CONSIDERATIONS IN SILVRTLTfRAL KIISKAKC] 1 879 



ing with the volume, growth, and yield of our important forest trees. 

 These are of the utmost importance for handling timber sales and for 

 all phases of management, valuation, and the regulation of cut. Yet 

 these studies receive a financial support amounting to less than what it 

 costs to supervise the Forest Products Laboratory. Other comparisons 

 could be made, but in each case to the detriment of the real forestry 

 })roblems. 



I wish to digress a moment to the appropriations for another bureau 

 of the Department of Agriculture, namely, the Bureau of Plant Indus- 

 try. I cite this bureavi as one in which the value of purely scientific 

 work is thoroughly appreciated. Few governmental bureaus in the 

 world do more for the welfare of the people whom they serve than this 

 bureau. About 85 per cent of the appropriation for the bureau is for 

 research work, and this item in kjI/ carried an apjiropriation of about 

 $1,800,000.^' Keeping in mind the real forestry problems Fernow 

 spoke of'"' and which carried a total appropriation of about $85,000, 

 consider the following in tliis bureau: 



Dry land agriculture investigations $167,120 



Cereal investigations 140,585 



Pomological investigations 128,147 



Foreign seed and plant introduction investigations 107,080 



Forest pathology investigations 02,421 



Forage crop investigations 92,980 



Western irrigation-agriculture investigations 88,980 



Horticultural investigations 80,333 



Corn and sugar-beet investigations 84,775 



Soil bacteriology investigations 39,oSO 



These are only a few of the items. There are scores of others. 

 These figures sufiice to show that real forestry investigations — all for- 

 estry investigations, for that matter — have not received the govern- 

 mental support to which their importance in our national welfare en- 

 titles them. 



There are no doubt reasons why the forest-products side of forestry 

 investigations have been emphasized in the past at the expense of real 

 forestry research. 'I'hc practical side of these investigations is plain tu 

 the peoi)lc. From a i)iu'ely ])olitical standpoint, they are a sure means 

 by which the I'orest Service can win favor with the people and their 

 representatives, and thereby not oiil\ strengthen the position of the 

 service in Congress, but also indirectly increase the amiual appropria- 

 tions. When we consider the wiles and whims of democratic govern- 

 ment, these matters are \\orlh\- of ct>nsideration. liul even </rantiii<: 



"Loc. cit., p. 12. 

 "Loc. cit., p. 2. 



