Theory and practice of silviculture [antikvár]

PREFACEThe justification for another book in any field of applied science lies rather in the viewpoint and manner of presentation chosen by the author than in the exposition of new facts, methods, and theories. For one man to do basic pioneering work in a field as large as silviculture is no longer possible. This book, therefore, tries to put old things together in a new way with the object of developing in the student an independent free-thinking and forward-looking common sense in silvicultural matters. American silviculture should certainly not be considered as in the process of being set in the molds of the "selection" system, "selective cuttings," .and the other present modes of the day, but should become more flexible and intensive as rapidly as possible. Economic factors greatly hinder progress in this direction, but instead of supine acceptance this simply makes necessary greater silvicultural ingenuity on the part of the practicing forester.To attain the objective of presenting the full field of knowledge upon which the well-informed forester should draw for the formulation of his silvicultural idea, both "silvics," or the biological foundations of silviculture, and the "practice of silviculture" are included in this single work, a thing which has not heretofore been done in this country.Readers who are familiar with other works on silviculture, both American and European, will find the arrangement of the early chapters unusual and perhaps confusing, for it has long been customary to discuss chapter by chapter the climatic and edaphic factors and their effects upon the processes of growth reproduction and so on. The arrangement has been revised here. Physiological processes are discussed primarily and note is made of how each is affected by varying different site factors. This was not done in an attempt to be merely different, butvii