FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



As the law stands at present, the connnissioner is power- 

 less to act in case of emergency — having no men at his com- 

 mand or means to employ them, excepting the fish and game 

 wardens and these are so few and their beats so long, they 

 cannot be depended on miless the fire is in their immediate 

 vicinity. In several instances of that kind the past season,' 

 however, the}"^ have rendered good service. 



It is with some feeling of embarrassment that the work of 

 investigation regarding forest growth and supply is reviewed 

 for the reason that I fuUv realize that we are venturino- on a 

 new field of study with little or no training for the business, 

 or source from ^vhich to gather the necessary information to 

 direct our study. In this country it is an almost entirely 

 new field for work and thought, and as in the case of all pio- 

 neers the result of our labors must necessarily be somewhat 

 crude and luitinished. Without precedent, guide, chart or 

 compass, it could not well be otherwise. 



Still as the results of our efforts as published in the report 

 of 1894 were so favorably received, and more information upon 

 the same lines of work earnestly solicited, we have ventured 

 on the work again and publish a portion of the results that 

 we hope will be equally well received. 



We find that the interest in the subject is constantly increas- 

 ing as evidenced by the demand for forestry literature, not 

 only by those who wish practical information for the manaoe- 

 ment of their OAvn interests, but also by the students of 

 nature searching for all-round information. From nearly 

 every state in the Union have come applications for copies 

 of our laws, reports, literature for distribution and lists of 

 best authorities upon the subject of forestry. It shows, 

 at least, that altliough there may not be any great ap})rchen- 

 sion that we may soon be reduced to the condition of some 

 foreign countries in our forest products, yet the necessity of 

 learning methods of economy, of obtaining a knowledge that 

 can be put in })ractice if required and of mastering the facts 

 necessary to estalilish intelligent forestry regulation seems to 



