12 FORESTRY 



50 years may be destroyed or be of inferior quality, than 

 if but a single season's product is damaged. Beginning 

 with Forest Botany or Dendrology, in which he learns the 

 distinguishing characters of tree species, the forester be- 

 comes acquainted with the structure of the woods and with 

 their different qualities and the uses to which they are best 

 adapted. Then the factors of soil and climate must be un- 

 derstood since trees, having a long life, show great varia- 

 tions in their demands on soil, moisture, and heat, and pro- 

 duce very different results in different situations. Silvics 

 teaches us the different traits and peculiarities of the tree 

 species, seed production and germination, the conditions 

 under which the seed will grow, the demands of the seed- 

 ling for light, the ability of the tree to win out in compe- 

 tition with others, its form, its power of resistance to ene- 

 mies and injuries, and the real value of the species for dif- 

 ferent localities and conditions. Silviculture applies this 

 knowledge in the form of definite plans and methods, by 

 which the largest and most valuable crops of timber may 

 be raised on any soil in the shortest possible time. Added 

 to this, the forester must know the dangers which threaten 

 his crop, and how to anticipate and avoid them. This ap- 

 plies both to the mature timber and to the young seedlings. 

 Fire, wind, and fungus or insect enemies threaten the grow- 

 ing trees, just as storms, weeds, insects and fungi injure 

 the farmer's crops. Finally he must know how to get his 

 crop to market. The art of lumbering is a trade in itself, 

 and considerable knowledge and skill is required to con- 

 duct a logging operation with the least cost. But the for- 

 ester must be able to modify old established customs of 

 lumbering, to persuade or force lumbermen, contractors, 

 and laborers to do unfamiliar things, such as burning brush 

 or taking care not to destroy young trees. He must, there- 

 fore, be enough of a lumberman so that his recommenda- 

 tions will be practical and capable of being carried out. 

 The subject of road building is of great importance, for the 



B— III— 10 



