Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber facts for kids
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| Author | John Evelyn |
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| Subject | Forestry |
| Published | 1662 (as a paper) 1664 (as a book; by John Martyn) |
Sylva is a very important book about trees and forests. It was written by an English writer named John Evelyn. He first shared his ideas in 1662 as a paper for a group called the Royal Society. Two years later, in 1664, it became a full book. Many people believe it's one of the most important books ever written about how to manage forests.
Why Sylva Matters
Sylva taught people in England how to grow and care for trees. At the time, England needed a lot of wood for ships and buildings. John Evelyn's book helped solve this problem by explaining how to plant and manage forests. It was the first big book in England focused only on trees and how to grow them.
Different Versions of Sylva
Over the years, Sylva was printed many times. Each new version often added more information or changed how it looked.
- 1662 Paper: John Evelyn first shared his ideas as a paper with the Royal Society. This happened on February 16, 1662.
- 1664 First Book: The first book version of Sylva was printed by John Martyn. This was special because it was the first book the Royal Society published after getting their special permission in 1662.
- 1670 Second Book: This version added more pictures and drawings.
- 1679 Third Book: This edition included a new essay by Evelyn. It was called Terra, and it talked all about different types of soil.
- 1706 Fourth Book: This was the last version published while John Evelyn was still alive. It added new sections about fruit trees and a garden calendar. The spelling of the title also changed to Silva in this edition.
Later Editions
After John Evelyn passed away, his book continued to be printed. People still found it very useful.
- 1707 and 1729: More editions of Silva were printed in these years.
- Edited by Alexander Hunter: A person named Alexander Hunter edited five new versions of the book between 1776 and 1825.
Modern Reproductions
Even today, people still print copies of Sylva.
- 1972 Copy: A copy of the very first 1664 edition was made in 1972.
- 2014 New Sylva: A new version called The New Sylva was published in 2014. It was written by Gabriel Hemery and had new drawings by Sarah Simblet. This book celebrated 350 years since the original Sylva was first published.
See also
- Hans Carl von Carlowitz
