282 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



in wood utilization and in the properties of wood to practice in the 

 forest, whether it be in connection with achninistrative problems or 

 silvicultural investigations. Almost every phase of research in forest 

 products threads back to silviculture in some way and finds important 

 application in forest practice. 



In fact, the mechanical, physical and chemical qualities of dififerent 

 woods will not only determine the commercial value and application of 

 each species, but will also, to a very important extent, determine which 

 particular ones of a group of possible species should be grown or en- 

 couraged on any specified tract of forest land. In many cases a careful 

 consideration of the properties of the wood, together with silvicultural 

 requirements, may bring out the fact that better results can be obtained 

 by growing some hitherto neglected species rather than the species 

 which has previously been considered most desirable. 



For example, grand fir (Abies grandis) has generally been consid- 

 ered inferior to white pine or Douglas fir in the forests of Washington 

 and Northern Idaho. Yet natural regeneration of grand fir is more 

 dependable and more easily secured on many cuttings and burns than 

 either of the other species. This fact, together with its high form 

 factor and rapid growth in dense stands, makes it silviculturally a very 

 desirable tree for many sites. Studies of the properties of grand fir 

 have shown that for many purposes it is equally as good as either 

 Douglas fir or white pine. Consequently with this knowledge of its 

 wood properties as his guide, the forester might often be justified in 

 encouraging the reproduction of grand fir on many areas in anticipa- 

 tion of the time at the end of the next rotation when the prejudices of 

 custom will have disappeared and the true commercial value and appli- 

 cation of this species will be recognized. 



Again, it has been quite generally thought among lumbermen that 

 trees grown in swampy or inundated lands produce inferior lumber 

 to the same species grown on well drained uplands. Experiments in 

 kiln drying have shown that there is reason for this belief, that the 

 swamp grown oaks, for example, shrink and warp more and are more 

 inclined to honeycomb in drying than the upland trees. The same is 

 true of other species, as gum, tupelo and cypress, etc. Moreover, the 

 question of durability forms an important element as to location of 

 tree growth. Is swamp grown lumber more durable than upland 

 growth ? These two questions — physical behavior in drying and dura- 



