Publication of John Evelyn's Sylva (1662–1664)

John Evelyn's Sylva, a treatise urging landowners to plant trees for England's timber needs, was first presented to the Royal Society in 1662 and published as a book in London in 1664. Printed by John Martyn, it became a highly influential text on forestry.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. John Evelyn, an English writer and diarist, was known for his knowledge of trees and gardening. He believed England was dangerously short of trees. The treatise was written to encourage landowners to plant trees to provide timber for England's burgeoning navy.

Publication. The work was first delivered to the Royal Society on 15 October 1662. It was subsequently published as a book in 1664, printed by John Martyn for the Royal Society. This was the first book published after the Society received its Royal Charter as publishers.

Content and Influence. Sylva included annexes such as Pomona and Kalendarium Hortense. In his preface to the king, Evelyn asserted that he had induced landowners to plant millions of trees. The text is recognized as one of the most influential on forestry.

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Sources

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.