The Subdivision of Forests 189 



of 60 acres, and go to as low an average as 50 acres in case of 

 spruce forests. Dr. von Guttenberg, the foremost Austrian au- 

 thority on Forest Organization, states that in case of large forests 

 with extensive management, in which one usually finds large cut- 

 ting areas, it might not be advisable to make small compartments 

 at present, but that compartments of 125 to 150 acres would be 

 practical, and in the future as the management becomes more 

 intensive and refined they could be further reduced through 

 subdivision. On the other hand, he states that in case of average- 

 sized forests with intensive management, compartments with an 

 average area of 50 to 75 acres would be practical, and in case of 

 small forests with very intensive management, especially in cop- 

 pice forests, their average area may be from 25 to 40 acres. Prof. 

 Filibert Roth, one of the foremost American authorities in fores- 

 try, states in his recent book on Forest Regulation that: "It is 

 feasible even in high mountainous districts to stay below 200 

 acres in the average size of the lot (compartment)." 



The above figures are averages and a rational interpretation 

 of them will allow considerable latitude. The compartments laid 

 out up to the present time upon the Mont Alto State Forest of 

 Pennsylvania, which is primarily a hardwood forest with chest- 

 nut and Chestnut oak as the prevailing species, have an average 

 area of about 75 acres. In making compartments one may follow 

 one of two courses, i.e., either make the compartments at once the 

 size which you think they should ultimately have, or else make 

 larger divisions which may be subdivided into finished compart- 

 ments at some later date. The former course should be followed, 

 if it is in any way possible. In case the latter course must be 

 followed the larger subdivisions, which may comprise from 500 

 to 5,000 or more acres, should under no circumstances be called 

 a compartment. If one is not able to subdivide the larger sub- 

 division into finished compartments it might be possible at least to 

 project the ultimate compartments upon the map and term them 

 projected compartments. In any event, the larger subdivision 

 which embraces a number of projected or ultimate compart- 

 ments is temporary and should not bear the term compartment. 

 We should be careful with reference to forest nomenclature, since 

 at best it is difficult, and nothing is harder than the eradication of 

 a poor or a confusing term. 



