BUREAU OF FORESTRY. 119 



to act as fire warden, under a contract whicli provides that he shall 

 be paid only in case there is no fire, or, if a fire occurs, then if he can 

 clear himself of contributory neglect; that he may hire assistants 

 when necessary, that he must burn a fire line round the area once or, 

 ii necessar}^ twice a year, and that he shall keep the land thoroughly 

 posted. 



An experiment was made on this tract in burning the tops of felled 

 trees, which are sources of great danger if fire once starts on cut-over 

 land. It was found that to be burned successfully the tops must first 

 be lopped and piled. If this method does not prove too expensive 

 upon further trial, the tops on all cut-over lands will be dealt with in 

 this way. An examination was made of the height at which stumps 

 are now cut, and a report was submitted to the company showing the 

 loss which follows from cutting high stumps. 



In 1898 a working plan was made for the several wood lots included 

 in the estate of Maj. W. A. Wadsworth, near Geneseo, N. Y. The 

 owner desiring to i)ut the plan in operation, the lands were visited by 

 an agent of the Bureau of Forestry in the fall of 1901. The forest is 

 composed of a mixture of hardwoods, and the main object is so to 

 lumber it that its future productiveness will be assured. All trees 

 to be cut were marked and stamped. The markings favored the more 

 valuable Hickoxy, Ash, Black Walnut, and White Oak against the 

 less valuable Beech, Maple, and Black Oak. The intention was both 

 to aid the former in. the present stand and to increase their relative 

 proportion in the second growth which will follow the lumbering. 

 All dead or dying trees were at the same time marked for removal. 

 An excellent local market exists for lumber, cord wood, and ties. 

 There is assurance that the cutting will prove a financial success and 

 will tend to improve the forest. 



The work in practical forestry on the 6,000-acre domain of the 

 University of the South, at Sewanee, Tenn., goes steadily on. Trees 

 containing approximately a total of 500,000 feet board measure have 

 been marked for felling by the Bureau of Forestry, and the lumber- 

 ing j)roceeds under its general supervision. 



In the Adirondacks the tract of the Moose River Lumber Company 

 has been added to those to which practical forestry is applied under 

 the direction of the Bureau. In accordance with the recommendations 

 of the working plan Spruce is l)eing lumbered to a diameter of 12 

 inches. The marking of the trees to be cut, as well as the lumbering 

 itself, is being carried on under the general supervision of the Bureau, 

 An experiment is also being made in the conservative lumbering of 

 the hardwoods. 



The working plan for the tract of 110,000 acres upon the west slope 

 of the Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee has been api)lied and 

 lumbering has begun under the supervision of the Bureau. Contracts 

 made for the sale of stumpage include provisions recommended by the 

 Bureau. These specify the kinds which shall be lumbered and fix 

 the diameter limits to which they sliall be cut. They provide against 

 waste in lumbering and against unnecessary damage to young growth. 

 It is further provided that trees cut in violation of the rules for con- 

 servative lumbering drawn up b}^ the Bureau of Forestrj^ shall be 

 paid for at double the contract price. 



Including lands not mentioned above, the total area of i^rivate for- 

 ests actually under the supervision of the Bureau of Forestry is 372,463 

 acres. 



