9 6 



THE FORESTER. 



April 



Checking Forest Denudation. 



The increased demand for structural 

 steel in building operations is noted by the 

 New York World as being, aside from its 

 industrial significance, a hopeful sign for 

 forest protection. 



" It means also, and not less importantly, 

 the salvation of our forests. For not only 

 is wood now largely excluded from the 

 structural parts of buildings, but even as 

 trimming it is rapidly falling into disfavor. 

 Window-frames, window-sashes and even 

 doors and door-casings of steel are now so 

 perfectly made and so cheaply that they 

 are rapidly replacing wood, as wire and 

 tile have replaced lath, and marble and 



mosaics have taken their ancient place as 

 flooring. With a little further develop' 

 ment in this direction we shall be able tc 

 check the denudation of forests and pn> 

 tect our rivers from flood on the one ham 

 and drought on the other, and these art 

 the noblest uses of forests." 



A Lumber Advocate. 



The administration is beginning to tak< 

 steps for the preservation of some of th< 

 big tree groves of California. It is tim< 

 such a step was taken if we wish ou: 

 grandchildren to see anything more thai 

 the decaying stumps of one of the world': 

 seven wonders. ^\fiss. Vail. Lumberman 



Recent Publications. 



Beginnings of Professional Forestry in the Adi- 

 rondacks : First and Second Annual Reports 

 of the Director of the New York State Col- 

 lege of Forestry. Pp. 56. 



For the purpose of " placing within reach of 

 a larger number" of people the forest work un- 

 der his direction, Dr. Feruow has incorporated 

 into a neat pamphlet his first and second annual 

 reports to the New York Legislature, and has 

 prefaced them with an introductory chapter con- 

 taining much information of interest regarding 

 the aims and objects of his work. 



Dr. Fernow says : " By way of accentuating 

 some of the contents of these reports, it appears 

 desirable to preface the same by a discussion of 

 three essential points, which have been merely 

 alluded to in the body of the reports, namely : 

 i. That applied forestry is a business for the 

 purpose of producing values for the future rather 

 than the present: 2. That forestry, therefore, 

 and for other reasons, is peculiarly a business for 

 the State, and does not usually tecommend itself 

 to private enterprise, except under special condi- 

 tions : 3. That forestry is based upon the rec- 

 ognition and application of natural and eco- 

 nomic principles and laws, which are applicable 

 in all parts of the world alike, with such modifi- 

 cations as the different economic conditions nec- 

 essitate.'" 



Regarding forestry as a business, Dr. Fernow 

 says: " Forestry is not only an art, but a busi- 

 ness. The art consists in growing the crop, the 

 business consists in growing the crop most eco- 

 nomically and in finding a market for it, where 

 it can be sold with profit : As in all other pro- 

 ducing business, the market question is, there- 

 fore, the first and foremost one to be settled. 



For, if the crop cannot be marketed, it is useles: 

 to grow it, and we may leave it to nature to pro 

 vide the forest cover and finally it must brinj; 

 a profit, be it large or small, direct or indirect 

 but a profit, or else the object of forestry is no 

 attained." 



.On the question of the relation between for 

 estry and lumbering, Dr. Fernow says: "Th( 

 forester must finally be a lumberman. The dif 

 ference between the lumberman and theforestei 

 is like that between the berry picker in the wil( 

 woods and the market gardener who grows hi: 

 berries with skill. The essential difference be 

 tween the logger's practice and the forester's 

 practice in utilizing the crop which nature in 

 the virgin woods has grown without regard tc 

 man's particular needs, is that the former cull; 

 the virgin woods of the valuable portion, with 

 out regard to the replacement of the old by th 

 young crop, while the latter's business is to per 

 form his logging so as to secure not only a nev 

 crop, but a better crop of the usual species anc 

 thus leave his property in better condition fo: 

 the future." 



The portion of the pamphlet devoted to th< 

 second annual report comments upon the sue 

 cessful carrying on of the school during the pas 

 year, the practical instruction in the forest, the 

 need of more suitable accommodations, the ac 

 quisition of the college forest at Axtan, the gen 

 eral policy to be pursued, business consideration; 

 involved, organization of administrative forces, 

 the work performed ( under seven heads ), anc 

 expenditures and income. The courses of in- 

 struction offered are given in detail at the end o: 

 the pamphlet, making a very complete and in- 

 structive review of the work being done in 

 York State. 



