PREFACE 



During the last twenty years the general interest in forestry 

 has grown with remarkable rapidity in all parts of our country. 

 The federal government has set aside large forest reserves, and 

 several states have established reservations or parks. The pri- 

 vate owners of large tracts of forest lands are employing trained 

 foresters to care for their property, and an improvement in the 

 smaller holdings is everywhere noticeable. 



Forestry is taught in two special schools in America, and 

 elementary courses on the subject are given in several colleges 

 and preparatory schools. A desire has been expressed to intro- 

 duce this useful and interesting study into our public schools 

 and country homes, and this volume is an attempt to provide a 

 book on the subject which shall satisfy this demand. In keep- 

 ing with this purpose there has been no attempt to write a text- 

 book or manual of forestry ; but an effort has been made to 

 present in simple, non-technical language some of the general 

 principles underlying the science, and to state the methods 

 which are employed and the objects to be attained in the practice 

 of forestry. 



Early association with tlie well-kept forests of Germany, 

 observations made in the widely differing forest districts of our 

 own country, and tliree years' experience in teaching forestry 

 have helped to make the responsible task of preparing this book 

 a pleasure. While, as a matter of course, the many excellent 

 German works on forestry have served as a basis and a guide 



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