1910.J 



Forestry in Hesse. 



20 r 



^144,248 in the first ten-year period to ,£197,582 in the 

 second. This increase is due, also, in part to the increased 

 prices obtained for wood, as is shown in the following 

 table : — 



Average for year. 



Timber. 



Firewood. 



Average price 

 for whoie yield. 



1895-96 & 1897-98 

 I9OS-I907 



d. 



5 '6 per cubic foot 

 5 "9 >, 



d. 



2 "i per cubic foot 

 2-5 „ „ 



2 '9 per cubic foot 

 3 "4 » 



For the first ten-year period the gross annual income per 

 acre was 17s. qd., and for the second 235. 



The costs of running the forests are grouped under four 

 heads, viz., Cultural Expenses, Road-making, Conversion of 

 the Crop, and Administration and Protection. 



Cultural Expenses. — During the first decade the cultural 

 expenses were practically constant at 1 1 "5<i. per acre per year, 

 and during the second averaged 2s. 3*5^. per acre per year, 

 with a tendency to sink a little during the last three years. 

 There are several reasons for this increase. In the first place 

 there has been a general rise in wages of about 33 per cent., 

 consequent on the great industrial development and the 

 abundance of work. The rise in wages accounts for 3"8d. 

 per acre. A second reason is the change of management to 

 a more intensive system of cultivation. Areas with low 

 increment have been taken in hand and regenerated, arti- 

 ficially where necessary. A. better system of fencing against 

 game has been adopted, and nurseries have been enlarged 

 and improved to yield the best possible supply of plants. 



The re-afforestation of purchased areas accounts for 5J... 

 per acre more of the increased cost. Of some 11,825 acres 

 purchased during the second decade about 10,000 acres were 

 private woodland in a poor condition. Most of this had to 

 be replanted at a cost of £3 12s. per acre. 



On the other hand the cost of regeneration of State forests 

 is only £2 8s. per acre. From 1903- 1907 6,500 acres of oak 

 coppice were converted into high forest. This has added 

 an additional 2*5 d. per acre to the average cost for the whole. 



Road-making. — The cost for this item has risen from 

 is. o'^d. per acre for the first ten-year period to is. 4^. for 



