FOREST SERVICE. 249 



of the people — to become, as it is with the French people, almost 

 instinctive. It needs to become a part of our farm lore, on the same 

 footing as the growing of corn or potatoes or wheat or the care of 

 orchards and live stock. We are so far from this that in many parts 

 of the country intelligent people still regard forestry as synonymous 

 with tree planting, and suppose that the way to go about it is by 

 requiring that whenever a tree is cut down another should be put in 

 its place. Under such conditions the right use of forests generally 

 is hopeless. 



To promote the diffusion of knowledge of forestry generally, as 

 well as to secure the best results in the efforts of all parts of the Forest 

 Service to bring about better protection of the national forests, the 

 branch of public relations was created a little more than two years 

 ago. Its work includes informational and educational activities in 

 the Washington office, including the preparation of news material, 

 exhibit and motion-picture plans, and cooperation with educational 

 agencies of many kinds. It includes also the conduct of similar 

 activities in all the district offices and by forest officers on the national 

 forests. While it has obtained important results it has not begun to 

 take full advantage of the numberless opportunities to advance 

 forestry throughout the country through the work of public educa- 

 tion. It is not engaged in propaganda to build up support for the 

 Forest Service as an organization or for specific policies or measures 

 concerning the advisability of which there may be question, but 

 exists for the diffusion of knowledge without w^hich enlightened action 

 is impossible. Its work should be largely extended. 



