The character of the wood crop differs from that of the agricultural 

 crop, especially in the fact that it takes many years before it can be harvest- 

 ed. If the agriculturist makes a mistake in planting one year he can rec- 

 tify his error the next year, whereas the forester can never rectify any such 

 error until the next crop. Therefore it is necessary for the silviculturist to 

 make closer study of the life history of his material than the agriculturist 

 needs to make. He must be more circumspect in planning his crop, so that 

 it will become self-sustaining. 



The silviculturist, as before noticed, must make a selection from the 

 300 to 500 species of trees that occur naturally with us, to grow. He must 

 grow those varieties which arc reasonably sure of a market when they ma- 

 ture. These 500 species may be divided into those which are useful and 

 those which are but tree weeds. What is a weed ? It is a plant the use of 

 which has not been found out yet. In order to select those species which 

 we are going to reproduce we must have a relative value of the various 

 species established. A glance at the market reports shows us that not more 

 than TO of these 500 species are being used and sold. Changes, however, 

 will occur. Some species will fall into disuse, and other species that are 

 now in disuse will become their substitutes. The -case of the Hemlock 

 might be cited as an example. The silviculturist must therefore forecast 

 the future. One thing we are fairly sure of is that the timber at present in 

 use in largest quantity will be sure of a market in the future. Among this 

 last class we can place the conifers and especially the white pine, which 

 furnish the bulk of our lumber. We must also suit our trees to the clima- 

 tic conditions of the country, there being little chance for acclimatizing 

 them, hence native species are mostly preferable. The choice of soil must 

 also be considered. The trees rely less upon the mineral constituents than 

 upon the physical conditions, and hence we relegate the best soil to the 

 agriculturist. Water, however, is the important factor, and thus the silvi- 

 culturist tries to secure favorable water conditions, the depth of soil being 

 of much importance in this respect, especially with deep-rooted species. 



Other considerations also influence his operations, such as the pre- 

 servation of soil and moisture, which is the most essential contribution of 

 the soil to tree growth, and which requires the soil to be kept shaded. 



In fact, there is nothing that a forester guards so jealously, next to the 

 light conditions at the crown, as the soil conditions : A soil free of 

 weeds and grass and covered as amply as possible with a heavy mulch ot 

 decaving leaves and twigs, and if this best protection of the soil moisture 

 be deficient, a cover of shrubby undergrowth which requires less water 

 than weeds and grass this is the character of a desirable forest floor. 



Altogether it will have appeared from the previous study of tree 

 growth and forest development that the entire silvicultural operations with 

 an established crop resolve themselves into one, namely, proper manage- 

 ment of light conditions, which is secured by the judicious use of the axe. 



