340 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



The condition of the growth on most of the land was 

 extremely unsatisfactory and implied that much construc- 

 tive work was to be done. In this undertaking, just as 

 in all others, work implies workmen. The nature and 

 newness of the required forestal operations suggested 

 that the men assigned to do the work should be prepared 

 for their responsible positions by a course of training in 

 forestry. For five years after Pennsylvania began pur- 

 chasing forest land no full course of forestry was offered 

 by any institution within the State, and only three insti- 



PRIVATELY OWNED RECREATION CAMP ON THE CLEARFIELD 

 STATE FOREST OF PENNSYLVANIA 



Hundreds of camp sites within the State Forests have been leased to clubs 

 and other organizations. 



tutions were offering complete courses within the country. 

 This acute situation had to be luet, and was met by the 

 Department establishing its own school of forestry at 

 Mont Alto in 1903. The establishment of the school 

 could not be deferred, for trained foresters were urgently 

 needed. Over 100 men have been graduated from this 

 school and were awarded the degree of Bachelor of 

 Forestry. The establishment of the Pennsylvania State 

 Forest Academy was an educational experiment which 

 not only has met the progressive demands of 

 Pennsylvania forestry during the past 17 years 

 but also greatly surpassed the highest hopes of 

 its founder. 



The operative methods, now in use on the 53 

 State forests, with an average area of 20,000 acres 

 each, cannot be considered without mention- 

 ing the men from Mont Alto, for they con- 

 ceived and introduced most of them. A few 

 methods were adopted from the practice of 

 foreign countries and some were adapted from 

 foreign and neighboring State practice, but the 

 best and most practical methods were worked 

 out anew and are the result of local experiences 

 and scientific experimentation on the State 

 forests of Pennsylvania. 



Money may be appropriated and materials 

 may be available for the conduct of the business 

 of a forest property, but these are insignificant 



order to develop the best operative methods in forestry 

 the foresters must be satisfied. Satisfaction implies 

 plenty of work, comfortable accommodations, and 

 adequate remuneration. There appears to be no lack of 

 work on the State forests, and comfortable accommoda- 

 tions are being supplied to the foresters as rapidly as 

 possible. Many of them live in State-owned houses, 

 equipped with modern conveniences and often supple- 

 mented with a garden and barn or garage, and a few of 

 them are supplied with State-owned automobiles. It 

 cannot be said, however, that their salaries are adequate, 

 for the maximum now being paid to a forester in charge 

 of a forest is $1,800.00 per year, and most of them 

 receive only $1,500.00. In consequence of low salaries 

 many of the foresters are seeking more lucrative posi- 

 tions, and in many instances their financial gain is great, 

 but in almost all cases the loss to the State is even 

 greater. 



The main lines of work conducted by the foresters 

 during the past decade comprise the disseminating of 

 forestry information to the public, the protection of 

 forests from fire, the planting of forest trees, the building 

 of permanent forest roads, the utilization of forest 

 products and the investigation of forest problems. The 

 foresters have been engaged in many other minor lines 

 of activities, but the foregoing embrace most of the 

 major developmental operations. 



Forestry cannot maintain itself or progress without 

 the aid of favorable public sentiment. It is needed in all 

 phases of the work. Many technical appliances have been 

 designed by the Pennsylvania foresters to fight forest 

 fires, and most of them have been extremely helpful in 

 controlling the worst foe of the forest, but the best 

 method of combating this ubiquitous curse of the forest 

 is the development of a public sentiment which not only 

 tolerates the protection of all forest land but urges its 

 extension and promotion. Public sentiment in Pennsyl- 

 vania favors the protection of the forest in the best form 



REMOVING FUELWOOD FROM A STATE FOREST 



essentials in COmnarison with the mpn whn arc Th t rem va > of dead and damaged material improves the composition of stands, and 



Chsemidis hi comparison Wlin ine men, wno are makes the forest more attractive and sanitary. The local fuelwood haulers pay 25 



to expend the money and use the material In f~ s ., p " loa< ? fo . r , thc I 0, ? d a V hc J find ',', *" the forest - n the Mont Alt state 



l j uwiciKii, in Forest approximately $500 is realized annually from the sale of this kind of material. 





