PERMANENT SAMPLE PLOTS 



Sfr 



BY 



ALFRED GASKILL 



Civil Engineer, U. S. Forest Service. 



IN the press of things to be done for and giving the subject a breadth that 



the protection of our forests, and it has not had. But in the United 



later for their proper utilization, the States, forest problems are more di- 



fundamental principle of the forester's verse and more compex than they are 



craft has necessarily been sidetracked in Europe. The forests there are sim- 



for a time. Silviculture cannot be pier (contain fewer species), than 



practised, of course, until the forest is ours, unfavorable climatic conditions 



reasonably secure from destruction, are less common, and the economic 



but just as soon as real protection and situation permits practises that are not 



management begin, thought must be feasible here. 



taken for the future. Forestry is This part of the question admits of 

 more than the preservation of existing no discussion : foresters everywhere 

 forests ; it is more than the planting concede that what they know of tree 

 of young trees. It rests upon a know- growth is limited, and that the time 

 ledge of the habits and requirements has come to learn definitely and posi- 

 of trees in the forest what is called tiveiy the inherent characteristics and 

 silvics, and the constant application of requirements of each important spe- 

 that knowledge to every branch of cies, and, at the same time, to formu- 

 forest work. Lumbering may be car- late the laws that govern tree associa- 

 ried on "conservatively," planting may tions, that is forests, 

 be done with greatest care, but unless As everyone would expect, the For- 

 all be done with some understanding est Service proposes to take the lead 

 of silviculture (the art of producing in this work. Many careful studies 

 and tending a forest) the result is apt in all parts of the country will have to 

 to be far from satisfactory. be made, and results cannot be ex- 

 The practice of silviculture in this pected, in some cases, for years, 

 country has thus far been based chief- Nevertheless, the facts that are want- 

 ly upon the principles laid down by ed can be obtained in no other way. 

 European authorities. But, unfor- Some of the problems that press for 

 tunately, those principles are often solution are these : 

 not so universal as they are claimed to How should a young growth of 

 be, and are found not work under all white pine be treated to produce the 

 conditions. This brings the American lumber of the best grade in the short- 

 forester to the position of finding out est time? There are many stands of 

 for himself the laws that govern tree second growth in New England to 

 development and applying them to the which this applies, 

 problems that confront him. In other How should a yellow pine forest be 

 words, the science of silvics and the cut to insure a good natural reproduc- 

 art of silviculture present at once a tion? This applies to many areas 

 great field for original investigation now being logged in the South, 

 and an opportunity to apply the know- What is the best way to handle a 

 ledge that is gained. European for- mixed hardwood forest so that the 

 esters recognize the fact that their sil- more valuable species shall reproduce 

 viculture is based largely upon em- at the expense of the less valuable? 

 pirical knowledge. The best of them To what extent can fire be used to 

 are now applying the scientific method help reproduction ? 



*Photographs through courtesy of U. S. Forest Service. 



