CHAPTER XII 

 FORESTRY 



125. Definition. Forestry includes so many things that 

 it is a difficult word to define. Primarily it means the care 

 of forests, but it has often come to include also the care of 

 individual trees. Both of these aspects will be considered 

 here. 



A forest is often called " woods " in America, and the 

 area covered varies from many miles in extent to the small 

 " wood-lots " that remain in connection with many home- 

 steads. The method of caring is the same whether a forest 

 is large or small. The abuse of forests in this country is 

 well known, but this is the common experience of new coun- 

 tries. The time has now come when we have begun to 

 realize the necessity of caring for our forests, and among 

 the " conservation " movements, the conservation of forests 

 holds a very important place. Forestry is an application of 

 scientific knowledge, chiefly botanical, but including other 

 sciences as well. Some indication of the many things a 

 forester must consider will help to an understanding of his 

 profession. 



Forestry includes not only such detailed care of forests as 

 will be indicated later, but also the formation of forests 

 where they do not exist, either because they have been re- 

 moved (" deforestation ") or because they have never existed 

 on account of unfavorable conditions. The forester must 

 keep in mind always the purposes of a forest in relation to 

 human welfare, which are principally (1) a source of timber 

 and other products, and (2) to check floods that carry off 

 soil. He must also know the best ways of using forests, 



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