Literature. 503 



One of the first extensive and important lines of in- 

 vestigation undertaken by the Division was that into 

 the characteristics and strength, the timber physics, of 

 American woods, which in its comprehensiveness 

 commanded the admiration of even the Germans, 

 and gave rise to a series of reports. The biology of 

 American species, more or less exhaustively studied, 

 was also begun in the old Division, as well as forest 

 surveys, etc. 



By 1902, enough professional interest was in the 

 country to make the publication of a professional 

 journal possible and desirable, the Forestry Quarterly 

 being launched by the writer, with a Board of Editors 

 chosen mainly from the forest schools. 



The first association of professional foresters was 

 formed in 1900 the Society of American Foresters 

 which issues from time to time proceedings containing 

 technical discussions. 



The technical book literature, partly due, no doubt, 

 to the overpowering publication facilities of the federal 

 government, is still scanty, and good textbooks es- 

 pecially are still lacking in most branches. 



A series of ephemeral popular books answered the 

 demands of earlier days, but outside of Professor 

 Henry S. Graves' volumes on Forest Mensuration and 

 lately on The Principles of Handling Woodlands, and 

 a few minor aid books and lecture notes, there is as 

 yet nothing of permanent value to be recorded. The 

 writers' own publication, Economics of Forestry, is 

 intended less for foresters than students of political 

 economy. 



Three monumental works can be mentioned in the 



