LECTURES ON SYLVICULTURE. 



CHAPTER I. 



FOUNDATIONS OF SYLVICULTURE. 

 Paragraph I. Introduction. 



Sylviculture means the raising and tending of forest products 

 (wood, bark, deer, stock and other by-products). 



Sylviculture was practiced by the ancients only for park or 

 orchard purposes. The first writings on Sylviculture proper appear 

 in the so-called "House Father Literature." 



Sylviculture as a discipline was developed by George L. Hartig, 

 Henry Von Cotta and Christian Hundeshagen. European standard 

 books on Sylviculture of more modern tenure are those of Charles 

 Heyer adapted by Sehlich) and by Charles Gayer. 



European Sylviculture in word and work has, in the course of 

 years, petrified into a set of recipes. It is high time for Sylvicul- 

 ture to ,be taught and practiced on the basis of Plant Ecology. 



For America, European Sylviculture at the present moment is 

 of no more use than Chinese Sylviculture, owing to the great eco- 

 nomic differences separating the old from the new country. The 

 ecological principles underlying Sylviculture are, obvic isly, identi- 

 cal for all countries. 



The planting of trees on a large scale is, in this country, now 

 out of the question, since the expense of planting an acre of land 

 usually exceeds the value of an acre of forest. The modern owners 

 of woodlands are not far sighted enough — possibly not credulous 

 enough — to anticipate the arrival of European stumpage prices for a 

 time at which plantations now started will have developed into 

 mature trees. 



If we can assume that stumpage in this country will be as 

 valuable in 1980 as it is now in Germany, France and England, then 

 forest planting must be, at least, as remunerative here as it is in the 

 old country (small soil value in the United States). 



