112 
is, how should these be modified or extended to best meet Ameri- 
can conditions. In the management of the National Forests the 
Government is not working in the dark. Nor is it slavishly copy- 
ing European countries. It is putting into practice, in America, 
and for Americans, principles tried and found correct, which will 
insure to all the people alike the fullest and best use of all forest 
resources. , 
In the following short history of what forestry has done in other 
countries, it will be possible to give only the chief facts. Yet 
even in this incomplete review two things stand out with striking 
clearness. ONE IS THAT THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH 
HAVE GONE FARTHEST IN THE PRACTICE OF FOR- 
ESTRY ARE THE ONES WHICH TODAY ARE MOST 
PROSPEROUS, WHICH HAVE THE LEAST PROPOR- 
TION OF WASTE LAND, AND WHICH HAVE THE 
MOST PROMISING FUTURES. THE OTHER IS THAT 
THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH SPEND MOST UPON 
THEIR FORESTS RECEIVE FROM THEM THE GREAT- 
EST NET RETURNS. 
SWITZERLAND. 
In Switzerland, which has 2,000,000 acres, or 20.6 per cent, of 
its area, in forest, the communal forests are the largest, and make 
up 67 per cent, of the total ; the cantons own 4.5 per cent., and 
private persons own 28.6 per cent. The communal holdings are 
constantly growing by the purchase of private lands. The general 
government, or Bund, owns no forests. From $6,000,000 to 
$8,000,000 worth of wood (300,000 tons) and wooden ware are 
annually imported. This comes mainly from Austria-Hungary, 
southern Germany, and France. 
The State forests yield about 64 cubic feet per acre, the cor- 
poration forests 42 cubic feet ; the average yield of !>oth together is 
about 45 cubic feet. The average wood growth per acre has been 
estimated to be 50 cubic feet. In the State forests of Bern the 
figures show a growth of 50 cubic feet for the plateau countrv, 
73 cubic feet for the middle country, and 75 cubic feet in the 
Jura. Wood prices, which are higher than in Germany, have been 
rising for forty years. 
The expenditures in forest management vary greatly among the 
Cantons, ranging from $1.50 to $7 per acre. The net annual re- 
turns range from $3 per acre in the forests where least is ex- 
pended, to $8 or $9 per acre in the city forests, where most is ex- 
pended. 
Forest regulations came very early in Switzerland. The first 
forest ordinance of Bern was issued 600 years ago. The city 
forest of Zurich, famous as the Sihlwald, has been managed un- 
der a working plan since 1680, and is todav one of the most per- 
fectly managed and most profitable forests in the world. It yields, 
