DIVISION OF FOKESTRY. 331 



STUDIES OF COMMERCIAL TREES. 



The studies ol' Redwood aiid of Red Fir and Western Hemlock, 

 continued from last year, have been completed. These studies, which 

 embody the results of careful and veiy extensive investigations on the 

 ground, will be prepared for publication during the current year. 



Incident to the preparation of a working plan for the Black Hills 

 Forest Reserve by the Section of Working Plans, a very extensive 

 study of the Western Yellow Pine was carried on. This study, the 

 first made by the Division of Forestry, will form the basis for a con- 

 tribution to the knowledge of a most important timber tree. The 

 collection of similar data for this tree was begun toward the close of 

 last year in the Prescott Forest Reserve, Arizona. 



A careful study Avas made of the Big Tree groves in the California 

 sierras, and their ownership was ascertained. In view of the incom- 

 plete information hitherto available for these groves, this study is of 

 great value, both to show their comparative suitability for reserves 

 and for the general knowledge of the tree. A number of groves, 

 hitherto unrecorded, were examined and mapped in the course of an 

 investigation of the northern part of the Sierra Forest Reserve. 



Of the monographic studies of Red Cedar, White Cedar, and Bald 

 Cj'press, completed last year by the late Dr. Charles Mohr, that of 

 Red Cedar is now in press. Dr. Mohr had also completed studies of 

 eleven of the more important oaks. Frequent requests are received 

 for precisely the information given in these unpublished monographs. 



Incident to a working plan for the tract of the SaAvyer and Austin 

 Lumber Companj" in Arkansas, valuable data were collected for the 

 Loblolly and Shortleaf Pines, while a thorough study of the Longleaf 

 Pine in South Carolina was begun. 



In the preparation of a working i^lan for a forest tract in the 

 northern Adirondacks, the growth and habits of the Balsam were 

 investigated. The importance of this tree for the manufacture of 

 paper pulp is increasing steadily with the decreasing suj^ply of 

 spruce. A similar study of the Balsam was begun in Maine as a part 

 of the field work necessary to the working plan for the tract of the 

 Great .Northern Paper Company. 



In the preparation of a working plan for the domain of the Uni- 

 versity of the South, at Sewanee, Tenn., the study of the important 

 hardwoods of that region was well begun; while a large number of 

 measurements were obtained for White Ash, Hickory, Cow Oak, and 

 White Oak, during the making of a working plan for the tract of the 

 Deering Harvester Company in Missouri. 



Incident to a working plan for a tract in Massachusetts an impor- 

 tant study of the second-growth hardwoods of that region was l^egun, 

 and has been extended widely during the year over second-growth 

 lands in other portions of New England. 



COOPERATIVE WORK. 



In cooperation with the L^. S. Geological Survey, a study was made 

 of the region of the proposed Appalachian Forest Reserve. This 

 investigation was specifically authorized by Congress and had for its 

 object to ascertain the suitability of the region examined for a National 

 forest reserve, the probable cost of such a reserve, and to consider 

 the direct and indirect returns under practical forestry. One of the 

 important results of the work is a map, showing tlie woodland, tim- 



