DIVISION OP FORESTRY. 183 



LITERATURE. 



There having been no attempt at artificial or scientific forestry 

 until very recently by the tree planting of the West and in a few 

 instances elsewhere, the literature of the subject in this country is nat- 

 urally very limited. The largest part, to be found in magazine arti- 

 cles, essays, the proceedings of associations, and other papers, is of a 

 general nature, dwelling upon the importance, value, or history of 

 forestry, or is a recital of European methods. 



Forest floras and descriptive forest botanical works are met in suf- 

 ficient numbers, some giving necessary instruction in regard to the 

 propagation of trees; but an expos^ of the principles which underlie 

 forestry proper is, for the most part, not even presented by those who 

 profess to write on forestry. It is to be regretted that the only 

 periodical devoted to this subject, the American Forestry Journal, 

 edited by the late Dr. F. B. Ilough, had to be abandoned after one 

 year's issue (18S3) for lack of support. The English Journal of 

 For est r 11 having also been abandoned, no forestry periodical in the 

 En<^iish language is in existence except The Indian Forester, Avhich 

 deals specially with tropical conditions. A Forestry Bulletin, issued 

 by the American Forestry Congress, had also to be abandoned for 

 lack or interest. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association has recently 

 issued several numbers of leaflets, Forestry Leaves. The Agricul- 

 tural press, and the daily and weekly newspaj^ers also, are beginning 

 to introduce forestry matter liberally into their columns. 



A pretty full collection of works on forestry, published in Great 

 Britain, together with some continental publications, may be found 

 in the Congressional Library at Washington and in the public libraries 

 of Boston and New York, and a few elsewhere. 



FOREST POLICY. 



Recognizing the importance of the forests, on account of their 

 direct and indirect bearing upon the development and continuous 

 productiveness of a country, almost all civilized nationshave devised 

 systems of forestry, at least so far as government holdings of forest 

 areas are concerned, and encourage and protect similar systems of 

 management by private holders, in some cases even enforcing such 

 systems upon them. Enforcement, however, is as yet practised only 

 in very rare and urgent cases (contrary to the conceptions prevalent in 

 this country), the necessity of forest police regulations having been 

 recognized abroad only in recent times. 



All Governments, however, are gradually awakening to the need 

 of such forest policy, and, further, to the desirability of preserving 

 certain forest areas in the hands of the Government, which alone can 

 have a sufficient interest in the future conditions of the country 

 dependent on forest cover. Thus, in Austria, where, since 1825, finan- 

 cial straits of the Government have necessitated the sale or mortgag- 

 ing Of more than 50 per cent, of the public domain, a new policy was 

 inaugurated in 1868, by which were rigidly excluded from sale — 



(1) All forests which, on account of climatic considerations— for the protection of 

 water-sheds and for the conservation of favorable agricultural conditions of extensive 

 regions or particular localities — ought to remain in the hands of the Government. 



(2) Such forests as are needed for carrying on salt-works and s imila r Government 

 establishments. 



(3) Such forests as promise so insignificant a yield or profit at present as to make 

 their preservation for future requirements desirable. 



