PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION 



This book does not pretend to present any original theories 

 of Forest Organization, but merely the best of European efforts 

 along this line adapted to the present needs of American forestry. 

 The necessary data were gathered in the course of a year's study 

 abroad, and, in their application, the experience gained in five 

 years of similar work for the forest service in various parts of 

 the United States was constantly kept in mind. The theoret- 

 ical part has, therefore, been reduced to the minimum; simi- 

 larly, the description of such intensive methods of regulating 

 the yield as that by area and volume in periods has been merely 

 sketched for the sake of completeness, since its appHcation to 

 America is of the far distant future, if ever. In a word, while 

 sacrificing nothing to the completeness necessary in a text- 

 book, the aim has been to make the book of value not only to 

 the student, but also to the practising forester, and hence theory 

 has in each case been subordinated to practice. 



It will be ample reward for the time and labor spent, if this 

 book takes its humble place in the growing list of American 

 text-books on forestry. 



Grateful acknowledgment is made to those who so unself- 

 ishly assisted in the collection of the subject-matter. 



A. B. RECKNAGEL. 

 Dresden, September, 1912, 



