. To this work 

 of reclamation the State contributes 

 *40,000 a year. 



In State forests, as well as in the com- 

 munal forests and the farmers' woodlots, 

 forestry is carefully and profitably prac- 

 tised. — Hawaiian Forester and Agri- 

 culturist, Vol., V., No. 8, August, 

 1908. 



