KEPORT OF THE STATE FORESTER. 



To the General Court. 



It is with a degree of pleasure that I offer this my first annual 

 report, although the fourth since the establishment of the office of 

 State Forester. 



The efficiency of the office during the past year has been 

 greatly increased in every direction. All of the lines of work pre- 

 viously begun by my predecessor have been carried forward, and 

 many new features added. The work of making examinations 

 and giving advice on forestry matters has been constantly grow- 

 ing, until at present the head of the department finds it almost 

 impossible to meet the demands with his present force of assist- 

 ants. The correspondence alone, we are told by the post-office 

 authorities, has increased fully two hundred per cent during the 

 year. 



The hearty co-operation asked for upon my accepting the posi- 

 tion of State Forester has been more than realized in the very 

 hearty and cordial assistance rendered on every hand. 



After a careful study of our forestry conditions, and definitely 

 deciding upon what legislation was needed most, we were fortu- 

 nate in being able to present some bills before the last General 

 Court, even after the usual time had expired, due to the recom- 

 mendations in Governor Guild's inaugural. These bills met 

 with approval and were enacted. 



At the forestry hearing before the committee on agriculture 

 practically every organization in the State interested in forestry 

 was present. It would be impossible to have had a more repre- 

 sentative hearing. 



The following organizations passed definite resolutions favor- 

 ing the bills which afterwards were enacted : the Massachusetts 



House Document No. 1225, 1908. 



