i;8 



Forestry in Germany. 



[JUNE, 



remainder over 80 years. In the foliage wood, on the other 

 hand, these three grades are approximately equally divided. 



According to the statistics of 1900, the German forests 

 produce annually about 20 million cubic metres* of timber and 

 18 million cm. of firewood, making a total of 38 million cm. of 

 solid wood, or wood of over 7 centimetres' diameter, in addition 

 to 10 million cm. of loppings and roots and 135,000 cm. 

 (about 98,400 tons) of oak bark and 101,000 cm. of osiers. 



The pine forests in Saxony and Thuringia' attain the highest 

 average yield of timber ; the beech forests the lowest. The 

 State forests, with 32 per cent, of the area, yield 43*5 per cent, 

 of the whole timber and 40 per cent, of the total solid wood 

 products ; the independent private forests, on the other hand, 

 •with 36 per cent, of the area, yield only 26*6 per cent, of the 

 total products. 



By far the greater part of the German forests is regulated 

 and subjected to a systematically ordered administration, the 

 underlying principle of which is to fell only as much wood 

 annually as is renewed in the growth. This aims at bringing 

 the increase of valuable wood to a maximum. For this purpose 

 different scientific and practically tested methods are employed. 

 Those species of trees are grown which, in each locality, 

 are of the greatest economic value. Besides woods of only 

 one species, the planting and formation of mixed forests is 

 attempted. The principal methods are thinning in the earlier 

 stages (the age of thickening), and in the older (pole timber) 

 stage, and clearing in the advanced (timber wood) stage, and by 

 the removal of badly grown, malformed, and valueless trees. 

 Strong and well-formed timber is thus continually produced, 

 and at the same time a yield is obtained preceding the main 

 crop. The instruction in thinning has been especially developed 

 latterly in various directions and brought more into practice. 



These methods are only practicable when those who are to 

 carry them out have been well and scientifically trained in the 

 practice and theory of forestry. To do this has been one of the 

 first cares of the forest authorities of the , Federal States in 

 the interests of their forest economy. Several high schools 

 exist where the future State forestry officials are educated, which 



* 1 cubic metre = 35*317 cubic fee^ 



