Scope of Dendrology in Forest Botany. 



233 



as is still being done in some places. And surely geographic 

 dendrology, or the ranges of tree species, a single phase of den- 

 drology, should not be taught under the title of forest-geography. 

 The latter is a branch of the established science of plant-geogra- 

 phy, the ecological science known internationally as phytogeog- 

 raphy. It appears to the writer inadvisable to a high degree to 

 attempt to take over one of its titles' to denote one single phase 

 of the non-ecological science of dendrology. On the other hand, 

 it appears to the writer equally inadvisable to go to the other 

 extreme and endeavor to avoid the natural distmction between 

 the non-ecological study of the various features of trees as indi- 

 vidual species and the ecological study of forests as organic 

 entities' by attempting to force all of this into one subject called 

 dendrology. The best investigative tendency over all the world 

 to-day is directly opposed to this course. And one of the chief 

 present needs of American forestry is a solid scientific basis for 

 its practice, a basis that can be secured only by the use of the 

 best investigative procedures. The study of vegetation as the 

 dynamic thing it is now recognized to be is immensely facilitated 

 by this logical separating-out of all ecological matters. As direct 

 witness to this may be cited the two established botanical sciences 

 of plant-geography and plant-ecology, distinct signs of the times. 

 Silvics, as conceived by the writer, is but the natural forestry 

 outcome — forest-geography plus forest-ecology plus the widen- 

 ing of the field through diflferences brought about in investiga- 

 tions by the distinctive forest production pomt of view of for- 

 estry. 



Practical Discussion Not Academic. 



While the essential problem in teaching what is considered in 

 this paper as the subject of dendrology is obviously to cover the 

 necessary ground, it is not, at the present stage of development 

 of American forestry, whatever it might have been at an earlier 

 stage, a purely academic matter to endeavor to determine and 

 define the scope of its constituent parts and their place in the 

 general scheme of forestry. It seems reasonable to account such 

 systematizing quite as practical as the determination of a definite 

 policy for the carrying out of any prolonged piece of work. It 

 may, indeed, even be likened to the planning and outlining of the 

 most advantageous route to follow in undertaking a long jour- 



