Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-09-16
THE FORESTRY QUESTION:
FACTS, HINTS AND OPINIONS FROM SEVERAL
SOURCES.
Forestry in Germany---A Hint for the
United states
From the N. Y. Times.1

Forestry I'm Germany.--A Hint for the
United states.
from the N. Y. Tmes.l
There is some acknowledgment, but not yet
general enough, of the fact that the oonsump-
ton of wood in this country has extended to
the destruction of forests, and that IL is time
TO go more slowly. Whether-and If so, how
rapidly-consumptio is exceeding supply, is
a question as TO which there is some variance
of opinion, and one not easy to answer with
certainty; yet the demands of industry are
vast and growing, the destruction by forest
fires is very serious, and il cannot be many
years before tree preservation and tree culture
will compel attention. The shade-tree plant
ing by village improvement societies in some
parts of New England has already been noted
as q favorable sign, and this work ought to
extend until all the highways are tree-lined.
In Europe, wood is believed to be increasing
in quantity. In early times forests were COM
mon property in Germanyj then came the
privileged" forests, then private ownership,
then the "county" forests and then the pres
ent state forests. Forest academies or schools
of forestry, dating back to 1717, have been
more frequently established during the pres
ent century, and forest culture has been added
to the list of studies in number of UNIVERSE
ties. In Prussia, on a suggestion from the
government, lectures on forest botany were
heAANtAbu III A1bEAAn d Aouh hkU Us ~ iU anu
excursions into the forests were made for the
the purpose of obtaining practical illustra
tions. In 1921 forest academy was estRb-
lished at Berlin in connection with the uni
versity there, but was removed to Eberswalde
in 1880, where it now is. 1t has a director,
three master foresters and five professors
The course of study covers forest culture in
general, methods of appraisement, forest pro
lection and utilization, botany, mathematics.
mineralogy, chemistry, and few subjects APP
parently not very cognate 10 the object. Tr-
weekly excursions into the forests are made
for lectures with illustrations. A trained body
of men thus devote themselves in Prussia to
the advancement of forestry. The thorough
forester there knows natural history also all
the soil in his district, its RAINFALL Winds tenn
perature, etc. The forestry corps now con-
sists of 1913 master and general-master fores-
ters GS5 chief foresters, 1854 district fores
ters 1856 forest keepers, and 20 other minor
officers. The estimated receipts for the year
ending April last are $40, sos, G66 from wood,
and 81, 1928, 800 total, against 81, 234, 1873 ex-
penses so that forestry yields very hand
some net income to the state. One of the
subjects most thoroughly studied in Prussia
is the influence of forests on climate and fer
tility of soil. By practical examples present
ed TO the bodily Senses it is shown to the stu
dent that the temperature does not reach such
extremes where the ground is shaded as it does
elsewhere; that forests are rich in springs and
brooks, which the sun destroys when uncov-
cred and that forests even induce rain This
lesson, greatly needed in this country, is thus
so thoroughly taught in Prussia that denuding
the soil is practicod only after considering the
| subject well. Reforesting is also practiced
successfully, and must finally be taken up in
the United States as WELL Germany has set
good example by importing largely of the
California redwood, from which valuable
tracts have grown. Freshets, drouth, and too
sudden and extreme changes of temperature,
are part of the consequences of too largely
stripping the soil, and the movement to pro
tect and restore our woods cannot be too soon
| begun vigorously here.