428 ANNUAL REPORT OF THK Off. Doc. 



The reserves have heeii open (o ihe public ;is recreadoii grounds 

 and during- the year o,55G persons have obtained camping permits, 

 these being reijuired when it Ijeiomes necessary to build lires for 

 cooking. The camps have been dislributed in li2 dill'erent counties. 

 There is absolutely no lestriction in the matter of hunting and fish- 

 ing on tlie Reserves, except what the game laws impose. The De- 

 |)artment wants the people of the State to use the Keserves to their 

 fullest extent, ouly asking that no needless dauiage be done to trees 

 and birds, no game laws violated, and no lires built without per- 

 mission. In addition to those obtaining permits, at least 10,000 per- 

 sons have used the Keserves for hunting, fishing, or a day's outing 

 not, however, including the thousands of people who frecjuently 

 visit Mont Alto and Caledonia I'arks on the South Mountain Ke- 

 serve. We have no notion of the number of people who go upon the 

 Keserves annually for berries nor of the value of the crop which they 

 harvest. 



The Forest Academy at Mont Alto graduated eight young men in 

 August who are now in the State Forest Service. The work is being 

 strengthened each year and the State can be proud of the young men 

 who have been graduated from there and of the work they are doing 

 on the State Keserves and in the localities where they have been 

 stationed. 



Assistance was given in the eastern })art of the State toward study- 

 ing and attacking the Chestnut Tree Blight, and in the western part 

 of the State in an examination of the Ohio watershed with reference 

 to forest conditions, erosion, storage of water, prevention of floods, 

 etc. 



We have also been able to give practical assistance to all who 

 have applied with reference to the matter of handling their wooded 

 areas. Our Forest Inspector goes over the ground in each case and 

 formulates a plan suited to the conditions as nearly as can be de- 

 termined in the time available. It is the aim of the Department to 

 be of as great service to the people of the State as it is possible to 

 be. Our oflflces are becoming a store-house of information on all 

 lines concerning forests and forest trees, and that information is for 

 the use of the public. 



REPOKT OF AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGIST 



By W. H. STOUT, Pinegrove, Pa. 



As distinguished between Economic and Agricultural Geology, the 

 former relates to minerals and metals with other useful substance*^ 

 in civilized countries. Agricultural Geology relates to that more 

 important division relating to soils, the producing elements of energy, 

 of muscle, flesh, bone and brain and life itself. The herbs of the soil 

 provide the essential elements to support all animal creation upon 

 the earth, all of which derives nourishment from Mother Earth. Al- 

 though there exists a liberal library upon Agricultural Geology, it is 

 comparatively small compared Avith Economic Geology, evidently be- 



