Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-05-07
tarm a''n honseboIO.
Tree Culture.
THE GERMAN SYSTEM OF CULTIyATING
FORESTS.

THE GERMAN SYSTEM OF CULTIyATING
FORESTS.
At the recent meeting of the Wisconsin
Horticultural Society. Mr.. George 7. PETER
gave an ESSAY on Forest Tree Culture.
from which We make the following extract.
as showing with what system the culture
and preservation OF the forests are carried
on in Germany
''In my native country New Bavaria.
Germany the forests are all owned by
village corporations, counties or States,
and forcsters are employed by the govern
ment for five, ten or twenty years, the
case may be. These men have TO see that
no damage is done TO the growing trees.
TO see 10 the new plantations and TO the
cutting of the old forests; 10 the gather
ing OF the seeds whenever it is the proper
time to do so; also to take care OF them
until they are planted. Each forester has
to oversee from 500 to 1000 acres. which
is owned and used generation after gener-
alton for forest culture. Whenever a piece
Is cut down (Which Is decided on by the
trustees OF the village. or State. year after
year, the best timber is used for mechani-
cal purposes, aud the balance for firevood.
All the government officers and public
schools and the town poor are furnished
certain amount free. Then. If there is
more cut than is needed for the use of the
corporation, ii IS disposed of at public
auction.
When the wood is all cleared of, the
land i laid out like q village or town, into
lots of from one quarter 20 one-half an
acre. and sold at auction Tor the term OF
three years. The lot with the most slumps
on it brings the highest price. as they are
all grubbed out for Grewood, and by this
means the land is sub-soiled or trenched.
Those that buy for the wood only. sell or
lease these lots again to farmers or plant
ers who Will raise grain, roots or garden
products; and they generally manure very
highly the first year, in order TO make it
more profitable. There are many families
that have 10 property hut these lots. and
upon then they depend for subsistence.
The third year root crops are grown,
and then the lots are again re-plauted with
forest seeds. II of rich, heavy clay soil,
acornS beech or white ash are planted. If
of sandy or light soils, aspen. oi. ch. blue
beech or alder seeds are sown. and in
few years pines or spruce are sown or
transplanted. On the last named soils. in
our district, mostly white oaks were plant
ed, as there was an oak orchard of about
fifteen or twenty acres, that furnished
sufficient acorns annually to plant 1000
acres. Lands that had ash and birch
forests, when cleared of. were re-planted
with oak and beech. and that of the oak
with ash. beech. or any sort that had not
been grown on them before.
The nursery OF new plantations was
planted by the tax payers or burshers. the
same a. our road taxes are worked here
and the forester is the overseer. As be-
fore stated, the land for the new plantation
had for the last crop roots. such "a pota-
toes, beets aud turnips in rows, and the
furrows left amer gathering the crop in the
fall were used early in the spring to plant
the acoras or other seeds in. II too shall
low. the hoe was used TO make burrows
and the seeds covered one or two inches
deep. After the seed had come up, and
were good stand. some OF the poor peo-
pie were permitted to grow row of pota-
toes or bush beans between them. for the
purpose of keeping the tree rows clean of
weeds and TO transplant the little plants
where they had failed. The second ear
no cultivation is done except to keep the
large weeds and grass out. On sandy land
evergre ems are set out, if there ars vacan-
cies.
After the second year all is LET TO nature.
No grass, weeds. or dead forest leaves are
allowed to be taken Off from the new plan
tations for at least five or six years. when
the first thinning is gone through with and
all crooked. deiormed and dry trees re-
moved all in q day or two. This is about
the only time the forester must have help
TO see that none are cut that will be of
other use than fiTewood. As il belongs
to the burghers to do this job. there is
generally large crowd, as all turn out
that can on this occasion. After a day or
two no one is allowed 10 cut or trim wood
or brush for the next two or more years.
In the older plantations it is allowable to
get the dry limbs and sticks, and the limbs
that grow downwards, or interfere with
each other. In this way many people have
to obtain their hrewood, particularly those
who are not on the town poor list, as they
are not able TO purchase it; or if they do
buy. do so to have it in cold weather,
when the women and children cannot 90
out TO gather it,"