THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST tf 



CHAPTER III 



FORESTRY AND THE FOREST 



Elementary Principles of Forest Growth 



Whether the lumberman's judgment of economic influences 

 leads him to be optimistic or otherwise as to the profit of 

 forestry in general, he is most interested in the particular 

 forest with which he has to deal. He can neither accept nor 

 dismiss the proposition intelligently, much less put his ideas 

 into actual practice, without knowing something of the capa- 

 bility of his land to respond to his effort. "What methods are 

 best, what will they cost, and what will be the result?" are 

 questions which arise at the very outset. They lead at once 

 into the domain of technical forestry. 



With us forestry has not been practiced long enough to fur- 

 nish demonstrated examples with which to answer such ques- 

 tions. We can, however, profit by experience gained else- 

 where, for the laws which govern tree life are as universal as 

 those which govern the life of men and animals. In dealing 

 with new species and new environments we have no great dif- 

 ficulty in judging their future from their past, which lies 

 written plainly for those who care to study it. 



While to some extent trees require elements obtainable only 

 from the soil, they are more independent in this respect than 

 most other forms of vegetation. Soil influences forest trees 

 mainly by its physical character, especially as this determines 

 the moisture contents. Very little nourishment is actually 

 taken out of the soil for, as someone has said, wood is nothing 



