QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



Many of our readers frequently desire to secure some expert advice regarding various 

 features of forestry work, and do not know to whom to apply for the information. 



The Editor has accordingly decided to establish this column in which he will be glad to 

 publish such questions as may be sent to him, and give the answers, whenever the questions 

 relate to any detail of the work which this Association is doing or such information as it 

 can give. 



The Editor requests that communications be written on one side of the paper only and 

 if possible, be typewritten. 



Brunswick, Maine. 

 Editor. — Will you kindly send me any in- 

 formation possible upon possibilities and op- 

 portunities for college men in forestry? By 

 college men is meant men with an A.B., or 

 equivalent, degree who contemplate a gradu- 

 ate course. 



Edward W. Kent. 



There are abundant opportunities, and 

 they are increasing, for the practice of for- 

 estry by competent, trained foresters. Sal- 

 aries are not large, but they compare favor- 

 ably with those in any other profession and 

 they are tending toward a higher level. The 

 opportunities are found in the National For- 

 est Service, which employs a large number 

 of men and furnishes valuable experience in 

 various fields ; in the forest services of the 

 diflferent States, many of which are going 

 into this work and paying fair salaries to 

 good men ; and there is also an increasing 

 call for foresters in practical lumbering, as 

 the lumber companies and others that are 

 working in forest products see the need of 

 scientific handling of their properties. So 

 much for the opportunities for work. The 

 three leading schools that are open to col- 

 lege graduates are those at Yale, Harvard 

 and Alichigan. For the man who wishes to 

 rise to the highest point in the profession, 

 and who has the educational equipment to 

 begin with, one of these schools will be best. 

 You can, of course, secure detailed infor- 

 mation in regard to their courses, terms, 

 etc., by writing to the schools. — Editor. 



Columbus, Ohio. 

 Editor American Forestry. — A gentleman 

 whom I know asserts that at one time the 

 Sahara Desert and all other desert areas 

 were covered with dense forests. Will you 

 kindly tell me if this is true? 



John W. Winn. 



So far as I am aware, there is no evidence 

 whatever that the desert lands of the world 

 have ever been covered with forests during 

 historical times. It is, of course, possible 

 that in some previous geological era with 

 different climatic conditions, forests existed 

 where deserts are now found. In most of 

 the desert regions which are found today, 

 the precipitation or the humidity of the 

 air is too low to permit of tree growth. In 

 most of these regions trees could be grown 

 if water was supplied artificially by irriga- 

 tion, but under natural conditions the ex- 

 treme aridity of the country makes their 

 establishment impossible. 



It is possible that the gentleman who 

 brought the matter to your attention re- 

 ferred to lands which are known to have 

 been covered with forests within historical 

 times, but which have since been denuded 

 and may be completely barren. This has 

 happened in a number of regions, especially 

 in the mountains where the reckless destruc- 

 tion of the forest has been followed by tor- 

 rents and erosion which have destroyed the 

 soil cover and have prevented the reestab- 

 lishment of tree growth. 



S. T. Dana, 

 Editorial Advisory Board. 



New York City. 

 Editor American Forestry. — Will you 

 kindly give me full information regarding 

 the prices of lumber at various periods and 

 whatever information you may have regard- 

 ing timber conditions in the United States? 



J. F. Gray. 



This information takes up too much space 

 to print here; so, through the kindness of 

 O. T. Swan, in charge of the Office of Prod- 

 ucts of the Department of Agriculture, the 

 detailed information has been mailed. — 

 Editor. 



THE AMBITIOUS TREE. 



An unusual publicity project is being conducted jointly by the school authorities of 

 several of the Pacific Northwestern States and the Western Forestry & Conservation 

 Association in distributing through the public schools several hundred thousand copies of 

 a story called "The Ambitious Tree." written by E. T. Allen, to interest boys and girls tw 

 forest' protection and especially in preventing forest fires. Over 165,000 are being placed 

 in Washington and Idaho schools alone. The story tells of the life and struggles of a 

 western forest tree and the part it plays in community development and prosperity. 



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