270 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



organization, and also because such an differing with a ranger on a piece of 



administrative officer, even though in work must as a matter of organization 



the field for quite a portion of his time, be final, but unless I have been on the 



has generally a large territory to cover, ground and know the conditions thor- 



and his work cannot be intensive. It oughly, I never feel satisfied with the 



now happens that the greater number of decision that has to reverse a ranger, 



the higher administrative offices in the To successfully conduct the work of a 



Service are filled by men who have had, national forest, the Supervisor must 



considering the chances in this country, depend almost to the last degree on his 



a good technical education, but this men in the field, for they are the men 



is no criterion by which the future who are on the firing line and who are 



should be judged. These men of whom doing things. 



I speak may be classed as the mission- Not many years from now our ranger 

 aries of the forestry profession in the districts, smaller in area considerably, 

 United States. Their work has been one will be in the charge of a forest ranger, 

 of education and of organization and who to successfully conduct the work 

 the work they have done in the past within his district, is going to need a 

 five years along these lines will, I fundamental knowledge of technical 

 think, always stand out as a distinct forestry. The forest stations will be 

 and a remarkable achievement; but equipped with tree nurseries whence a 

 these results could not have been supply of young trees can be transported 

 as successful as they assuredly have been quickly and safely to an area in need of 

 unless these missionaries had found men trees, when natural reproduction has 

 willing to be educated in the funda- failed to seed up a logged or burned 

 mentals of forestry and also willing to country ; these stations will be equipped 

 sacrifice a larger gain for the satisfac- in many instances with instruments for 

 tion of accomplishing something for the recording all those climatic features 

 general public service. The rangers that have such an influence on the 

 constitute this latter class of men to growth of the forest trees. The stations 

 whom I refer, and it would be difficult will be dotted with experimental plots 

 to frame a tribute which would convey from which the technically educated 

 the credit due these men. They have ranger in charge will draw his conclu- 

 worked under exasperating difficulties, sions on which to base his field work, 

 and they do not, in most instances, This change I think the men have all 

 appreciate what they have accomplished, seen coming, slowly perhaps but surely, 

 More and more it becomes apparent but I do not believe any of them, who 

 to me that to the man who wants to think they lack opportunities for obtain- 

 accomplish those things which are going ing knowledge for technical forestry, 

 to count in the organization and manage- should become alarmed lest their posi- 

 ment of forest work, a position in the tions are shortly going to be preempted 

 field is an absolute necessity. There by others. The rangers do not appre- 

 will be no denial of my statement that ciate that they know a great deal about 

 the trend now is out of the office and technical forestry, neither do they, I 

 into the woods, but some of the men think, realize how tremendous an oppor- 

 who are taking this step now are a long tunity each one of them has to widely 

 way behind the rangers who have been extend this knowledge of technical 

 in the woods for some time. As Inspector forestry by study, by reading, and, 

 and later Associate District Forester in perhaps most important of all, by 

 another district of the Service, I thought observation. Though it is hard for 

 very often with envy of the Supervisor, some to read and assimilate readily, it 

 since from that point of view it seemed is possible for everyone, whether the 

 to me that he was the man who was opportunity of a higher education has 

 accomplishing things. Now, as Super- been his or not, to benefit an hundred- 

 visor, the same feeling comes to me fold by observation. Rangers are seeing 

 when I think about the rangers. As those " things in the woods that are 

 Supervisor, perhaps my judgment in necessary to the forester if he is going 



