HOW THE FORESTER WORKS 93 



tree here and a clump there brings the forest to its highest 

 usefulness and value. But he must know what to do and how 

 to do it. For some species respond to one form of treatment 

 and others to something quite different. Trees are as varied 

 in their response to changing conditions as are people. By 

 knowing these characteristics a forester is able to mould his 

 forest and increase its usefulness. He can favor one species at 

 the expense of another. If in a forest of mixed pine and hem- 

 lock, for example, the forester should want hemlock to pre- 

 dominate after lumbering, he would cut very sparingly and be 

 careful that not enough light should reach the forest floor to 

 stimulate the growth of pine. For hemlock is able to get along 

 with less light and reproduces thickly under those conditions. 

 But if he should want to choke out the hemlock and favor the 

 more valuable pine, he would cut more heavily and allow 

 enough light in for pine to spring up and overshadow the 

 slower growing hemlock. Yet here too he must show nice 

 judgment, for should too much light be let in a wild growth 

 of grass and weeds may seize the soil and allow no trees to re- 

 produce at all. If, on the other hand, there is not enough light, 

 neither pine nor hemlock will come up. 



And the forester must be guided by nature ever when he 

 is modifying and improving the work of nature. He must 

 know what treatment different species need for their best de- 

 velopment, and what products they will be most valuable for. 

 He must decide at the very beginning, whether to grow lum- 

 ber, pulp for paper, railroad ties, or something else. The by- 

 products of the forest become more numerous each day and it 

 is an important part of the forester's profession to know how 

 to increase the value of his woodlands by taking advantage of 



