LXVI REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



Following the request of the Secretary of the Interior for reports 

 on technical forest matters, the effect of gTazing and of forest fires was 

 investigated in twelve of the forest reserves. A study of the present 

 forest condition of Nebraska and of the causes which led up to it was 

 begun and pushed far toward completion. 



The Bureau is now conducting an investigation in the South to 

 devise conservative and practicable methods for improved turpentine 

 orcharding. Since the maintenance of the naval-stores industry is of 

 urgent necessity in the Southern States, this investigation is one of 

 the most important now being carried on by the Bureau. 



FOREST EXHIBITS. 



The forest exhibit of this Department at the Pan-American Exposi- 

 tion was superior in size and quality to that at the Paris exhibition, 

 which was awarded a gold medal. It included the largest colored 

 transparencies ever made. 



TREE PLANTING. 



One of the most important and promising lines of work of the 

 Bureau of Forestry is its study of economic tree planting and its 

 cooperation with farmers and others in making forest plantations. 

 Tree planting has so vital and intimate a relation to the welfare of the 

 farmer in the treeless regions that whatever assists him to grow trees 

 assists him also in the production of every other crop. Forty-six 

 thousand one hundred and forty-five acres were examined for planting 

 during the year, and planting plans were prepared for 5,785 acres, 

 while 148 applications for tree-planting plans have been received. 

 The number of applications for commercial plantations of large size 

 is increasing so rapidly that the usefulness of the practical assistance 

 and advice offered to the tree planters will be limited only by the men 

 and money available for the work. 



A series of important measurements of the growth of planted groves 

 in the treeless plains has been begun in order to show the value of 

 plantations as business investments. A careful study has been pushed 

 during the year of the encroachment of forests on the Western plains 

 in order to determine the possibility of reclaiming portions of non- 

 agricultural Government land by planting forests. 



OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 

 PROGRESS OF THE STATIONS. 



During the past year the Office of Experiment Stations has made a 

 broad inquiry to determine how far the operations of the agricultural 

 experiment stations are conducted with special reference to the agri^ 

 cultural needs of their respective States and Territories. This inquiry 



