21 



in the ground ; neglecting to connect the Forest Service monuments with the 

 initial corner; and not giving variation used. The variation used is invariably 

 omitted, and, in many cases, the acreage is not correctly calculated, the surveys 

 do not close within the limit of error allowed by the Forest Service, six copies 

 of the field notes are not sent, india ink is not used in making plat, and often 

 the field notes are not signed by the surveyor or approved by the supervisor. 

 The work can be much expedited if the supervisors will consider these points 

 before approving of reports. 



Free Agricultural Permits 



Care should be taken to avoid issuing free agricultural permits to applicants 

 under the act of June 11, 1906, who have not a preference right under the act. 

 This has been done recently in many cases. By an examination of the weekly 

 lists of applications sent them by the Forester, supervisors can always ascertain 

 who appears to have the preference right of entry by reason of prior appli- 

 cation. 



Boundaries 



The Executive order eliminating 1,840 acres from the San Juan National 

 Forest Colorado, was signed on April 24, 1908. The elimination is in T. 36 N, 

 R. 6 E., New Mexico principal meridian. 



On May 15 the President signed the proclamation changing the name of the 

 Garden City National Forest to Kansas National Forest, and adding 205,107 

 acres to the Forest. The present area of the Kansas National Forest is 302,387 

 acres. Please note that there is now no Garden City National Forest. 



The proclamation enlarging the Dixie National Forest was signed May 22. 

 The addition is what is known as the proposed Trumbull National Forest, in 

 Arizona, and has an area of 626,800 acres. The proclamation also eliminated 

 1,600 acres from the old Dixie. The total area of the Dixie in Utah and 

 Arizona is now 1,091,120 acres. 



Follow-up Cards, Form 326 



It has been decided that follow-up cards, Form 326, will not be attached 

 to plats w r hich inform field officers of new applications under the act of June 

 11, 1906. This form will be used, however, in subsequent correspondence, 

 should this office desire to know when a report may be expected in any par- 

 ticular case. 



OFFICE OF ENGINEERING. 



Letters for Field Headquarters at Ogden 



Supervisors are sending to this office a large number of letters which should 

 be sent directly to the field headquarters at Ogden, and many of these letters 

 have to be referred to Ogden for reply. This entails the loss of from six to ten 

 days in transit. Attention is called to " OE " circular letter of March 15 in 

 which the class of mail which should go to Ogden is specified. Please give this 

 matter particular attention in the future. 



Free Use of Telephone Lines over National Forests 



The arrangement by which Forest officers have free use of telephone lines in 

 National Forests applies only to official communications by Forest officers to 

 other Forest officers or to private persons, and does not provide for the free use 

 of the lines by any private person, even upon official business. However, Forest 

 officers are authorized to pay for calls made by private persons to give notice 

 of a fire in the Forest. 



