As promised, I will translate this rare, old german book for STEEMIT.
It will be the first english translation. ( As far as I know )

The teaser, that I posted yesterday:

https://steemit.com/book/@felixxx/i-will-translate-a-rare-old-german-book-for-steemit

didn't get a lot of attention.

I don't quite understand why.
I'm just gonna go ahead and start my translation, since I have the day off.

Growing Houses

Made from Living Trees

with 92 Illustrations and 69 Maps and Tables
by

Arthur Wiechula

Natural Engineer

Owner of
the German Royal State Inventor's Honor Cross,
the Honor Cross,
different Gold Medalls,
and various prizes

Verlag Naturbau Gesellschaft m.b.h.
Berlin Friedenau 1926

Preamble

Nur wem das Herz seine Schwingen lieh,
Geht ein zu des Ruhmes Toren;
Es hat der bloße Verstand noch nie
Einen großen Gedanken geboren.*
Fr. v. Bodenstedt

This book is not meant as a schoolbook, let alone a scientific one; It's ment to provide the reader with an insight into a new field of Natural Engineering. **

This leads us to the initial question:

'Who and what is the nature ?' - How few know, many can't even guess – She is for humanity and for the landowner especially, a coworker, who owns the best possible properties.
But it is on the human to harness her qualities; Who walks past her ignorantly, and who doesn't understand to be on good terms with her, isn't going to benefit from nature.
Him she will grow as many and even more thorns and thistles than field and garden fruit, and the struggle against the first will often neutralize the latter, plentyfully.

While who understands, to make friends with (her) the nature, enjoys pleasures in life, more beautiful than one can imagine. When one wants to attract such a sublime entity as a friend, then one must also strive, to get to know her character deeply and to approach her with love.

Book-knowledge, formulas and tabulas can be of great use at that; applied exclusively – without connecting to nature emotionally – they have no use at all, even if they originate from the University of Agriculture or the Academy of Forestry.***

Nature provides so much more than we make use of. But along all her greatness and dignity is she shy and reserved with her gifts and one has to be quite close to her, to get such concession from her. But then she isn't petty and willingly grants, that one can tell the whole world; so that everyone can partcipate in her vast richness and indefinite creativity.

To create such a concession, is the purpose of this book.

The Author

*A german poem. I'm just gonna leave that there, since I don't want to start my translation with that.
** 'aufbauende Naturkraft' a term that didn't catch on. Not well definable. I decided to name it 'Natural Engineering'
*** Institutes that were important at the time – 'academia' – would have interrupted the original flow.

The book is available as a reprint here:
http://www.packpapier-verlag.de/

The copyright has expired and I will translate the whole book.
I will work faster if you upvote.
If you have any questions, please comment !

Have a great day !

felixxx