The role of F. Kh. Maier in afforestation of sloping lands of central Russian upland

The forests absence F. Kh. Maier considered as one of the key factor of dry winds and severe winters at the boundary of steppe and forest steppe zones. On the ground of more than 40 years experience of management in estaite “Mokhovoe” he recommended to render beams, gullies and other unsutable for plowing lands for forests. Just for this purpose he developed special agro technology of planting arboreal plants in forest steppe conditions. From 1821 to 1853 90 ha offorests were planted under his leadership. On chernozem he cultivated fir tree, silver fir, larch, Siberian cedar Weymouth pine, oak, elm and other species. In 1839 at the bottom of river Rakovka F.Kh. Maier put the exemplary forst nursery. On seed cultural beds the seedling sprouts were grown. Then in nursery garden they were grown to 3-6-years of age to obtain planting material. For the purpose of the best survival, and shading seed beds he planted willows. Later the practice of seedling production in nursery was changed. It was divided into two separate parts and for this purpose only one of them was used. In the second part perennial grasses were sown. From 1848 planting material not only satisfied increasing demands in personal farm business but also was sold. To 1860 nursery sold in different places of our country more than a million of seedlings of conifer, up to 800000 decidouos, up to 200000 garden bushes. From 1848 to 1883 годы было продано 8,96 mln. Pieces of seedlings were sold. The price was set for 10 pieces. In the middle of ХХ century at Shatilovo experiment station the area of homogeneous forests planted on slopes of gullies and beams was nearly 1200 ha. Unfortunately, this important ecological F. Kh. Maier’ s development did not become a frequent practice in the Russian Empire, in the USSR and in modern Russia.