424 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



forest policy alonf^; tlic same lines as in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, 

 and other States which have cooperated with the Poorest Service. In 

 continuance of the plan for investifjatinf;^, throujjh studies in typical 

 States, the relation of methods of forest taxation to forestry and future 

 timber supplies, a study of this subject in the State of Washinf^ton will 



Srobably be undertaken. Such studies have already been made in 

 ew Hampshire and Wisconsin. 



Formerly the Forest Service carried on extensive cooperative work 

 with private owners, assisting them in developing? plans for the han- 

 dlini? of their woodlands and for reforestation. In proportion as this 

 work can be taken up by the individual States and as private owners 

 can secure the services of professional foresters tlie Forest Service will 

 withdraw from it. At the present time a great deal of advice is given 

 in the Washington ofhce and by correspondence when reference of 

 applicants to State foresters or to private consulting foresters is not 

 possible. 



BRANCH OF GRAZING. 



The administrative work of this branch will in most respects con- 

 tinue along the same lines as during the past year. Only one im- 

 portant administrative change is being considered. This is the prep- 

 aration of a plan by which authority maybe delegated to the District 

 Foresters to establish all but the yearlong grazing periods and fees; 

 provision will be made, however, to keep the charge for equivalent 

 privileges in different districts uniform. 



The technical work of the branch presents for further investiga- 

 tion such problems as the restoration of depleted ranges, the devel- 

 opment of the forage productivity of Forest lands, and the reduc- 

 tion of stock losses. The classes of studies to be pursued include the 

 perfection and extension of improved methods or range control and 

 the study of natural and artificial methods of reseeding over- 

 grazed ranges. The. scope of this work will depend entirely upon 

 the number of technically trained men available for the proper direc- 

 tion of the experiments. The reconnaissance work must be left 

 largely to the local force of Forest officers, working under the direc- 

 tion of experts; and the number of Forests upon which it will be 

 initiated will depend wholly upon the number of crews which can 

 be organized from the local rangers and guards and properly super- 

 vised by the men in general charge. The range-control studies 

 will embrace a series of observations at the experimental lambing 

 pastures on the Cochetopa Forest, and will be extended to other 

 pastures as their construction and management becomes possible. 

 The reseeding work will include a comprehensive study of ecological 

 conditions upon the National Forests and a general extension of 

 the actual reseeding operations. 



The present force of technical men is not adequate to meet all of 

 the demands, but will be sufficient to supervise the majority of the 

 more important projects, and material progress toward the solution 

 of the different grazing problems confronting the Forest Service is 

 counted on. 



BRANCH OF PRODUCTS. 



The following projects have been approved and will be taken up as 

 rapidly as they can be handled by the working force, although not 

 all of them can be given attention in one year. The projects under 



