Common Sense Forestry (Books for Wiser Living from Mother Earth News) [Paperback]

Hans W. Morsbach (Author), Robert W. Hutchinson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2002 | Series: Books for Wiser Living from Mother Earth News

Common Sense Forestry relates thirty years’ experience of an environmentally conscious woodland owner. Much of the book is devoted to starting a forest and how to maintain it. It answers such questions as: What seedlings to buy? Should your forest be monoculture or a mixed forest? What is the payback for planting and maintaining a forest? Is seeding a good way to start a forest? What kind of seeds work best? Does it pay to hire a consultant? What should he/she do for you? Does it pay to do much maintenance in your forest? How should I prune? Is timberland improvement worthwhile? How, when and whether to thin? How to herbicide and when? Can the damage done to nature by chemicals be justified by the benefits to your seedlings? What are the economics of woodland ownership?

The success and history of German forestry methods is discussed and suggests what can be learned from these age-old practices. It will tell you how to file your income taxes, what equipment to buy, what works and does not work —and why. It also provides guidance on how to deal with state and federal programs.

Although intended for private woodland owners, the book is used as a classroom text in universities. The book is more practical than technical, yet still imparts knowledge of basic forestry, explaining terms such as succession and shade tolerance and how to apply these concepts in practice. Even sophisticated concepts are covered in plain, non-technical terms.

Hans Morsbach, the author, believes that forestry is an art more than a science. Competent foresters may apply different methods of managing their forests and achieve comparable results. Still, it is important to be guided by natural forest principles. Doing nothing may sometimes be a better course of action than doing too much. The book suggests ways to gauge your involvement with your woodland to time available and your personal preference. It is most important that you enjoy your forest.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When he's not in the woods, Hans Morsbach lives in Chicago, where he is a successful Restaurateur. This is his first book. Morsbach's personal experience is relevant to forest stewards in all regions of North America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea Green (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931498210
• ISBN-13: 978-1931498210
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #336,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When he's not in the woods, Hans Morsbach lives in Chicago, where he is a successful restauranteur. This is his first book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very helpful & practical, February 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Common Sense Forestry (Books for Wiser Living from Mother Earth News) (Paperback)

I purchased 23 acres of worn out farmland that I wanted to make into a productive forest. Most of the books I found discussed things from a commerical/industrial scale, and seemed to discourage innovation and experimentation. Mr. Morsbach's book discusses the experiences of someone who has 'been and done' over the last thirty years, with notable sucesses and honest appraisal of failures & setbacks. I especially like how he shows how 'experts' can have different opinions and even be quite wrong! His ideas about mixing species and direct seeding are very interesting, and have changed my approach to planting. I would certainly advise anyone who is planning to raise trees and is interested in woodland stewardship.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handbook for the new forester and a delight for anyone else, October 25, 2004

By 

Winifred Chambers, M.D. - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Common Sense Forestry (Books for Wiser Living from Mother Earth News) (Paperback)

This is a book for anyone who likes to read about someone's interesting life or observations, for anyone who likes to get a glimpse of a good man's mind and heart, for anyone who enjoys seeing things in a new way, and--of course--for anyone who owns or may buy wooded property. For the latter, it is an indispensable guide. For the rest of us, it is both delightful reading and consciousness-raising.
Hans Morsbach, a Chicago businessman and (for the past 30 years) also a Wisconsin forester, provides all the practical advice to amateur foresters he would have liked to have had 30 years ago. The book is full of practical suggestions and insights; however, it is anything but a dry how-to book. Morsbach is often funny, particularly when he shares his early naivete and many false starts, or, say, when he notes under a picture of a hawk perch that the hawks express their admiration by never perching on it.

He is also deadly serious, offering many insights and suggestions based upon his own intensive research, such as the use of hedgerows to enhance the success of any crop. A new insight for me (with no intention of ever starting a forest or growing any crops) was that lone individuals can do something worthwhile for the environment by buying and cultivating even small wooded properties.

But what is so remarkable is that Morsbach writes with such humility, honesty, and love--of humanity, of nature, and of his own learning experiences. He writes in clear simple candid language with an uncanny ability to let the reader see into the heart and mind of a savvy businessman who loves nature and cares about our environment. He has clearly raised the bar for practical guide books.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible for the Hobby Tree Farmer, June 13, 2003

By 

Renato V Rossi (Rochester, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Common Sense Forestry (Books for Wiser Living from Mother Earth News) (Paperback)

An easy and witty prose makes this book a welcome relief from other books on the subject. The extensive Index makes it easy to find subjects scattered across chapters.

A very comprehensive treatment of Direct Seeding, which is the low-cost approach to establishing a forest and very suitable to the small woodland owner.

The Economic Analysis chapter is quite useful and an eye opener.

This book will give you a second opinion on what is recommended by professional foresters and the DNR (Amazing fact: they are not always right !) Required reading for anybody that is looking into starting tree farming on a small scale.