AMERICAN FORESTRY 



This reconnaissance showed that 35 per 

 cent of the 100 million feet of lodge- 

 pole pine was either dead or dying. 

 Within a year after this estimate was 

 .made a sale was consummated and in- 

 dications are that the infestation will 

 hereafter be short-lived. 



GRAZING. 



Undoubtedly the most important re- 

 sult of timber reconnaissance from the 

 standpoint of grazing is the topograph- 

 ical map. This map, besides locating 

 such topographical features as roads, 

 trails, streams, bridges, lakes, and res- 

 ervoirs, also locates such minor features 

 of especial value for grazing adminis- 

 tration as old cabins and shacks, old 

 sheep camps, corrals, drift fences, salt 

 licks, water holes, springs, and seeps. 

 The contours on the map immediately 

 suggest grazing districts and grazing 

 units. By consulting this map it would 

 be no difficult matter to divide a given 

 region into individual range allotments 

 which are bounded by natural barriers 

 such as ridges and streams. 



The forest type map secured in con- 

 nection with the topographical map 

 mentioned above may be looked upon 

 as the basis for a general stock-taking 

 of the forage possibilities of a given 

 region. This map shows in colors what 

 areas are covered by timber, by brush, 

 by grassland, and by water. This im- 

 mediately gives an idea of the relative 

 amounts of grass and herbaceous plants 

 and the amount of browse. In addition 

 to this it gives the areas covered by the 

 various timber types. This is also of 

 considerable value when it is known 

 that certain plants and shrubs occur 

 almost entirely within certain forest 



types. For example, rabbit brush and 

 bitter brush, both excellent sheep feed, 

 are found almost entirely in the dry 

 yellow-pine type. 



On forests where grazing is of great 

 importance, a detailed grazing recon- 

 naissance is made, differing from timber 

 reconnaissance only in that it secures 

 detailed information on forage rather 

 than on timber. With an inventory of 

 the forage of a region as a basis, the 

 next most important matter is the means 

 for utilizing this crop in the most eco- 

 nomic way. Detailed studies, on the 

 areas that need it most, can be insti- 

 tuted concerning the different species of 

 grass and brush, their seeding times and 

 \alue as feed, etc., etc. Other larger 

 problems remain yet to be solved, and 

 these studies and investigations can be 

 more economically carried on after a 

 reconnaissance has been made of the 

 region in question. 



FOREST POLICY. 



The Forest Service is in the van of 

 the forestry movement in the United 

 States. It is by all odds the largest 

 corporation which practices forestry. 

 Hence it has a powerful influence in 

 shaping the forest policy of the coun- 

 try as a whole. Whatever the Forest 

 Service does now, the lumberman will 

 do as soon as he can see that it means 

 money in his pocket. Just so with 

 reconnaissance. The lumbermen will 

 soon see that it will be to their advan- 

 tage to find out what they have, where 

 it is, and what is to be done with it. 

 In other words, they will go about the 

 matter of preparing working plans for 

 their lands just as the Forest Service 

 is doing now. 



Thirty different wood preservatives are in commercial use in the United States; many 

 of them utilise creosote of one sort or another; others require chemical salts. 



Last year the forest service distributed 116,000 basket willow cuttings: 15,000 to forest 

 schools, 20,000 to agricultural experiment stations, and 81,000 to individuals. 



More than 800,000 horsepower has been developed from streams on national forests under 

 government regulation. This represents the output under conditions of lowest streamflow. 



Florida buttonwood, a tree confined largely to the keys along the south coast is verv 

 highly prized for use tn cooking on ship's galleys. It burns slowly with an even heat and 

 makes but little smoke or ash. 



