xiv INTRODUCTION 



United States during the next few years will have been influ- 

 enced, though ever so slightly, by the facts here gathered, the 

 writer will feel that his work was not in vain. 



Generalizations and comparisons between French and Amer- 

 ican methods have been largely omitted; the idea has been, 

 instead, to describe the methods used and the results. It will 

 be possible for the professional forester to make use of these 

 methods in his own work after carefully weighing and compar- 

 ing the difference in local conditions. Much the same method 

 of presenting the results of research experiments has been fol- 

 lowed by the Forest Service where the results are published 

 in order to influence and guide but not dictate future practice. 

 The specialist later on in our forest history can weigh the re- 

 sults obtained in Africa and Corsica with those obtained in the 

 United States and draw deductions. Before many decades the 

 writer believes that America's forest practice will become pre- 

 eminent; because of our varied forest conditions, wealth of 

 species, and strong personnel unfettered by the narrow prece- 

 dents of continental forest practice, we shall lead rather than 

 follow other nations. But in the meantime should we not 

 profit by the mistakes and successes of others? Our adminis- 

 trator or investigator should not waste time by duplicating 

 these errors. The difference between the textbook and field 

 methods (even on the Continent) are often very marked. 

 For example if the shelterwood system of cutting has been 

 found disastrous in pure conifer stands, where the fire risk 

 was great, should we not profit by this experience even if such 

 a system is recommended in the standard textbooks? Such a 

 lesson is taught by the results in Corsica. Here the lesson is 

 clear-cut and definite; the philosophy of deduction is unnec- 

 essary it can be grasped and made use of by the practitioner. 

 Even where the inference is less definite the idea and thought 

 of the results obtained is of inestimable value. 



When Parade, former director of the Nancy Forest School, 

 described the aim of the forester in the fundamental maxim of 

 silviculture, " Imiter la nature, hater son ceuvre, telle est la 

 maxime fundamentale de la sylviculture," he described, I be- 



