CORRELATION OF AMERICAN FOREST RESEARCH 169 



results of the third measurements are now being made available. 

 Many others have been measured a second time. Already these plots 

 are yielding a wealth of information, much of it unforeseen and 

 unexpected, which could have been secured in no other way and which 

 will eventually form the basis of much of our technical practice. In 

 forest mensuration a mass of data has been secured on volume and 

 growth of trees and stands. Pathological and entomological researches 

 are being conducted in other bureaus of the Department. As a basis 

 for fire protection on the National Forests, studies are under way 

 which will permit a more scientific checking of the allotment of funds, 

 on the basis of the values at stake of forest and forage and watershed 

 protection as modified by the possible loss or damage. 



Back of all of the forest investigations is the pressure of the 

 administrative organization charged with the running of 1G0,000,000 

 acres of National Forests. Waste areas must be planted and methods 

 of seed extraction, of nursery practice, and of field planting made 

 available. The cutting of timber is increasing rapidly and silvicultural 

 methods must be provided. Federal practice must set standards. 

 Under such conditions the investigative program can not be based 

 wholly upon future needs. Present demands must also be heeded. 

 The program must show a balance between pure science and applied, 

 between fundamental research and that which to a reasonable degree 

 will furnish results, perhaps not wholly complete and exact, for 

 immediate practical application. Preliminary surveys such as those 

 already mentioned of the life histories of our forest trees and of 

 forest types must furnish information for immediate forest practice 

 and also outline the problems on which future efforts must be concen- 

 trated. Results urgently needed now must be furnished so far as 

 practicable, and at the same time provision must be made for those 

 long-time fundamental studies which alone can produce the final 

 answers. In either case care is taken to see that thoroughgoing 

 scientific methods are employed to make it unnecessary to cover the 

 same ground more than once. 



Range investigations have materially contributed to doubling the 

 number of stock grazed on the National Forests during the past 10 

 years, a result of great immediate economic importance. Regulation 

 of grazing which will permit the use of the forage and simultaneously 

 the production of timber is being perfected. 



Investigations of forest products at first anticipated the conscious- 



