102 ECONOMICS OF FORESTRY. 



climatic ills, but against enemies of the animal and 

 plant world, requires studies in that direction, and 

 finally to harvest his crop and bring it to market and 

 dispose of it to best advantage calls for engineering 

 knowledge and acquaintance with wood technology. 



The business side of the forestry industry, which 

 we call forest economy, relies mainly upon mathe- 

 matical calculations and the application of princi- 

 ples of political economy. The fact that the time 

 from the start of the crop to the harvest may be 

 fifty, one hundred, or more years the time it 

 takes to grow a useful size of timber necessitates 

 a more thoroughly premeditated and organized 

 conduct, more complicated profit calculations, more 

 careful plans, than in any other business which 

 deals with shorter time periods. 



In this connection one of the first and most im- 

 portant mathematical problems for the forester to 

 settle, is when his crop is ripe. This is not as 

 with agricultural crops and fruits determined by 

 a natural period, but by the judgment of the har- 

 vester, based upon mathematical and financial 

 calculations. 



There are various principles which may be fol- 

 lowed in determining the maturity of a stand, or 

 what is technically called the rotation, i.e. the time 

 within which a forest, managed as a unit, shall be 

 cut over and reproduced ; but all rely finally upon 

 measurements of the quantity of production as 

 basis of the business calculation, and hence forest 



