82 THE BOOK OF FORESTRY 



of broad administrative work can enter Government 

 or State service or become logging engineers. It is un- 

 doubtedly true that the demand for the type of forester 

 which has been turned out in the past has diminished, 

 but there is no reason why a man with a good mind 

 thoroughly trained should have any difficulty in making 

 a good living in one of the various phases of forestry 

 which are now developing. 



The popular notion is, however, that the real for- 

 ester is the man in charge of the forest itself, and 

 so he is. The laboratory specialist in forest products 

 is the man of the future, the possibility of tomorrow; 

 the forester of today is the silviculturist, the man who 

 tends the forest; his is the life of charm and ever- 

 changing interest. 



The Forester's Duties. After the student has com- 

 pleted his five or six years' course he may desire to 

 enter the Government or a State Forest Service. To 

 obtain such an appointment it is necessary to pass 

 a stiff examination to become eligible. If the can- 

 didate be successful and he is admitted to the Federal 

 Forest Service as a forest assistant, he will receive 

 $1100 per year. He may be assigned to one of 

 the seven districts into which the Forest Service 

 divides the National Forests. Upon reporting to head- 

 quarters he is assigned to a particular forest where 

 he will help the forest supervisor in charge in any way 

 possible. If a surveying party is in the field, he may 

 join it and remain surveying and estimating timber 

 until he becomes accustomed to the country and types 

 of timber, and becomes familiar with the local prob- 

 lems. Whatever work he is assigned to, his responsi- 

 bility at first will not be heavy. 



If he has been placed upon a forest where a timber 



