PART II. 



ELEMENTS OF MODERN FOREST ECONOMY. 



MORE than one not only once, but again and again may 

 have felt prompted while reading or glancing over the pre- 

 ceding pages to ask, not for information but as an expression 

 of superior intelligence, What have droughts, and floods, 

 and landslips, and such narratives as have been given, to 

 do with Modern Forest Economy ? And therefore I may 

 state that the object of Modern Forest Economy is in its 

 details to counteract some one or other of the evils 

 which have been spoken of, or others like unto them which 

 have resulted from the destruction of forests ; and in its 

 entirety to restore to a nation, and through it to the 

 world, what has been lost through that destruction having 

 been carried so far as it has been, so far as this can be 

 done under existing conditions. And the details in 

 question have been given that it may be known what are 

 the evils which it is sought to counteract, and what are 

 some of the more striking forms which these evils have 

 taken. 



In view of what has been stated in preceding chapters, 

 one of the first things which will suggest itself to an 

 intelligent student of the case, as desirable to be 

 done with a view to arrest the evils resultant from the 

 destruction of forests is to prevent, so far as possible, all 

 reckless or even unprofitable destruction of these, including 

 in this all waste in the necessary exploitation of them. 

 Endeavours have been made to accomplish this. 



The phenomena, and what may be called the natural 



