X 6 THE FORESTER. January 



Yellow Fir, Oregon Pine, etc., one of the present fiscal year, but the preliminar 



most valuable and widely distributed trees work was accomplished before it began, 



of the world. These studies have met Close relations have been establishec 



with the most cordial reception from him- through correspondence and by persons 



bermen, and have led to the expression of contact, between the Division and five c 



much friendly feeling and the rendering of the most competent men in the treeles 



much practical assistance, in addition to regions, and these gentlemen are now pr< 



the contribution of the Redwood men of paring, from the results of their past e> 



San Francisco, already mentioned. perience, supplemented where necessar 



The total lack of field instruments at the by further investigations, reports on sul 



beginning of the year made necessary a jects of direct interest to the tree plante: 



very large expenditure for that account. It is believed that these reports will be c 



At "present the Division is well equipped capital importance to this branch of tl: 



with the indispensable material for effec- Division's work. 



tive field work, but at a cost for the year The expenditure of this section for th 



of $1,766.48, or 6.2 per cent, of the total year was $3,901.98, or 13.7 per cent. < 



appropriation. the total appropriation. A very conside 



able part of this sum was expended und< 



ECONOMIC contracts connected with the cooperate 



In accordance with the recommendation plan now laid aside. From July i 1 



made in the last annual report, the plant- August 31, 1899, the studies and the pn 



ing of experimental plats in cooperation paratory work of the section have bee 



with State agricultural experiment stations continued, and the offer above referred 1 



has been entirely discontinued, and ar- has been made known through the public; 



rangements have been made whereby the tion of Circular 22. 



stations have taken over the plantations, 



.., ., -u-r/ *-! SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS. 

 together with the responsibility for them. 



This step was taken after a thorough study Field work on forest fires was carrie 



of the old plan, after careful examination on in Wisconsin through the courtesy < 



on the ground of the plantations at nine of the geological survey of that State, in Co 



the eleven stations, and with the acqui- orado (two parties) and Montana throng 



escence of the authorities of every station. cooperation with the United States Ge< 



After considerable difficulty this matter logical Survey, and by members of tl 



has been entirely disposed of, with the ex- Division in the States of Washingtoi 



ception of delayed settlements with two of Florida, Georgia and New York, 



the nurserymen who were under contract A historical study of forest fires, wii 



to raise seedlings for the use of the co- the purpose of ascertaining the amount < 



operative experiments. It has been re- damage and the true place of fires in tl 



placed by two lines of activity : One, a economy of the forest, was begun in tl 



careful study of the results of planting latter part of July. The number of recon 



already done, in which all the species used obtained was 4,327, beginning in the ye 



in the cooperative plantations are repre- i754- One thousand one hundred ai 



sented, and from which practically all the fifty-five volumes of newspapers have be< 



results to be expected from them after examined, and in addition about 500 oth 



many years may be obtained without delay volumes. The available files of the be 



and far more cheaply; and the other, the newspapers of seventeen States have be< 



giving of practical advice and assistance to searched. Besides that made in the L 



tree planters under the terms of an offer brary of Congress, extensive research h, 



similar to that made to forest owners in been carried on in New York, Boston ar 



Circular 21. The work involved in dis- Madison, Wis. About 1,200 records ha 1 



posing of the cooperative experiments has been briefed and transferred to a classifii 



delayed the publication of this offer (in card index. 



Circular No. 22, recently issued) until the The expenditure under the ledger he; 



