INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



The soil is a much more important factor in sylviculture than 

 climate, for whereas the latter leaves us no choice at all as to the 

 species to cultivate in any given locality, the action of man is all- 

 powerful in most cases in extending or restricting, favouring or 

 checking the growth of all or any of those species. The care of 

 soils will, therefore, be briefly treated in a special Chapter after 

 Fire-Conservancy. 



The rest of the Manual will be devoted to a description of the 

 various operations and combinations of operations by means of 

 which the growth of a forest can be regulated so as to enable it to 

 realise to its fullest extent the intention of its owner. 



