report of the secretary of agriculture. xxxvii 



Forest Management. 



The Bureau of Forestry exists to secure the best management of 

 the forests of the United States in the interests of the whole people. 

 This involves not only the development of a science of American 

 forestr}^, but also the general introduction of conservative methods 

 in handling forests of private ownership. 



The Division of Forestry offered in October, 1898, to give advice 

 and assistance to forest owners desirous of introducing conservative 

 management. The response to this offer was immediate, and has 

 grown steadily in volume. During the last fiscal year 37 applications 

 were received, asking advice for the management of nearly 2,000,000 

 acres of forest lands. Altogether the advice of the Bureau has been 

 asked, since its offer in October, 1898, on -±,709, 121: acres. 



The working plans of the past year are in the nature of solutions 

 of seven t3^pical and widely differing forest problems. These prob- 

 lems are: 



Management of a Southern Appalachian forest, containing a great 

 variety of trees, mainly hardwoods, in a somewhat inaccessible region, 

 where only the most valuable species can be lumbered at a profit and 

 where special measures are necessary to assist their reproduction and 

 to prevent the progressive deterioration of the forest as the best woods 

 are cut out. Fire protection, at a cost which is not prohibitive from 

 a business standpoint, forms one of the important questions involved. 

 The tract studied has an area of 110,000 acres, and lies in Polk and 

 Monroe counties, Tenn. 



Management, in conjunction with coal mining, of a tract of mixed 

 softwoods and hardwoods, containing 50,000 acres, in Scott, Camp- 

 bell, and Anderson counties, Tenn. Silviculture, contract lumbering, 

 transportation, and protection from fire are the more important points 

 studied. 



Management of 60,000 acres in Beaufort and Hampton counties, 

 S. C. , on which the most important commercial species is Longleaf 

 Pine. Fire, lumbering, and turpentine orcharding have seriously 

 injured the forest, and the consideration of first importance is a method 

 of treatment which shall restore it to full productiveness while yield- 

 ing a fair return on the value of the land. The conditions are typical 

 of much of the Southern Pine Belt. 



Management of 10,000 acres of fine hardwoods on Grand Island, 

 Michigan, with an accessible market, a high price obtainable for the 

 product, and consequently an exceptionally good opportunity for pay- 

 ing forestry. 



Management of 15,000 acres in Herkimer County, N. Y., com- 

 posed equally of cut-over and virgin forest. The most important 

 timber tree is here, as general I3' in the Adirondack region, Ked Spruce, 



