l80 ECONOMICS OF FORESTRY. 



These conditions are fulfilled when the tree is 

 allowed to grow in open stand, as on a lawn, 

 without close neighbors, who would cut off some 

 of the light supply. 



But trees under such conditions grow mostly 

 into branches, the crown being developed at the 

 expense of the bole, which remains short and 

 more or less conical in shape, of little commercial 

 or technical use, except for firewood ; when the 

 trunk is sawn into boards every branch appears 

 as a defect, known as a knot, which makes it unfit 

 for use in the better class of work, and thus, while 

 the total quantity of wood in the tree is increased 

 by the open stand, it is done at the expense of 

 quality. 



The object of the forester, however, is not sim- 

 ply to grow wood, but to produce wood of such 

 form and quality as is useful in the arts. The 

 ideal tree for him is one with a long, cylindrical, 

 branchless trunk, bearing its crown high up, which 

 when cut into lumber produces the largest amount 

 of material clear of knots, of straight fibre, and 

 giving the least amount of waste or fire wood. 



His aim, therefore, must be to so place his trees 

 that, while the largest possible amount of wood 

 shall be produced, it shall be deposited in the most 

 useful form also. 



By a close position, when each tree cuts off the 

 side light from the neighbor, the formation of 

 branches is prevented, or the branches which were 



