EUROPEAN METHODS TO FIT AMERICAN CONDITIONS 15 



At first, attempts were made to emulate European methods in the 

 management of our American forests. But European methods of 

 planting, cultural thinnings and improvement cuttings, as well as silvi- 

 cultural systems of reproduction and utilization practices cannot be 

 readily adjusted to fit American conditions. Forestry is intimately 

 related to the social and economic structure of any civilization. Until 

 wood becomes much more scarce and therefore more valuable, we will 

 be able to practice only an ex- 

 tensive rather than an intensive 

 system of forestry in this country. 



In Europe, the largest trees 

 are generally utilized for saw 

 logs; smaller trees of spruce are 

 used for pulpwood, and the bal- 

 ance of the tree stem is utilized 

 for fuel wood or other purposes, 

 including the smallest limbs and 

 twigs. Bark of one of their prin- 

 cipal trees, Norway spruce, is 

 stripped and used in tanning. In 

 extreme cases stumps are grubbed 

 out and used for charcoal and 

 fuelwood. Even the leaves and 

 forest litter serve for kindling. 

 Fuels such as coal and wood are 

 scarce and therefore command 

 attractive prices on their markets. 

 The keynote of commercial for- 

 estry is the ability to sell the 

 products at a good profit. 



A technique and system based 

 upon an American form of silvi- 



FIG. 11. Control dams as used in 

 Switzerland. For many years, erosion 

 control has been an important part of 

 the forestry operations in the moun- 

 tainous sections of Europe. The im- 

 portance of erosion control and the 

 part forests play in this work has re- 

 cently been recognized in the United 

 States. Photo by the author. 



culture, and a forest practice 

 founded upon our social and eco- 

 nomic conditions, must be evolved, 



instead of following materially in the pathway of European forestry. 

 One very important lesson that we may learn from European practice 

 is that lumber and other materials are generally produced from a large 

 number of relatively small but permanently located sawmills and 

 forest industries. This condition results in the stabilization of employ- 

 ment as well as in location of industry. This is in marked contrast 

 to the past nomadic character of our sawmill industry where mills 



