704 Forestry Quarterly. 



briefly criticises the methods of forest regulation and dwells 

 especially on the regulation by the area-period allotment. All 

 these methods lead to even-aged stands over large areas. They 

 dictate the time and the progress of reproduction. They cannot 

 make use of natural reproduction and depend entirely on artificial 

 reproduction. 



Such, in brief, are the contents of Wagner's interesting book. 

 The conclusions to which the author came are based on his 

 personal observations in the forest, and from applying the selec- 

 tion cuttings in the form of narrow strips on a forest near Heil- 

 dorf. The results of this method of cutting are splendid. Two 

 or three years after the strips are thinned, there may be seen 

 natural reproduction especially of spruce, more rarely of silver fir, 

 and still less of Scotch pine. The conditions at Heildorf, how- 

 ever, are very favorable, and what is possible at Heildorf may not 

 be applicable in other places. The region in which Wagner is 

 conducting his new method of cutting is characterized by abun- 

 dance of atmospheric precipitation, by depth and freshness of the 

 soil, by an advantageous silvicultural mixture of species, and 

 simple topography ; the felling and exportation of the timber is 

 done by experienced laborers permanently in the employ of the 

 forest administration ; and by a high intensiveness of forest 

 management. There is no doubt that the present methods of 

 cutting as they are practiced in central Germany lead to even-aged 

 stands over large areas. The return to more natural forms of 

 stands is a very urgent necessity. Wagner offers a new method 

 which, under favorable climatic and economic conditions, judging 

 by the results obtained at Heildorf, will accomplish the end 

 sought ; under less favorable conditions, however, it may result in 

 failure. The conclusions of the author apply chiefly to Norway 

 spruce stands. To what extent this method is applicable also to 

 pure stands of intolerant species, such as our western yellow pine, 

 is very doubtful. Wagner's analysis of the conditions under 

 which natural reproduction is possible, is so comprehensive and 

 is in such accord with the new tendencies in forest ecology 

 (Silvics), and since natural reproduction with us must, for the 

 present, as a matter of necessity, remain the prevalent method of 

 reproduction, his conclusions are of the utmost interest to us. It 

 is very desirable that the forest experiment stations should take 



