IMPROVEMENT OF THE FORESTS. 19 



Nature points out, in various ways, and the observation of 

 practical men has almost universally confirmed, the conclusion 

 to which the philosophical botanist has come from theoretical 

 considerations, that a rotation of crops is as important in the 

 forests as it is in cultivated fields. A pine forest is often, with- 

 out the agency of man, succeeded by an oak forest, where there 

 were a few oaks previously scattered through the wood, to 

 furnish seed. An oak forest is succeeded by one of pine, under 

 the same conditions. But it frequently happens that there are 

 not enough trees of the opposite family to seed the ground : in 

 which case a forest will be succeeded by another of the same 

 kind, which, though it will grow, will probably not flourish 

 with the same luxuriance as would one of another family. 



It will not be considered foreign to our purpose to enumerate 

 some of the more important of the objects which should be kept 

 in view, in the cultivation and extension of our forests, and the 

 native and foreign trees best suited for those purposes. 



The first want, as has been shown, is fuel. The trees best 

 suited to the purpose are the hickories, the oaks, the beech, the 

 birches, the maples, and the pines, particularly the pitch pine, 

 and the chestnut and hemlock for close furnaces. If .fuel is to 

 be used in the form of charcoal, the hard woods only are of 

 great value, particularly chestnut, the birches, alders, oaks and 

 maples. As materials for house-building, the pines, the spruce 

 and the hemlock are generally employed. White oak was 

 formerly used for frames, and in many houses now standing for 

 more than a century, it has not begun to decay. Chestnut 

 resists decay, and is more and more in use. Floors are some- 

 times made of beech, of birch, and of ash. The best materials, 

 probably, are oak, white pine, chestnut, and spruce. 



For ship-building, oak is considered absolutely necessary, as 

 being preferable to any other wood. The best kinds are white 

 oak, and black, or yellow bark oak. Much southern oak is 

 now used. The English oaks, which, in Great Britain, are pre- 

 ferred, may be cultivated here as successfully as our own oaks. 

 In the construction of most of the ships of Europe, great quan- 

 tities of larch are used. This tree might be profitably planted 

 on thousands of acres which are now unproductive. Small ves- 



