ii6 FORESTS AND MANKIND 



Scientific forestry as the term is understood in Europe has re- 

 ceived scant attention on the federal forest lands. The Super- 

 visor in charge of a National Forest has many immediate prob- 

 lems that give him little opportunity to solve the many and 

 difficult problems of tree growth. 



In the first place he has been given responsibility for pro- 

 tecting his timber from fire. That is his one great task and 

 often it is the most difficult task of all. On many of the high 

 points in his forest lookout men must be stationed in towers 

 throughout the fire season to report signs of smoke. Tools 

 with which to fight fires must be placed at strategic points in 

 the forests and kept ever ready. Trails and roads must be 

 built, telephone lines stretched and maintained and buildings 

 kept in order. Maps must be made, bridges built, game laws 

 enforced. All these things are very necessary and must be 

 done before our forest can be placed in a condition where the 

 greater part of a forester's time can be devoted to their main 

 purpose providing a perpetual supply of timber. The Super- 

 visor has still other responsibilities not directly connected with 

 tree growing. In the open, grassy portions of the forest, cattle 

 and sheep graze under Forest Service permit and it is part 

 of his job to see that only the permitted number are allowed 

 within the forest and that all stock is grazing on the portions 

 allotted them. 



Settlers in and about the forest need fuel wood and logs for 

 domestic use and these they can obtain free, or at small cost, 

 from the Forest Service. The actual working out of these va- 

 rious special uses lies with the Supervisor. But the day is not 

 far distant when in place of crude "protection-forestry" the 



