New-York tribune., 1903-03-17

$rr ef,6ents of Political Economy and ProIes-
nSTS z. Fernow Ii, D.. Director Of the he, NeT- Tev
York state College Of Forestry IN H Sort,H = co
DR.. Fernow. who has been for twelve years
n charge OF the Federal Forestry DiV1s1on IN
washington and for eight years a n1ernoef OF
the P+usstsn Forest Department. has prepared
thts book with view to supplying & lack II 'he
literature Of the subject in English He gives
a full and technical summary Of the conoi'iol's
Of forest growth and management. the results
of ussteful exploitation, and the methods OF
r+afA control here and abroad. showing the
hearing of the whole question on the nauonai
welfare With the exception Of the work OF 'iie
Indian service, there is little literature on Iiie
subject in English outside Of government re-
ports A short bibliography. based, in part on
that Of DR.. Schwappach accompanies THIS VOL
urne
The superior elasticity OF wood over metal its
endurance Of strain. its ughtness and ease in
shaping have combined to continue its use from
the time when primitive races found 1t most
serviceabIe. It's by-products increase in scope
with the extension of invention and discovery
In the Prussian state forests the by-products
for 1924 -'95 were per cert Of the total income
In the United States the movement for preserVa-
sion Of forest lands seems to be about one nun
dred wears behind that of Prussia The clearing
Of land for occupation had to precede sense OF
conservation which in Europe had been sug-
gested by the devastation OF such movements
As the Thirty Years War. The doctrines Of Adam
Smith. influencing governments to ABANDON
state holdings, had also an effect forest cult
ure The private individual unless the holder of
& large tract kept preserve. is apt TO exploit
his timber regardless Of the rights of the COM
rnunity. Nature itself does little to adapt condl-
tons to results useful TO man.
Nature produces weeds-tree weeds-and use
fu species side by Side she does not care Tor the
composition Of the crop; tree growth. Whatever
the kind, sa tisfies her laws of development; nor
has she concern with the form Of the component
treee-they may be branched and crooked. snort
and tapering. In time, in q long time, she may
produce long clear shafts but by her methods
such results will be accomplished only in cen,
turies; Nature takes no account Of time ana
space, both Of which are lavishly at her COM
E1and.
The method used by Nature for restoring a
forest is a gradual replanting by seeds from
nearby trees. This results disastrously when
the better kinds Of trees are cleared out by the
voodnan-
AS & result OF these operations then, not only
the present composition Of the growth is de-
Perforated. but also Its future- IhuS IN heIl-
tucky, where the valuable white oak used to
form 20 per cent Of the forest the aftergroWth
contains hardly . per cent; and In Michigan
Wisconsin and Minnesota, where the white pine
has been culled out severely, its absence In the
young growth has led to the curious belief
among Iumberren that It does not propagate
itself by seed
The production OF wood in a tree depends on
its foliage and its access to light. A solitary
tree IN an open stand would thus have the best
conditions, were its freedom not involved in
disadvantages The absence Of all restraint al
lows the tree to grow into branches, developing
the boIe at the expense of the crown, and
resulting in a considerable quantity of wood.
but of poor quality, knotty and short To pro-
duce good trees and a fair supply of them
intelligent and yigilant use Of the axe is essen
tial.
The administration of our forestry service is
sill in a somewhat cunbrous state. The re-
serves are the care of the Department Of the
Interior acting through Forestry Division.
under the Commissioner Of the General Land
CfIce. The Department of Agriculture, through
its Forestry Division, made a bureau IN 1901.
carries on technical investigation. though occu-
pying only advisory position. AnG, finally,
the Geological Survey does the work Of de-
limiting areas TO be kept reservations In the
Philippines. it happens, we have fallen heir TO
e Spanish bureau controlling twenty million
or thirty million acres on a far more reasonable
basis This book without avoiding the use OF
technical formula and the comparison of sta
tistics. is lucid in presentation and copious in
scope.