LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



L^. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Division of Forestry, 



Washiiigton, i). 0., May 8, 1899, 



Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith the man- 

 uscript of the first half of "A Primer of Forestrj^," and 

 to recommend its imblication as Bulletin Xo. 24, Part 

 I, of this Division. The present part ("The Forest") 

 deals with the units which compose the forest, with its 

 character as an organic whole, and with its enemies. 

 It may be said to sketch the foundation of the practice 

 of forestry and of forest policy. Part II will be enti- 

 tled " Practical Forestry," and will deal with the prac- 

 tice of forestry, with work in the woods, with the 

 relations of the forest to the weather and the streams, 

 and will conclude with a brief description of forestry at 

 home and abroad. 



For many of the illustrations of Part I, I am in- 

 debted to the kindness of several gentlemen not con- 

 nected with this Division. Their names and the plates 

 and figures which I owe to their courtesy are as follows : 



The Director of the IT. S. Geological Survej^, figs. Go, 

 66, and 74; Mr. George W. Yanderbilt, of Biltmore, 

 N. C., figs. S, 54, 58, the frontispiece, and PI. XXIII; 

 Forstmeister U. Meister, of Zurich, Switzerland, fig. 41 

 and PI. XL; the inspector- general of forests to the 

 government of India, Pis. lY and XII; Mr. A. li. 



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