12 FOREST PLANTING. 



this expression does not designate any exact science ; but 

 just such management of forests, the practical results of 

 which had been retraced to their scientific basis, and 

 were found to be in harmony with scientific principles. 

 For this reason the advanced forest economy of to-day is 

 called scientific or systematic forestry, and this means : 

 First, to continually have a sustained forestal production 

 from a certain area; Second, the natural regeneration 

 of the forests ; and, Third, a progressive improvement cf 

 the forests , instead of former deterioration. 



That the introduction of systematic forestry into our 

 State forests would lead to a revenue for the State there 

 can be no doubt, provided the management should be 

 entrusted to experts. But at present we must drop this 

 question entirely, as we have to concentrate every effort 

 to the restocking of the many denuded public wood- 

 lands in the State, and to inducing owners of the 

 adjoining private woods to enter into a combination 

 among themselves acd with the public officers, in order 

 to protect their wood-lands against damages, and to im- 

 prove them by adopting the same measures which ought 

 to be maintained in the State preserve. For it is a great 

 drawback to the effective management of our State forests 

 that they are not compact bodies of larger extent, but 

 mostly disconnected plots, situated in different counties, 

 ranging from a few acres up to many thousands, and 

 usually surrounded by private lands, and, therefore, in- 

 accessible by roads. As systematic forestry cannot be 

 advantageously applied except on larger areas of compact 

 bodies of wood-lands, it is evident that means must be 

 devised to urge upon the adjoining owners of those 

 private wood-lands, the necessity of entering into a com- 

 bination with the managers of the State forests, and of 

 a preconcerted action with them in regard to the pre- 

 servation of their forests. There is no doubt that in 



