GERMAN FOREST MANAGEMENT — SILVICULTURE. 



247 



comprised in the one name, "forest economies/' are incidental, and may differ even in principle in 

 various countries and conditions, the methods of crop production or forest culture, being based 

 on the natural laws of the interrelations of plants to soil and climate, must, at least in principle, 

 be alike all over the world. Here pure forestry science linds its application and development. 



These principles have been elucidated more fully in the next chapter. We will, therefore, 

 here only briefly restate the more important ones with some of their applications in German 

 practice. 



PLANTING. 



Seemingly the simplest and easiest way of reproducing the crop is that practiced in agricul- 

 ture, namely, removing the entire mature crop and sowing or planting a new crop. But this 

 method, which has been so largely practiced in Europe and admired by our countrymen and 

 writers on forestry, has its great drawbacks, which have of late become more and more apparent, 

 and the tendency now is to return more and more to the u natural reproduction." While the 

 simplicity of the method of clearing and planting recommends itself for a routine or stereotype 

 management, it has not always ptoved as successful as would be expected. The large clearings 

 which the young planted seedlings are unable to protect from the drying influences of sun and 



Fig 25.— Iron dibble used m setting out small pine seedlings. 



wind bring about a desiccation and deterioration of the forest soil and an enormous increase of insect 

 pests, while other dangers in later life from wind and disease have been largely the result of these 

 uniform growths. And when it is understood that to secure a desirable stand the plantings must 

 be gone over and fail places replanted five, six, and more times, it becomes apparent that the 

 method is extremely expensive, and hence the proper treatment of the natural crop with a view 

 to its reproduction by natural seeding is the most important part of forest culture. Yet under 

 certain conditions, and where no natural crop to manage is found, planting or sowing becomes a 

 necessity, and various methods and tools have been developed to meet various conditions. 



It would exceed the limits of this report to describe these various methods; we can refer to 

 only one of the simplest and cheapest with which every year many millions of small 1 or 2 year 

 old pine seedlings are set out in soils which do not need or do not admit of preparation by plow 

 or spade. The instrument used is an iron dibble (fig. 25); the shoe, with one rounded and one flat 

 side, in shape like a half cone, 8 inches long with 3|-inch base ; the handle, a five-eighths4nch. rod, 

 3| feet long, is screwed into the base of the shoe and carries a wooden crossbar, by which, the 

 instrument is handled. The modus operandi is to thrust this iron dibble into the ground; then 

 by moving it lightly back and forth to somewhat enlarge the hole and withdraw it; a boy or girl 



