102 FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 



REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC IN- 

 STRUCTION IN FORESTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY 

 OF MAINE. 



To the Honorable Frank E. Mace, Forest Commissioner, Au- 

 gusta, Maine. 



Sir : — I have the honor to submit the following report of 

 this Department for the years 1915 and 1916: 



During the past two years the Department has been more 

 than ever able to carry into effective operation the purpose for 

 which it was created, namely to awaken an interest in behalf of 

 forestry in the schools, academies and colleges of the State, and 

 to give instruction on the care, protection, utilization and repro- 

 duction of forest crops. 



Besides the regular four years' curriculum for students 

 majoring in forestry, short courses have been offered for agri- 

 cultural students and others at the University of Maine ; 

 lectures have been given at the normal schools as well as at 

 various high schools, clubs and granges throughout the State; 

 and the summer school camp has proved to be a means of reach- 

 ing others who could probably not be interested in the subject in 

 any other way. An important development during this period 

 has been in the field of extension work among the farmers and 

 small woodlot owners of the State. While so far it has not 

 been possible to employ a special man for this work, the begin- 

 nings made by Professor Eaton in this line have been very sat- 

 isfactory, and it is hoped that the facilities for carrying it on 

 will be increased in the future. It seems to be one of the very 

 best means of reaching this important class of timber land 

 owners, and the way in which it has been received shows that 

 there is a large and important field for just this sort of educa- 

 tional work in Maine. The Forest Nursery has also been a 

 means of interesting many owners in the possibilities of plant- 

 ing, and it has been instrumental in establishing plantations in 

 all but two counties during this comparatively brief period. 



