650 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



added growth is not justified. It is consequently cut 

 chiefly for vineyard stakes, small poles, etc. 



The trees per acre at maturity, are: Silver fir, too, 

 at an age of ioo years; beech, 160, at an age of 120 

 years, and pine, 320 to 350 at an age of 40 years. When 

 these forests were planted 1,750 plants were used per 



MONASTERY OF VALLOMBROSA 



general view over the Monasteryof Vallombrosa, Italy, the forest garden in the 

 ckground and the hotels on the right. This view was taken from far up the 



background and the hotels on the right. 



so-called "shadowed valley" on a cliff overlooking the group of buildings 



acre for silver fir, whereas of the pine about 100 plants 

 per acre were used. 



Before the war, the system very commonly adopted in 

 forest management in Italy was as follows. The silver 

 fir forest being intolerant of shade and even aged was 

 clear cut, that is, all trees were cut off clean and planting 

 followed immediately. With the beech, however, the 

 selection system was followed, that is, individually, trees 

 here and there were removed from the forest as they 

 became mature. The pine was also intended to be cut 

 clean and replanted at once. All of the species are grown 

 in pure stands, that is the fir, beech, chestnut and pine 

 were never mixed together in the same stand. This was 

 done, according to the Italian foresters, because it was 

 believed that the quality of the wood was distinctly 

 inferior when grown in mixed forests. . That is the claim 

 made by many eminent Austrian foresters, and prominent 

 Italian lumbermen who have held and operated extensive 

 holdings in Austrian forests are of the same opinion. 



The annual normal cut from the Vallombrosa forests 

 was for silver fir, 2000 cubic meters; beech, 2000 cubic 

 meters; chestnut, 1700 to 2000 cubic meters. 



In case of the pine, it had not attained sufficient size 

 to produce an annual yield. The net return from silver fir 

 was roughly $4.00 per acre per annum. From the beech, 

 very little was obtamed only about 80 cents being derived 

 per acre per annum from these forests. The very careful 

 working plan or scheme of management has been devised 

 for these forests by Professor Guiseppe Di Telia. It 



has been closely followed and it is generally agreed thai 

 it has been a great success. 



Near the old monastery there is one of the most ex- 

 tensive and complete forest aboreta in the world, which 

 is a very interesting and attractive feature of the forests. 

 This was established forty or forty-five years ago so 

 that experimentation in the growth of trees from 

 all over the world has given definite results. It 

 has been demonstrated that under these condi- 

 tions of climate, soils, etc., over three thousand 

 tree species from all over the world can be propa- 

 gated successfully. There are a large number 

 of American trees which have reached an excel- 

 lent size in this time, particularly Douglas fir, 

 white pine, redwood, yellow poplar, concolor fir 

 and Lawson cypress. The Douglas fir is easily 

 the most successful of those planted, among the 

 American trees, but considerable quantities of the 

 Lawson cypress and concolor fir have also been 

 adopted for commercial planting. 



California redwoods are commonly found 

 planted in every section of Italy, and they seem 

 to develop splendidly under the conditions of 

 the Italian climate. In Bologna recently a red- 

 wood tree over four feet in diameter was cut 

 which had been planted only about sixty years 

 ago. Sections of this tree are now exhibited in 

 the Museum of the Royal Forestry College at 

 Florence. 

 The heavy cuttings in the Vallombrosa Forests are rep- 

 resentative of the condition which prevailed in all of the 

 forests throughout Italy, including not only the State for- 

 ests but those belonging to the municipalities and private 

 interests as well. To meet the great need for lumber and 



MONK CELLS AT VALLOMBROSA 





Looking up the highway along the old Monastery at Vallombrosa with 

 its interesting old monk's cells, 

 watch tower in the background 



its decorative lamp posts and the old 



