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of different kinds of timber, studies of methods by which tim- 

 ber may be made more durable, efforts to decrease waste in 

 lumbering, and the discovery and introduction of better 

 methods of gathering forest products other than lumber. 



By its timber tests the Forest Service has established the 

 suitability of various liltle-used but abundant woods, especially 

 for structural uses, and has made possible the more economical 

 use of other woods by an exact determination of their strength. 

 By its studies of the effects of seasoning and the value of dif- 

 ferent methods of preservative treatment, it has opened the 

 way to an enormous reduction in the drain upon our forests 

 for railroad ties. What this demand at present is may be real- 

 ized when it is considered that if a tree were growing at each 

 end of every railroad tie laid in the track in the whole United 

 States all the tim.ber produced would be needed for renewal 

 alone. In other words, two trees must always be growing in 

 the forest to keep one tie permanently in the track. 



By its studies of lumbering methods the Forest Service has 

 shown lumbermen how timber formerly wasted in high stumps, 

 tops, and logs left in the woods could be utilized without added 

 expense. And a not less serious waste of a great resource was 

 cut off" v.'hcn the invention of a new method of turpentining 

 made it possible to eliminate the destruction of our southern 

 forests through boxing the trees, and at the same time to 

 gather a far larger value in turpentine than before. 



FOREST EXPLORATION. 



Finallv, the Forest Service has rendered a great service by 

 its explorations of forested regions. Useful contributions to 

 the knowledge of our forest resources have been made through 

 specific studies of important regions. The guiding principle of 

 this policy is, of course, that all land should be put to its best 

 use. This principle the Forest Service has assisted to put into 

 effect by its recommendations as to what lands should not as 



well as what should be reserved. 



i 

 RESERVE ADMINISTRATION BY THE FOREST SERVICE. 



The forest Service had become fully qualified, by its past 

 work, for the responsibility laid upon it by the transfer of the 

 reserve to its administrative charge. The immediate effect of 



