This document summarizes and analyzes two 17th century texts about forestry quantification: John Evelyn's Sylva and the 1669 French Forest Ordinance. It discusses how the texts quantify elements such as wood volume and penalties for encroachment. While Sylva quantified wood volume geometrically, the Ordinance specified financial penalties. The document also notes aspects of quantification not covered, such as time periods and numbers of individuals.

1. Quantification in 17th Century
Forestry
Simon Gooding-Townsend
McMaster University, 4UU3
November 30th, 2010

6. John Evelyn and Sylva
• Evelyn, 1620-1706
English gentleman
Secretary and
founding member
of Royal Society
• Sylva, 1664
Four editions
First book printed by
Royal Society

7. 1669 French Forest Ordinance
• Colbert, 1619-1683
French Finance minister
• Louis XIV, rex 1643-1715
• Ordinance
Took 8 years to plan and
implement
Not very many photos
available

8. Charles II Louis XIV

9. The Navy

11. Analysis
• What elements do the texts quantify?
• What are the differences between the texts?
• How does this quantification compare to
contemporary quantification?

13. Sylva
• “In other places, the cord is four feet in height;
and four feet over; or, to speak more
geometrically, a solid made up of three
dimensions, four feet high, four feet broad, and
eight feet long; the content one hundred and
twenty-eight cubic feet.”
• “But by none, in my apprehension, set forth in a
more facile and accurate way, than what that
industrious mathematician, Mr. Leybourn, has
published, in his late Line of Proportion made
Easy, and others his labours.”

14. French Forest Ordinance
• If there be found any encroachment or
extension beyond the pieds corniers, the
merchant shall be condemned to pay fourfold
the rate of the highest sum of his bidding, in
case that the wood cut by him shall be of the
same kind of tree as that of the purchase; and
if it be of a better kind, quality, or age, he shall
be bound to pay that penalty, and to make
restitution au pieds le tour. (XVI.9)

15. • For example, this does not consider :
1. Quantification in husbandry directions
2. Quantification of time, either seasonal or
years
3. Enumeration of the number of individuals
who filled certain roles
4. The use of lists
5. The use of numerals

16. I am obliged to include
another image of Porter’s
book because we have
not seen enough of it this
semester

19. Apologies for the Crosby
image. I know that you do
not want to think about the
course material anymore.

20. Apologies for the Crosby
image. I know that you do
not want to think about the
course material anymore.

21. Apologies for the Crosby
image. I know that you do
not want to think about the
course material anymore.

22. Image Credits
• http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRnl_nGrI31OlBlERQX5_ObhofHzfNC_QHRzKtDGkLt0K33hUzx
• http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYYyp1S-IvRdsIgOSRgESg2d_0BUTaIIkRxIfdu2d9r1gN-I6E
• http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3114921007_a86304e772_o.jpg
• http://sylva.org.uk/images/John_Evelyn_portrait_000.jpg
• http://fr.academic.ru/pictures/frwiki/76/Lefebvre_-_Jean-Baptiste_Colbert.jpg
• http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1CxkpUKmgoB9QmXzTbh-KOcjcBM-Itxu4-LbdCMoM_Lgon5mU
• http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2008/02/charles_ii_of_england.jpg
• http://image59.webshots.com/159/0/13/72/2876013720056818949XFSNoc_fs.jpg
• http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2008/02/04/rain-forests-disappearing-fast_5965.jpg
• http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3tkEWkR5zk6Ny0QS9Ld_w68MxqoPctFedLLVqVN-mLna5KEJA
• http://clg-cordelet-72.ac-nantes.fr/Images/maths4.JPG
• http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8VMvU1AvVUKxFkQ-OUGvoILs8Me9zmmzXYBpankFIoybh9yUa
• http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQeTa0trF6BmpoFonB8NmeDjM-VzywN0cfUs2UzLOkEioUF3Ndn
• http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTb_Z0AHCH_qRjgopQ4sBrQerTxD8sDnS4n1o8hCalR6-_ccYBo9A