786 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



THIS WAS A WAGON ROAD BEFORE THE FIRE WENT THROUGH. 



land, a study of the extent and distribu- 

 tion of the State's forests, the forest's 

 share in the wealth and welfare of the 

 State, the education of the people at 

 large in the value and benefits of per- 

 manent forests. 



That outlines a far-reaching and com- 

 prehensive program. Whether it can be 

 carried to completion in all its branches 

 in the future depends largely on the 

 people of the State, but it shows that 

 the forester has a true conception of his 

 enormous responsibilities. 



But let us vent our criticisms first and 

 be through with it. The worst, practi- 

 cally the really bad, feature of the 

 report is the lack of an index. The 

 reference value of the book is greatly 

 crippled by the lack of this simple con- 

 trivance, and its omission seems inex- 

 cusable. 



Naturally the bulk of the report 

 deals with the fire problem the first 

 that the forester must meet in any field. 

 The organization consists of the State 

 Forester with the Assistant State For- 

 ester working through a force of fifteen 

 permanent District Rangers, who in 

 turn have under them a force of tem- 

 porary patrolmen. The first object is 

 fire prevention ; the second to extin- 

 guish existing fires as quickly as possi- 



ble. Every effort is directed first to- 

 ward prevention. 



To those familiar with the former 

 attitude of all those interested in for- 

 est fires in Minnesota the most remark- 

 able feature of the \vhole report is the 

 truly wonderful degree to which all 

 these diverse interests have been in- 

 duced to co-operate with the new Forest 

 Service in the protection of the forests. 



The United States Forest Service 

 under the Weeks Law gave $10,000 

 for the employment of patrolmen to 

 work under the district rangers on the 

 watersheds of the navigable streams. 



The railroad kept reserves to act as 

 patrolmen along their rights of way at 

 the call of the rangers in the danger 

 season, and extended many courtesies 

 to aid the new service. 



Some of the timber owners hired 

 patrolmen of their own to work under 

 the rangers. 



A large number of organized towns 

 taxed themselves to add their patrol- 

 men to the State force. 



The number of patrolmen, and hence 

 the working efficiency of the service, 

 was more than doubled through co- 

 operation. 



One of the most interesting features 

 brought out, especially interesting be- 



