408 



Canadian forestry Magazine, August-September, IQ20. 



A Canadian Forester's Training 



^ By^Dr. C. D. Howe, Acting Dean, Faculty of Forestry, 

 University of Toronto. 



The final two years of his college 



course treat the forest as a 



productive organization 



For the iirst two years of a course in 

 forestry, the studeni for the most pari 

 considers trees separately as indiviaual 

 organizations, but in the second two 

 }ears he is taught to look upon trees, 

 Doth in regard 10 their life history and 

 their economic relations, collectively as 

 stands, types, forests. Just as the town 

 is not merely an organization ot people, 

 ,so the forest is not merely a collection 

 of trees, but like the town is a commun- 

 ity, an organization dependent for its 

 (Jevelopment and growth upon certain 

 external conditions and upon certain in- 

 ternal conditions of its own making. In- 

 deed, the simile may go a step farther, 

 for in a town the organization, the 

 structure remains intact, but the com- 

 ponent individuals are constantly chang- 

 ing, and so it is with the forest ; the for- 

 est is always a forest, unless destroyed 

 by some catastrophe — but the individuals 

 are slowly but constantly shifting in 

 time and in space. Because men can 

 comprehend tlie laws and conditions 

 which bring about these changes in the 

 forest, we have the profession of for- 

 estry, since forestry is the fashioning, 

 the moulding of a community of living 

 trees to the needs of man, the application 

 of brain power to the economic produc- 

 tion of wood. Man has already applied 

 his intelligence to the energy of lightning 

 and falling water and directed it into 

 economic channels, resulting in enor- 

 mously increased wealth, so man can ap- 

 ply his intelHgence to the energy of 

 nature as expressed in the growing for- 

 est and direct it into economic channels, 

 and it would result in enormously in- 

 creased wealth for our country. The 

 possibilities in Canada are almost un- 

 limited, and the results would be glori- 

 ous — and profitable. 



Science in Forest Control 

 This is the point of view in regard to 

 the forest presented to the students dur- 

 ing the last two years of their course, 

 and they are shown in the forest as well 

 as in the class room how man can control 

 and improve the forest by his knowledge 

 of the laws of its growth, health and 

 hygiene. For example, in reference to 

 these laws, the students are taught how 

 a forest cover influences the amount of 

 light that gets through to the ground, 

 how some trees can grow in the shade 

 of their neighbors and others cannot. In 

 fact, the light relation is the most im- 

 portant factor in determining the com- 

 position of a forest, and it is the for- 

 ester's most effective tool. The stu- 

 dents are also introduced to the my- 

 sterious cycle of forest growth and soil 

 fertility. The forest feeds the soil by 

 the decay of its leaves and wood. The 

 products of decay of one year or a group 

 of years contribute to the support of the 

 forest life of the following year or 

 group of years. The previous genera- 

 tion gives up its life that the present 

 generation may live. 



Soil and Light Factors 



Light and soil fertility then are the 

 magic keys that unlock the secret cham- 

 ber wherein is contained the knowledge 

 which man uses to fashion the forest to 

 his wishes. The equipoise between light 

 exposure and soil fertility on one side 

 and forest growth on the other is ex- 

 tremely delicate. Minor disturbances and 

 adjustments are constantly taking place 

 under natural conditions, but the bal- 

 ance suffers great distortion under the 

 usual logging operations and still more 

 in the case of fire. This explains why 

 the character of the forest usually 

 changes and may pass through several 



