THE FORMATION OF FORESTS 95 
of growth, ease of propagation, freedom from dis- 
ease, ete. 
Third, that it will serve the purpose for which 
you are growing it. 
It would be risky to plant a species out of its natu- 
ral climatic range, or in soil to which it is not perfectly 
adapted. It would be discouraging to select a species 
which grows slowly, which is naturally tender, which 
suffers from disease, and which, on the whole, is diffi- 
cult to propagate. Above all, select those species 
which will serve your purposes in the end. This re- 
quires good judgment, because products which may 
be of value at present, may not be fashionable a quar- 
ter of a century in the future. Fashion often plays 
a very important role in the value of wood. Chestnut, 
for instance, as an interior finish, is very modern. 
For years this valuable wood was used almost exclu- 
sively for fence-rails and posts. The name of a wood 
almost condemns it. Take, for instance, the red-gum 
tree (Hucalyptus rostrata) of Australia. The name 
“oum ” would condemn it in this country. There is 
no timber more highly prized than that of the red 
gum in its native land. Call it “‘ mahogany,” and its 
value would be enhanced in the minds of many people. 
The value of wood may often be modified by the 
application of preservatives. Wood may be injected 
with chemicals so that decay is resisted, or com- 
