be prepared which can be enlarged and revised from time to 

 time, placed in the hands of every ranger and guard in the 

 service, and made a part of his duty to master thoroughly. 

 Fire fighting is a matter of scientific management, just as 

 much as silviculture or range improvement. No one recognizes 

 more fully or heartily than I, and I am sure that no one has 

 had occasion to recognize better tha.n I, the character of the 

 work done by the field men of the service in fighting fires. 

 I am convinced, however, that they and all of us have a deal 

 to learn of this important promblem, and that we should be 

 ta.ught in the same manner as the service is teaching and 

 training its personnel in other lines of work, viz: by expert 

 investigation and systematic instruction based upon the re- 

 sults of the investigation. 



"Supervisor Adams, of the Ozark Forest, has set a splendid 

 example of what may be accomplished by expert technical 

 study of this problem, particularly in the development of 

 chemical appliances for extinguishing fires. Every phase of 

 the question should be studied in the same intensive manner, 

 including possible "pyrecide" compounds, improved tools, im- 

 proved methods of communication, fire breaks and the like, 

 and their results made directly available for the improvement 

 of the fire plans on the respective National Forests and the 

 instruction of the forest personnel." 



The Woods as a Recreation Ground. 



THE importance of the north woods of Minnesota as a 

 playground for the people of not only this state, but 

 of the whole middle west, does not receive the considera- 

 tion that it should. The woods of Maine and the Adirondacks fur- 

 nish pleasure to hundreds of thousand of people in the north- 

 eastern section of the country and that feature is recognized 

 as an enormously valuable asset to the sections in which 

 they are located. It brings millions of dollars into the coun- 

 try without interfering seriously with the other economic 



8 



