THE FOREST OF THE ANCIENTS. 
The forest was undoubtedly the earliest home of 
mankind, its edible products forming its principal value. 
Its wild animals developed the hunter, first furnishing 
means of subsistence and then exhilaration and pleasure. 
Next, it was the mast and, in its openings, the pasture 
which gave to the forest its value for the herder, and 
only last, with the development into settled communi- 
ties and more highly civilized conditions of life, did the 
wood product become its main contribution toward that 
civilization. Finally, in the refinement of cultural con- 
ditions in densely settled countries is added its influence 
on soil, climate and water conditions. 
Although there is no written history, there is little 
doubt that these were the phases in the appreciation of 
woodlands in the earliest development of mankind, for 
we find the same phases repeated in our own times in all 
newly settled countries. 
As agriculture develops, the need for farming ground 
overshadows the usefulness of the forest in all these 
directions, and it is cleared away; moreover, as popula- 
tion remains scanty, a wasteful use of its stores forms 
Waldgeschichte des Alterthums, by AuGusT SEIDENSTICKER, 1886, 2 vols., pp. 
863, isa most painstaking compilation from original sources df notes regarding 
the forest conditions and the knowledge of trees, forests and forestry among 
the ancients. Contains also a full bibliography. 
Die Waldwirthschaft der Romer, by J. Truric, collects the knowledge, 
especially of arboriculture and silviculture, p d by the R 
Forstwissenschaftliche Leistungen der Altgriechen, by Dr. CHLOoRos, in 
Forstwissenschaftliches Centralblatt, 1885, pp. 8. 
Archeologia forestale, Dell’ antica storia e giurisprudenszia forestale in 
Italia, by A. D1 BERANGER, 1859, 
