1906 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



497 



methods that are employed. In this 

 part of the book, as well as in that de- 

 voted to the methods for determining 

 the contents of stands, precise for- 

 mulae as well as rough and ready prac- 

 tices are described. Indeed a great 

 part of the value of this book lies in 

 Professor Graves' even balancing of 



answer as well there is no use spend- 

 ing time over refinements. This prin- 

 ciple sacrifices nothing to the true 

 scientific spirit, for if forestry is 

 founded on exact knowledge its prac- 

 tice requires many a rough guess or 

 estimate. This is especially true in 

 this country, where real knowledge of 



PROFESSOR HENRY S. GRAVES 

 Director of Yale Forest School, and author of ''Forest Mensuration", the first text book 



written for American Foresters 



the scientific and practical points of 

 view. He recognizes the absolute 

 necessity for the most precise and care- 

 ful work when the problem to be 

 solved requires it the rate of growth 

 or the construction of yield tables for 

 instance, but when a short cut will 



our forests is yet to be acquired. Not 

 a few of the methods described are of 

 the author's own devising, intended to 

 meet conditions that have arisen in his 

 experience, to yield approximate val- 

 ues and to save work. Another point 

 of value is that each method is made 



