REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 239 



REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



English Estate Forestry. By A. C. Forbes, F.H.A.S., Lecturer 

 on Forestry, Durham College of Science, Newcastle-on- 

 Tyne. London: Edward Arnold, 1904. Price, 12s. 6d. 

 net. 



The above publication forms a recent addition to our existing 

 literature on forestry. The author points out in his preface that 

 it is neither a text-book nor a planter's guide, but a work intended 

 to be suggestive rather than instructive to the practical forester. 

 He sets to work by giving a true estimate of English estate 

 forestry, pointing out its defects and its much-needed remedies ; 

 and while he wisely refrains from telling us how to make forestry 

 pay, the author teaches something far more valuable, viz., 

 correct principles which, if adopted, would of necessity tend to 

 produce better timber and, therefore, more revenue. 



The information contained in the pages of this book does not 

 concern the forester so much as the land-owner and the land- 

 agent. The author is not afraid to express his ideas in clear and 

 forcible, though sometimes scathing, language. The opening 

 chapter deals at considerable length with the history of English 

 forestry. The author candidly admits that Brown's Forester 

 was a wonderful book in its way, but at the same time he blames 

 the too close copying of Brown's methods for spoiling the majority 

 of woods in this country. With regard to recent developments, 

 the author makes the following observations : — " During the last 

 ten years or so, however, views on English forestry have under- 

 gone considerable change, and although it may not yet be 

 regarded as a tempting commercial enterprise ... It is 

 evident that a large number of land-owners hold more economic 

 views on the management of their woods than was the case 

 before. This has been partly brought about by the dissemination 

 of knowledge more or less derived from Continental sources. 

 . . . But however valuable such knowledge may be ... it is 

 apparent to those who have closely studied the question, that 

 English forestry must possess certain characteristics of its own, 

 and any attempt to revolutionise English woodlands and to 



