x PREFACE 



not distant future the price of forest products will be based 

 upon the cost of production. If White Pine, which is easily 

 propagated, will grow to be a merchantable tree in seventy- 

 five years, and a Hemlock, which can be grown with diffi- 

 culty, will require from one hundred and twenty-five to 

 one hundred and fifty years to reach the same dimensions, 

 and the product of the Pine be worth twice that of the 

 Hemlock, it should be known, and when known there would 

 be no question as to which should be planted. It is sometimes 

 a good thing to know what not to do, and we cannot deter- 

 mine which species are best adapted to cultivation unless 

 we know the habits, character, and comparative value of 

 each. There are enough valuable species to choose from and 

 there is no reason why we should choose any but the very 

 best, always keeping in mind the demands of the market, 

 the uses the wood can be put to, the adaptability of the 

 tree to the soil, climate, and location, and the rapidity of 

 growth and facility of production. 



Another feature may cause surprise in the minds of some 

 of my readers. It is not at all improbable that some of 

 the descriptions of trees considered do not agree with the 

 reader's personal observation, and yet such descriptions 

 may well fit the general average of the tree. The character 

 and general appearance of trees are frequently modified to 

 a great extent by location, climate, and soil. Trees of a 

 given species grown in the same vicinity will often vary 

 in form and sometimes in character of wood ; therefore a 

 description of the general average will best fit the case, and 

 to give such has been my endeavor. 



Much time and labor have been spent in the preparation 

 of this work, and while it is largely drawn from my own 

 personal observations I feel myself greatly indebted to the 

 aid which others have generously given me. I would gladly 

 here publicly recognize the work of each, but they are too 

 numerous, and I content myself with the personal acknow- 

 ledgments which I have given by letter or otherwise. I 

 have endeavored to jnve due credit to all authors from 



