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In preparing this book every endeavour has been made to elucidate principles by giving a sufficiency of actual examples, while avoiding a superfluity of local detail which might tend to confuse the reader.  The plan has therefore been followed of explaining the systems on general lines and giving only a few local examples to illustrate important or special points.  The historical information given is necessarily brief, but it may prove of interest in throwing light on the influences under which systems have been evolved, developed, and in some cases superseded.  French and German terminology has been given with the object of assisting those conversant with these languages who may wish to study the literature or visit the forests of continental Europe.  The application of silivicultural systems presents problems of an essentially practical kind; hence the descriptions and discussions in this book have been based as far as possible on the results of personal investigations extending over a number of years in the forests of several different European countries.  Apart from this, experience gained in India has proved invaluable in helping towards the appreciation of the more important points connected with the introduction and practice of silvicultural systems under conditions often very different from those prevailing in Europe.  Although every endeavour has been made to describe the various systems as they are actually practiced, and the descriptions have been supplemented by photographs taken personally in different countries, the reader is asked to regard this book not as a means of acquiring a complete knowledge of silvicultural systems, but rather as a guide towards the practical study of systems in the forest.