EXTENSION WORK IN FORESTRY 



BY A. F. HAWES, EXTENSION SPECIALIST IN FORESTRY 



THE readers of American Forestry are thoroughly 

 conversant with the progress that has been made 

 during the past twenty years in the administration 

 of the national forests, and of state forests in a few 

 states. It is a lamentable fact, however, that the pri- 

 vate forests, comprising al^out four-iifths of the forest 

 area of the country, have as yet been little affected by 

 the application of forestry principles except in the mat- 

 ter of tire prevention. The remoteness of much of this 

 forest area and the existing market conditions make the 

 introduction of intensive measures imi)racticable at 

 present. But these objections can hardly be raised in 

 regard to the farm woodlands, which comprise about 

 two-fifths of the total forest area. They are compara- 

 tively accessi- 

 ble to the mar- 

 kets and are 

 less exposed to 

 damage by fire 

 than other for- 

 est property. 

 Moreover, they 

 can be handled 

 more advan- 

 tageously i n 

 c o n n e c t i on 

 with other 

 farm opera- 

 tions and in 

 such a way as 

 materially t o 

 help the farm- 

 labor problem 

 and increase 

 the farm-labor 

 income. The 

 handling of the 

 farm w o o d- 

 lands, most of 

 which are of small area, does not call for involved work 



FIRE-SCARRED KENTUCKY BLACK OAK 



Farm woodland of lilack oak which has been injured by fires and insects, 



more valuable species and protected. 



During the fiscal year 1917-1918 there were regular 

 funds available for extension work amounting to $7,625.- 

 000, of which about two-fifths came from the federal 

 government ; one-fourth from the various states ; one- 

 fifth from county appropriations, and the remainder 

 from the colleges and miscellaneous sources. In addi- 

 tion to these regular funds. Congress made available for 

 that year through the food production act $4,348,400 

 for similar purposes. 



All of the agricultural extension work is administered 

 through the States Relations Service, which is a bureau 

 of the Department of Agriculture, just as the Forest 

 Service, Office of Farm Management, etc, are bureaus of 

 the department. The work of the States Relations Ser- 

 vice is handled 

 in two offices : 

 the office of 

 the south hav- 

 ing to do with 

 t h e states o f 

 the cotton 

 belt ; and the 

 office of t h e 

 north and west 

 dealing w i t h 

 33 n o r t h e rn 

 a n d w e s tern 

 states. Of the 

 funds de- 

 scribed above, 

 $1,040,000 was 

 a p p r opriated 

 b V Congress 

 t o t h e States 

 Relations Ser- 

 vice and was 

 available for 

 a dministrative 



It should he reproduced to 



and d e m on- 

 stration ])urposes at the discretion of the service. The 

 ing plans, but rather for the application of common sense funds appropriated under the so-called Smith-Lever 



based on a knowledge of forestry principles. In many 

 cases co-operation on the ])art of woodland owners in the 

 handling of their products will doubtless seem desirable 

 in order to obtain the best results. Leadership is neces- 

 sary in order to bring about better management of the 

 farm woodlands just as it has been necessary in pro- 

 ducing better farm management. This leadership can 

 be provided very largely through the county agents 

 and the other extension forces which are being de- 

 veloped under the Smith-Lever law. The extent to 

 which this extension work is now being carried on and 

 its possibilities for improved agriculture, including 

 forestry, are hardly realized by the majority of people. 



Act, amounting in 1917-18 to $2,080,000, were divided 

 by law among the various states in proportion to their 

 agricultural population. Thus Pennsylvania received 

 $108,383.33, while Connecticut received $13,725.86. 

 These allotments to the various states are contingent 

 upon the state appropriating an equal amount minus 

 $10,000. Thus Pennsylvania appropriated $98,383.33 to 

 receive its federal allotment and Connecticut $3,725.86. 

 This .Smith-Lever appropriation is increased annually l)y 

 $500,000 up to 1922-23. 



These monies, both state and federal, are admin- 

 istered by the various agricultural colleges through their 



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