04 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



fessional foresters in America have not fallen into a lethargy, which 

 they should shake ofif for their own good ; which they must shake off 

 if the new national program is not to hecome a farce, merely a pork- 

 barrel proposition ! 



The National Research Council is a co-ordinating institution between 

 science and industry. It has a Forestry Committee in the Division of 

 Biology and Agriculture. Some of the leading foresters in the coimtry, 

 on this Committee, and with the backing of the larger Council, are 

 seeking to discover the most important needs of forestry ; seeking to 

 fill gaps which can 'not be filled or for some reason have not been 

 filled by the Forest Service and other agencies working independently. 

 As I have- said, the general purpose of the Council is to co-ordinate, 

 not to undertake, research. Yet in some instances it will fall upon 

 the Council to correlate results and fill in the gaps before some of the 

 big problems can be solved. 



An example is the project which has been approved by the Council 

 for the study of "Potential forest growth under management, with 

 special reference to the southern pine region." This project is semi- 

 local, there are not a great many foresters in the South, but those that 

 are in a position to help will be expected to help. The Council and 

 the Forestry Committee can not accomplish anything unless every 

 forester is willing to pitch in and obtain the facts. 



As time goes on. the Committee will doubtless suggest extensions of 

 this study, and other projects, which will give every member of the 

 Society a chance to do something. IJuckle on your compass, whet your 

 axe. polish your lense. and be ready to act. But, in the meantime, give 

 the Committee your suggestions, on an extension of the study men- 

 tioned, or on any other broad study which you think ought to be 

 undertaken by foresters as a whole. This Committee is brainy, it may 

 even be possessed of psychic powers, but it might fail to read your 

 thoughts at long range if you are too modest to express them. Write, 

 right now, to Mr. Zon, Chairman of this Committee, at Washington. 



In brief, foresters, what the Committee wants is full co-operation 

 from the membership of the Society, not only in getting the information 

 which an expanded forestry program requires, but in deciding what are 

 the urgent needs. Be awake ! Don't let some outsider try to tell 

 you what the problems of your region are ! Zon pretends to hear the 

 voice of the people. Make him prove it ! C. G. Bates. 



