SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF DR. JOHANN 

 KARL GAYER, 



JOHANN KARL GAYER, State Councillor, and Professor of 

 Forest Utilization at the University of Munich, I). Oec., 

 honoris causa, was born at Speyer, in the Eheinpfalz, on the 

 15th October, 1822. He first studied Natural Science ami 

 Mathematics, and afterwards Forestry. In 1851, he managed 

 the forests at 'Wiesenheim and Berg ; in 1855, he was appointed 

 second Professor of Forestry at the Forest School of Aschaffen- 

 burg. This enabled him to visit the most important forests 

 of South Germany, and to collect material for his two classic 

 books on Forest Utilization and Silviculture, that have had 

 very important influence on the Science of Forestry. In 

 1863, the first edition of his Forest Utilization was published, 

 the third edition in 1873, and the sixth edition in 1883. 

 Gayer was still full of mental vigour, when, in 1<)02, he 

 brought out the ninth edition of this book, with the assistance 

 of his pupil and successor, the writer of this notice. 



Gayer published his Silviculture in 1880, the fourth edition 

 of which appeared in 1898. The silvicultural principle of the 

 book is to preserve the natural productivity of the forest soil 

 by the natural regeneration of woods of mixed species ; this 

 principle has been adopted by the Bavarian State Forest 

 Department. 



In 1878, part of the Forestry Instruction was transferred 

 from Aschaffenburg to Munich, so that Gayer then became a 

 University Professor. He was elected and became Rector of 

 the University of Munich in 188990. In 1892, bodily 

 weakness compelled him to give up teaching, but his mind 

 remained as active as before. 



