REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 233 
some American trees, most of which are known as ornamental 
specimens, but have not received due attention in forest planta- 
tions here. A great deal of misapprehension exists as to their 
value, and as Germany has done most of the experimental forest- 
tree planting, it is instructive to hear the consensus of opinion of 
that country.” 
The book is one of much interest to the forester, as it focuses 
the general results obtained from sylvicultural experiments with 
exotic trees not only in Germany, but in Austria, Great Britain, 
and Switzerland as well, though, as the author points out, the 
British experiments have not, “ owing to lack of system,” been 
attended with the best results. 
The idea of introducing foreign forest-trees into Germany was 
awakened, the author states, more than a hundred years ago, 
and attention was first directed to the eastern parts of North 
America, whence some three hundred species of trees were 
introduced for experimental purposes; but owing to the experi- 
ments being carried out without a knowledge of the sylvicultural 
requirements of the timber-species, most of them disappeared 
from the forest. A few of these managed, however, to struggle 
through, and became important objects for the study of the 
American tree-species in Germany. ‘The desire to have timber- 
species which in their soil-requirements were more modest, or 
which were more frost-hardy, than the indigenous species, as also 
the desire to cultivate something rare and foreign, which perhaps 
would yield a. more valuable timber than the indigenous trees, 
caused, a century later, attention to be drawn to new experiments 
in the cultivation of foreign trees in Germany. These experi- 
ments were speedily put into practice, and, after a trial extending 
over twenty years, the author states that “the results are 
undoubtedly of great forestal value. The new introductions 
during this period have brought trees to Germany which excel 
the German species in modesty as to soil-requirements, in frost- 
hardiness, and in rapid growth; which partly equal the German 
species in timber-production, partly surpass them; so that there 
is a promise that Germany will produce, in the course of the next 
century, as much of the splendid American hickory, walnut, 
Douglasia, and white pine wood at home as she requires.” And 
the author goes on to say that, “should the above promise not 
be realised, the blame must not be laid on the foreign trees, nor 
on the German soil, nor on the German climate, but rather on 
