16 



5. By establishing a complete stock of valuable trees on all 



forest soils. 



6. By removing undesirable stock and replacing it with a better 



class of trees. 



7. By establishing a proper proportion and a suitable distribu- 



tion of age classes. 



8. By making every part of the forest accessible by means of 



roads, lanes, trails, paths, compartment lines, etc. 



9. By making improvement cuttings. 



10. By dividing the forest into working units (compartments) 

 just as a farmer divides his farm into fields and the fields 

 into patches. 



THE FORESTS AND FORESTRY. 



The original forest was so modified by the activity of man, or man 

 working conjointly with natural agencies, that the source of our 

 future wood supply became a question of great importance. A gen- 

 eral survey of the field showed that we were consuming wood faster 

 than we were producing it. This unbalanced economic condition 

 due to the unregulated condition of our forest gave birth to the sub- 

 ject of forestry. Man's attitude towards the forest showed that he 

 was a disturbing agent. Without him the forest of Pennsylvania 

 would have remained practically undisturbed, indefinitely. Hence 

 it might follow that the forest thrives best where there are no people, 

 and consequently no forestry. Further, one often hears the state- 

 ment: Formerly we had no forestry and plenty of wood; now we 

 have forestry but no wood. This statement does not prove that for- 

 estry is to be blamed for a deficiency in our wood supply, but it 

 does prove that forestry is the child of necessity. This child of nec- 

 essity, which is at present just in its formative period, could never 

 have been born if we had not been compelled to see that our timber 

 resources were rapidly decreasing. 



The word forestry to many may be new. The most enlightened 

 may have a rather vague conception of its exact scope. It is often 

 identified with the planting of individual trees, landscape work, and 

 tree surgery. Forestry should be regarded as the rational treatment 

 of our woodlands for their products. The kind of treatment de- 

 pends largely upon the desire of the owner. The ownership may be 

 private or there may be a public owner, as a municipality, a state, 

 or a nation. The desire of the owner may be to supply wood ma- 

 terial, to retain or establish a protective cover, to furnish recreation 

 grounds, or to maintain a game cover. The forests which are man- 

 aged for the purpose of producing a supply of woody material are 

 known as production forests or supply forests, while those which 



