jforest intilisatton. 



TO THE READER. 



The Biltmore Forest School has offered annually, since 1898, a 

 coui'se o'f lectures on Forest Utilization — a vast topic comprising every 

 art, every industry, all activity connected with the utilization of our 

 woods. 



If forestry is and means a business, then it is safe to say that forest 

 utilization comprises the major — ^the by far major — ^part of the American 

 forester's activity, provided that the term "forester" describes a man 

 placed in charge of a forest and of its administration. 



There cannot be any doubt that American forest utilization is con- 

 ducted on the grandest, most ingenious scale which the world ever 

 knew. The conditions surrounding and bearing it are entirely at variance 

 from those now confronting the European forester. It is not to be 

 wondered at, consequently, that little knowledge of American forest 

 utilization can be gathered from European handbooks on European 

 forest utilization or from European travels. 



Like all disciplines of forestry, forest utilization had best be studied 

 in and near the woods. Lectures delivered at a forest school, unless 

 they be continuously illustrated by object lessons in the forest and in 

 the workshop, 'can merely lay a bare foundation of the topic in the 

 mind, or rather in the memory of the student. 



The pages herewith submitted are printed primarily for the use of 

 the students attending the Biltmore Forest School ; they comprise the 

 dictation given by the teacher during and after lectures; they are a 

 skeleton of lectures merely, and it is the teacher's task to clothe the 

 skeleton with flesh, obtained from his practical experience in the Amer- 

 ican woods. 



There is ample reason to believe that one-sided and local experience 

 has allowed a number of mistakes to creep into the following paragraphs. 

 The Biltmore Forest School begs to be corrected by the reader, and 

 any suggestions relative to errors and erroneous statements contained 

 in this little publication will be most thankfully received. 



Aside from the entire literature on forest utilization available in 

 America and abroad, liberal use has been made of communications 

 appearing in all of the leading trade papers; of the catalogues issued 

 by the leading firms manufacturing implements for forest utilization ; 

 of the experience of the rangers and foremen of the Biltmore Estate; 

 of information privately obtained through correspondence. 



Most truly, 



C. A. SCHENCK, Ph.D., 

 Director Biltmore Forest School and Forester to the Biltmore Estate. 



Biltmore, N. C, Sept. i, 1904. 



(I) 



