CONSIDERATIONS IN SILVICULTURAL RKSIvAKC I [ 881 



The mere fact that this system has been adopted ahnost universally is 

 an indorsement of its merit. 



In this country, as we well know, the forest experiment stations are 

 a part of the Federal Forest Service organization, and as such are sub- 

 ject to the whims and wiles of administrative officials and to various 

 setbacks due to inadequate appropriations. No better proof of this 

 could be found than in the fact that recently two forest experiment 

 stations were abandoned and the work at most of the others consider- 

 ably reduced, due to "the concentration of investigative work and the 

 limited amount of funds available." 



It is not very probable that tlie forest experiment stations under 

 present methods of organization could by any manner or means be 

 taken from the control of the Forest Service and placed in charge of 

 the forestry schools. This, I think, is an unalterable premise and will 

 not permit of any further discussion. The problem must be approached 

 from a different angle. Rather, it must be stated thus: Under present 

 conditions of organization, how can research work be left relatively 

 free and unhampered? In this connection Clapp," the assistant forester 

 in charge of research work, is autliorit}- for the following statement : 



"The entire experience of the Forest Service in research clearly emphasizes 

 the need of a special force of well-trained men who shall be permitted to 

 devote their entire time and efforts to the work." 



There is no doubt as to the desirability of such a force of men; the 

 question is how to get them and have them work free and unhampered. 



The directors of the e.xpcriment stations have had to devote a large 

 part of their time not only to supervising administrative work, but 

 actually doing such work themselves. The investigative man at the 

 stations should not be hampered with this work. There is abst)hitely 

 no reason (it is a matter of more adequate funds) why this sort of 

 work cannot be handled effectively by a capable forest ranger. There 

 is absolutely no need of burdening a .scientific man with such matters 

 as the con.struction of roads, trails, fences, and houses, the splitting of 

 firewood and similar activities. This involves not only the diverting of 

 his attention from his highly specialized line of work, but it is unfair 

 to expect the research man to do justice to the kind of work for which 

 by nature he is not fitted. 



If the administrative work were handed over to a ranger, another 

 stumbling block would be removed. The Forest Service would then 

 probably find itself free to employ research men regardless of their 



" Loc. cit.. p. 3- 



