392 



Forestry in Norway. 



[AUG., 



that, whereas the annual output at the beginning was 200,000 

 plants, in 1906 the number had increased to over two million 

 plants. From each of the nine large nurseries now under 

 State control, an average of 700,000 plants are sent out 

 annually. Of these only a small percentage are deciduous. 



Seed Stations. — The importance of procuring good seed 

 was early recognised, and, although the first supplies were 

 of necessity imported from Germany, it was found, particu- 

 larly with regard to P. sylvestris, that home-grown coniferous 

 seed was preferable. Consequently, a collecting station was 

 erected at Vossevangen, at a cost of £175. Cones were 

 bought from a variety of places along the coast, and a ready 

 sale of guaranteed seed was found, extending even to foreign 

 countries. The chief difficulty, however, lay in the unsteadi- 

 ness of trade, due to the variability of seed years, and the 

 consequent changing nature of the staff required. 



The need for such work may be gauged by the fact that 

 there are now four similar stations in working order, the 

 finest being that at Hamar, which cost ^300 to build and 

 equip, and which, with a capacity for dealing with a thousand 

 bushels of cones, has an annual output of over one ton of 

 seed. 



Planting by Communes and Societies. — The largest com- 

 munal scheme in Norway is that at Trondhjem, where 4,500 

 acres of common land are being planted up. Grants have 

 been made from the rates, and from the local Spirit Tax, and 

 in 1896, 1,500 acres had been planted with 1,600,000 trees. 

 The scheme has proved very educative in that many foreign, 

 as well as indigenous, species have been used in the work. 



The Bergen Afforestation Society has, since 1870, had a 

 successful arrangement with several large landowners, where- 

 by the Society undertakes planting, if the owner agrees to 

 place future control in the hands of the Society, or, failing 

 them, the State. The owner bears the cost of upkeep, fenc- 

 ing, etc., but receives all the profits. 



Up to 1907 over a million young Spruce and Pine had been 

 planted, and that the scheme has been successful is shown 

 by the following results : — 



On J acre, at 25 years, there were 300 trees of 7 inch breast- 

 high diameter, with a height of 24 to 36 feet. On another 



