From the text ... 'Silviculture is an art. The mark of a successful silviculturist is the skill with which he prescribes treatment to each forest stand or to each tree in the stand. Especially important is the skill with which he applies cultural measures to young or intermediate-aged stands. The profit from a harvest cutting depends to a considerable extent on the care given to the trees when they are young. Since silviculture is a practice applied to living things, its basis cannot be rigid and stereotyped. There are, however, many facts and natural laws to guide every good silviculturist. Timber stand improvement should be considered as an integral part of forest management and not as a job by itself. As will be brought out later, much improvement work can be done as a part of commercial cutting. The silviculturist should consider stand improvement practices continually in connection with harvest cutting and all other management activities.'