REVIEW'S 



French Forests and Forestry. By T. S. Woolsey, Jr. John Wiley & 

 Sons, New York. 1917. Pp. 238. 



The title of this volume, at least the cover title, is misleading in 

 rousing the expectation that a general discussion of the forest practice 

 of France is intended, when in fact forest conditions and practice in 

 three dependencies are only treated, namely, those of Tunisia, Algeria, 

 and Corsica. The author having personally visited these countries, 

 being familiar with the language, and a world-wide traveler, his account 

 assumes an authoritative character. 



The author has written the book because he considers that the French 

 methods applied in these countries are also directly applicable in the 

 United States. He thinks so because they are not intensive, and because 

 they rely on natural regeneration. But we are skeptical in this respect. 

 Whatever similarities in natural conditions may be found in these 

 countries permitting similar silvicultural practice, economic, market, 

 transportation, and populational conditions are so entirely dissimilar 

 that practically we cannot reasonably follow the example. 



This does not detract, however, from the usefulness of the study of 

 the conditions and practices in these countries for the indirect value in 

 working out our own policies and practices. In the introduction the 

 author seems to consider it rather a merit that he has avoided compari- 

 sons between French and American methods, but just here the interest 

 in the book could have been usefully intensified and, indeed, the author 

 occasionally does expand in that direction. The accentuation of the 

 natural renegeration methods — which are often practiced, not because 

 they are the best, but because considerations of present pocket interest 

 do not permit more intensive methods — is perhaps overdone. At least 

 the countries described require largely the artificial reforestation of 

 difficult and arid sites under climates somewhat analogous to our south- 

 western territories, where natural regeneration is of doubtful success 

 or impracticable. 



A detail description of general and forest conditions, administrative 

 organization and legislation, forest management, forest protection, 

 forest policies, and silvicultural methods in use are given for each 

 country, but -for the comfort of him who does not want the detail, the 



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