No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 295 



shall be given authority to look after the forest interests of the 

 town. 



The particular channel of usefulness whereby the recent enact- 

 ments of the Legislature have made it possible for the State For- 

 ester to accomplish results is through this town forest warden 

 system. 



The appointment of the town forest warden is subject to the 

 approval of the State Forester. His compensation is met by the 

 individual towns, and he has the power of appointing his depu- 

 ties. 



The forest warden may also be called upon by the State For- 

 ester for whatever information is desired from time to time: as 

 the correcting of his town forest acreage; amount of reforesta- 

 tion done during the year; number and kinds of forest fires; 

 depredations from insect and fungous disease outbreaks, etc. 

 For this work the warden is compensated by the State Treasurer 

 through bills presented to and approved by the State Forester. 

 For this work he is paid at the rate of not to exceed 35 cents an 

 hour. 



The State Forester has the privilege of calling and making ar- 

 rangements for conventions of forest wardens, and paying wholly 

 or in part their travelling expenses, the only provision being that 

 no money shall be expended in paying the travelling expenses of 

 any one warden to or from more than one convention in any one 

 year; that the total expense of said convention shall not exceed 

 $2,000, and be held within the Commonwealth. This enact- 

 ment ought to furnish to a certain extent the brief schooling each 

 year in practical forestry to the men who most need it for accom- 

 plishing economic results in the State. The law also, it will be 

 seen, allows the State Forester the privilege of retaining valuable 

 wardens in the various towns when they have proven their 

 merit. 



Through this law we now have a thoroughly systematized plan 

 of usefulness, a natural channel through which it is believed 

 much good to our forest interests must result. When we once 

 get a thoroughly organized corps of competent forest wardens, 

 one in each of our three hundred and twenty towns, who can in- 

 telligently handle forest fires and other forestry matters of vital 

 concern, we shall have made great progress, both from the eco- 

 nomic and aesthetic standpoints. The small booklet, "Brief 



