Current Literature. 297 



lutely necessary for the silviculturist, even if he does not have an 

 actual estimate of the conditions of the merchantable stand. At the 

 beginning of his paper Mr. Whitford makes a statement that, 

 "stripped of its business aspect, forestry is nothing more nor less 

 than forest ecology." A botanical enumeration of tree species is 

 interesting and valuable to the forester, but it is the form of the 

 forest, its conditions, size and habits of the trees which are of spe- 

 cial value to him as a foundation for his plans for silvicultural treat- 

 ment. 



All foresters will be glad to hear that Mr. Whitford has be- 

 come a member of the Bureau of Forestry of the Philippine Islands 

 and will continue his ecological studies. All look forward to future 

 publications describing the conditions of the Philippines, and it is 

 hoped that he will consider them not only from the purely botanical 

 standpoint, but also from that of the forester. H. S. G. 



The Forester. By John Nisbet, D. OEc, Edinburg and London, 

 1905. In two volumes, 642 pp. 



American foresters have found Nisbet's "Studies in Forestry" one 

 of the most helpful works on Silviculture in English. It is gratify- 

 ing, therefore, that the author, John Nisbet, has published a much 

 larger work on Forestry. "The Forester" is based on the sixth edi- 

 tion of the work under this name by James Brown and edited by 

 John Nisbet. The author has, however, rewritten the entire sub- 

 ject and added so much that the new work resembles the old chiefly 

 in general arrangement and form, and not in text. 



Mr. Nisbet has covered the whole field of Forestry and designs 

 his work as a text book for British foresters. His aim is to aid the 

 private owners and foresters in Great Britain and he has written 

 for their special requirements. Mr. Nisbet asserts that the average 

 British forester does not need such an elaborate education as is given 

 in the continental schools, but if he has a knowledge of Dendrology, 

 Plant Physiology, and Agricultural Chemistry, the technical sub- 

 jects. Sylviculture, Protection of Woodlands, and Utilization of For- 

 est Produce may be taught, at least as far as the indoor work is con- 

 cerned, in 100 to 120 lectures. He has in mind, of course, the prac- 

 tical forester, the woods foreman as we call him, and his book is 

 planned to meet his special needs. 



