Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1939, Page 221
REFORESTATION IN NORWAY
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of more than 8.7 millions per annum. During the last three years
the number planted per annum has increased to about 15.2 mil-
lions. Only a little over 11,600 kilos of seeds have been sown,
direct sowing being practiced only to a very limited extent in
Norway, both because the climate is unfavourable to this method
°f regeneration, and because the forest floor is largely covered
"with a vigorous growth of weeds which makes it necessary to
resort to planting.
As regards the drainage work carried out with the support
°f the forest societies, statistics show that the length of ditches
cut in recent years totals from 4 to 7 million metres per annum.
During and immediately after the Great. War there was a period
°f stagnation, as the high level of wages made ditching work un-
remunerative. Ditches to a total length of 50,705,345 metres have
been cut in bog and forest land with the heíp of the forest
societies.
Reforestation work in woodless districts is mainly centred in
Western and Northern Norway. As already mentioned, it is esti-
mated that these parts of the country possess a total area of about
^hree million hectares of woodless land, which, both as regards
Quality of the soil and climatic conditions, should be suitable for
forest production, and which has actually been under forest in
earlier times. Even if one considers that one million hectares of
rhis land should be reserved for tillage, pasture and new settle-
ments, there still remains an area of about two million hectares
"which could be turned into productive forest land by planting.
This is an enormous task, but one which, when completed,
w°uld increase the area of productive forest land by about 26
Per cent., and the national wealth by a corresponding, nay a sub-
stantially higher, figure, as it has been found that planted forests
give on the whole a better yield than the country’s natural forests.
Flowever, there is reason to believe that it will not be neces-
sary to plant this enormous area in its entirety in order to get it
under forest. If the areas to be planted be carefully selected the
plantations may no doubt be counted upon to spread by natural
reproduction — if the neighbouring areas are closed to grazing.
A number of large areas on the west coast may be reforested
merely by means of effective protection, as the soil is still full of
hve roots of foliferous trees which readily produce new shoots
as soon as the area is closed to grazing. The Forest Society has
lor many years made grants towards the fenving of such areas.