191 1.] State Aid to Agriculture in Norway. 



i 009 



State grant for all these schools amounts to about ,£20,000 

 per annum. 



In 1909 the State established a school for women teachers 

 in domestic economy. About forty students a year pass 

 through the courses at this school, and the grant in 19 10 

 was about ^1,660. For providing instruction in horticulture 

 and dairying, the State has started seven schools for each 

 subject. The State grants in 1910 were ,£1,740 and ^1,600 

 respectively. 



State Aid to Forestry. — About the middle of the nineteenth 

 century it became apparent that the forests were being badly 

 managed, and were decreasing in value; men were therefore 

 sent abroad, principally to Germany, in gradually increasing 

 numbers, to study the science of forestry. In 1857 a board 

 of scientifically trained foresters was formed with the main 

 object of managing the State forests. In 1863 a Forestry 

 Law was passed. It does not restrict private owners in the 

 use of their forest land, but it contains rules regarding the 

 regulation of the rights of using forest land, the manage- 

 ment of common land, and of forest land belonging to 

 official residences, and regarding ecclesiastical endowments 

 and other forest lands appropriated to Church livings or 

 belonging to the State. The Law of 1893 contains regula- 

 tions restricting the use of fire in woods and fields, and the 

 Law of 1893 regarding the Preservation of Forests gives 

 Local Councils the right of prescribing rules, which must 

 be sanctioned by the King, for the management of private 

 forests. This Law was amended in 1908. 



The staff of the Board that manages the State forests con- 

 sists of four inspectors of forests, twenty-five forest bailiffs,, 

 and five assistant foresters, one forest valuer, and one assis- 

 tant valuer, all trained foresters. There are also eleven 'tree 

 planters and 451 rangers who assist in the management of 

 the forests. . 



In twelve counties foresters are maintained whose duty it 

 is to advise private landowners in the treatment of their 

 forests. The salaries and travelling expenses of these 

 officials amount, at present, to about ,£2,778 per annum, one- 

 half of which is paid by the State; the other half is, as a 

 rule, paid by the respective counties. 



