218 JOURNAL, OF FORESTRY 



New York City early in the spring. As the magnitude of the work 

 increased, your chairman brought about co-operation with the United 

 States Forest Service, the forest services of several States, and with 

 State forest associations. 



The aim has been to secure as complete a list as possible of the 

 owners of fifty acres or more of merchantable timber in each State by 

 countries and towns, and by correspondence with the owners secure 

 from them the acreage, location, and their own estimate of each com- 

 mercial species in board feet or cords. Although it was realized that 

 any list of timber-land owners that the committee could secure would 

 be incomplete and many owners w-ould or could not comply with the 

 request for estimates, it. was felt that the census would bring to light 

 large quantities of merchantable timber of a variety of species that 

 could be utilized for war purposes as necessity arose. 



The vast amount of work involved in compiling an acceptable list of 

 owners of merchantable timber in the several States by countries and 

 towns and the sending out of printed forms upon which the estimates 

 were to be tabulated was assumed by A. B. Recknagel, working through 

 the Conservation Commission in New York; H. A. Reynolds, secretary 

 of the ^Massachusetts Forestry Association ; F. H. Colby, Forest Com- 

 missioner of Maine; J. B. INIowny, Forest Commissioner of Rhode 

 Island ; A. B. Hastings, Acting State Forester of New Hampshire ; 

 W. B. Hastings, State Forester of Vermont ; W. O. Filley, State For- 

 ester of Connecticut, and W. M. Baker, Assistant State Forester of 

 New Jersey. K. M. Clark, of the United States Forest Service, was 

 the active agent through whom co-operation was carried on with the 

 National Government. 



The compilation of acceptable lists of timber-land owners was made 

 possible in most States through the assistance rendered by the State 

 tax commissioners and the town assessors. 



The following statistical form and letter, prepared for use in Con- 

 necticut, is fairly representative of those used in each State : 



To Ozi'iiers of JVoodland in Connecticut: 



A demand for wood and timber for war purposes makes necessary an inventory 

 of our forest resources. Our Government must know where the different kinds 

 can be found and in what amount. White ash and spruce are needed for air- 

 plane wings ; black walnut and yellow birch for airplane propellers and gunstocks ; 

 oak for shipbuilding; black locust for treenails. Other species are needed for 

 other purposes, or may be in the future, and knowledge of their location is im- 

 portant. Cordwood for fuel will increase in importance if the war continues. 



The Society of American Foresters, in co-operation with the U. S. Forest 

 Service and the State Forester, has undertaken to compile the desired informa- 



