CONSIDERATIONS IN SILVICULTURAL RESEARCH 793 



ment" and "investigation" were synonymous terms. Some, I venture, 

 would immediately refer to the facts, figures, and curves which are 

 produced as a result of research. 



Research, however, is much deeper than either experimentation or 

 investigation. Experiments are only one means of carrying on research 

 work. Research may consist of just merely reading and digesting great 

 quantities of literature. It may consist of field work, ofifice work, or lab- 

 oratory work, or a combination of any or all of these. But all of these 

 are only external manifestations that research is being done. They do 

 not give us any clue as to the attitude of the research man towards his 

 work. And this is the sine qua non of this class of work. That is 

 the reason it is so difficult to define. It is comparatively easy for a 

 student or research man to acquire facts and principles ; but to acquire 

 the research spirit and attitude is sometimes much more difftcult. The 

 research attitude may be defined as an inborn love and enthusiasm for 

 desiring to discover and express the truth. Therefore it becomes ap- 

 parent that a man who carries on experiments is no more a research 

 man than the one who cuts down a tree and plants one in its place 

 can be called a forester, or one who raises a few beets and radishes in 

 a backyard lot can be called a farmer. 



Broadly speaking, research is the process by which knowledge is 

 advanced. To secure recognition a profession like forestry must be 

 continuously increasing its stock of knowledge of fundamental prin- 

 ciples through research. In our attempt to understand forestry science 

 and its methods much inspiration as well as subject-matter have been 

 borrowed from the older sciences. But foresters cannot let the matter 

 rest there. Forestry science must itself be productive of scientific 

 results and theories. 



We often hear the plea that it is necessary to begin silvical and sil- 

 vicultural research at once and to acquire a knowledge of the basic 

 facts before they are actually needed. It is important to realize the 

 truth in this statement. Research is relatively slow in operation and 

 cannot be liurried. Xrw and fundamental facts cannot be "made to 

 order." Only in very rare instances can they be worked out in time to 

 serve sudden emergencies. Sudden emergencies can only be met if a 

 "broad basis of scientific facts and principles has already been estab- 

 lished. To secure the best results, research nuist be carried on con- 

 tinuously from year to year and from generation to generation. 



But, you may ask, why is research necessary to advance knowledge? 

 Is not knowledge advanced by other means than research? Empiricism 

 .also advances knowledge. We learn things by doing them over and 



