50 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



How can we practice forestry locally tively, no matter whether public or pri- 



many ask? The answer is simple, vate property is at stake, without a 



Consult the State forester, if you have c l ea r understanding of the ultimate 



one. If not, write the Forest Service ga j n wh ; ch is to be sec ured by any sac- 



at Washington or employ a reliable rifke in today > s receipts . The business 



consu ting forester just as you would man does not d his methods 



consult a doctor, a lawyer, or a civil -,, , ^ ., , , , ,, 



r^ A- r without dehnite reasons, nor should the 



engineer. Ordinarily a forester must D ' , 



, ,.,- owner of a forest. But perhaps the 



see local conditions before prescribing , . r , ,, r 



, gam cannot be expressed in dollars ; it 



may be protecting the watershed of a 



FOREST MANAGEMENT. navigable stream, safeguarding the 



Practical forest-management 1 is ap- water su PP ! y of a community, or pro- 



plied by the forester in the administra- vldln S a playground for a common- 



tion of public or private forests for the wealth. Often the forest can be made 



same reason that the modern farmer use of as a breeding-ground for game. 



manages his farm under scientific prin- Hence it is vitally important that the 



ciples, instead of by the hit-or-miss sys- kmd of forest management adbpted 



tern of a century ago. Any stand ought should conform to the object to be 



to yield more with forest management gamed. 



than without it. The application of The cultural rules, method of regen- 



forest management includes much that eration, and mtensiveness of manage- 



the lumberman has overlooked. In the ment > must necessarily depend on the 



first place, the proper rotation or age aims of the owner. The State or Na- 



when the timber crop reaches maturity tlona l Forests must be managed on a 



is determined not by guess-work, but broader financial policy than the private 



by considering the amount, size and owner could afford to adopt. The in- 



quality, of merchantable material that dividual must often put the financial 



can be cut after a given number of returns first, while the State can well 



years, as well as the demands of the afford to raise the material most needed 



community, business, and market. A b Y the ] cal industries or to maintain 



clear understanding of the silvics and the cover, merely interrupted by light 



growth of a species enables the mana- selection fellings. Moreover, in the 



ger or owner to weed or thin his stands case of important rivers, such as the 



at the proper time, and to remove the Mississippi, which rises in the Lake 



trees that are retarding the develop- States, and wherever forest lands are 



ment of the final crop ; to secure a sue- important for watershed protection, it 



cession of crops by the most suitable may . t> e best (even at a sacrifice in 



system of natural reproduction; or if y ie \ d ) to maintain a heavy cover. The 



adverse local conditions prevent this individual must cut his torest crop so 



achievement, to sow or plant the proper as to get the best returns, unless the 



species so as to fully utilize the ground public demands for its protection that 



for which it is best suited. Frequently, the cover be maintained as a measure 



only the crudest methods can be ap- of public safety. You have seen that in 



plied, when, because of poor market Europe the policy of restraining the 



conditions, the final crop has but little private owner from cutting, when it 



value ; to work a forest intensively at damages others is clearly established 



the cost of all direct or indirect profit in law. 



would not be following the correct I hope that I have made it clear that 



management principles. It is apparent successful agriculture in the long run 



that without efficient fire protection, no cannot be attained unless a nation 



conservative cutting can be successful ; adopts forest management in its broad- 



nor should nthe owner cut conserva- est sense. 



definition follows what I have written in a manuscript on "The Red Pine in the 

 Lake States." 



