PREFACE. 



No-where more than in the United States is all public policy- 

 meant to be dictated by the people. For the benefit of the 

 people and for the benefit of American forestry, a handbook 

 might come in good stead giving the principles and the effects 

 of a truly American forest policy. 



The present treatise, the contents of which are tabulated 

 on pages 8, 9 and 10, does not pretend to fill the place of 

 a comprehensive handbook: It is intended, primarily, for the 

 use of the students attending the Biltmore Forest School ; it 

 forms the last part of an "encyclopedic textbook of forestry" 

 (comprising silviculture, utilization, finance, mensuration and 

 working plans) written by the author since 1898 on behalf of 

 the Biltmore Forest School. 



Forest policy, as a science, covers so vast a field that the 

 lecturer, in an endeavor to present the various parts of his 

 topic in a properly balanced form, must draw upon a large 

 variety of sources. The necessity of borrowing the other man's 

 knowledge has caused, without a doubt, a number of errors 

 to creep into the pages here submitted. The author will be 

 particularly grateful for suggestions and corrections coming 

 from a kind reader. 



C. A. SCHENCK. 



Biltmore Forest School, 

 March 1911. 



