16 INTRODUCTION 



established for cutting a given tract were dismantled and towns aban- 

 doned when the virgin timber had been removed. The stabilizing of 

 our sawmill communities and the permanence of mill locations will 

 contribute much to the employment and social welfare of our people. 

 It is very doubtful if we will ever be able to practice the intensive 

 forms of silviculture and forest management which one admires so 

 much in European forestry, as in the Black Forest and the Saxon 

 forests of Germany, the Swiss forest of the Sihlwald near Zurich, the 

 Italian forest of Vallombrosa, near Florence, the famous municipal 

 forest of Epinal or the beautiful forests of Compiegne, Fontainebleau, 

 and Versailles in France. 



4. FORESTRY AS A PROFESSION 



Forestry is relatively young in this country. It is an old and 

 respected profession and occupies an important position in the na- 

 tional life of many European nations. Work in the forestry profes- 

 sion requires a thorough grounding in and knowledge of our social 

 order, our economic and political systems, business methods, and pro- 

 fessional ethics, as well as a comprehensive understanding of trees, 

 wood, and forests and the part they play in our national economy. 

 The subject requires a complete understanding of the tree as a plant, 

 how it grows and reproduces, singly and in association with others, 

 and how each species may be best converted into articles useful in 

 commerce and industry. A study of forestry and its component parts 

 generally requires four or five years of college training, and frequently 

 additional years for specialization and training in advanced phases of 

 the subject. Recently, forestry has assumed such a significant place 

 in the life of the nation that it is becoming recognized and accepted 

 as an important and integral part of our activities. 



The conservation of our natural resources is one of our great na- 

 tional problems. The ideals and purposes of forestry were for several 

 years in direct conflict with many of the accepted and established cus- 

 toms and practices of the country, notably in the West. Many preju- 

 dices against and much opposition to the accepted principles of for- 

 estry had to be overcome. The forester, therefore, must in many 

 respects be a good missionary to help to educate the public about the 

 value of forests. As in law, medicine, theology, engineering, and other 

 professions, adequate training in the ethics, ideals, and standards is 

 necessary, as well as in the principles and practices of forest con- 

 servation. Forestry deals essentially with the woods and with the 

 business of converting the products of the forest into useful materials. 



