WORK OF THE FOREST SERVICE 309 



each in Idaho, Minnesota, Utah, and California. There is also a seed- 

 testing laboratory at the Arlington Farm, Washington, D. C. 



FORESTATION 



The work in forestation is an important line of silviculture. This 

 includes experiment in reforestation of cut-over lands, and in the 

 forestation of lands which have never grown trees. The work covers 

 the entire field of establishing a forest by artificial means — from the 

 collection of the seed to the final sowing of seed or planting of trees. 

 It includes investigations in regard to the collection and testing of 

 seed; factors influencing the amount and quality of seed produced, 

 such as site and condition of the tree; periodicity of seed years; 

 effect of the source of seed, such as the locality in which the seed was 

 produced and the condition of the mother tree upon the size and 

 hardiness of the seedlings. It covers studies in the nursery relating 

 to the time of sowing, depth of covering, necessity of shade, protec- 

 tion from birds and rodents, age of transplanting, methods of trans- 

 planting, use of fertilizers for the various species ; also experiments 

 in seed sowing and planting of nursery- and forest-grown stock, to 

 determine the comparative values of each for the various species and 

 sites, as well as the best seasons, the best age of stock, the possibility 

 of extending the range of native species, or of introducing exotics.^" 



Probably reforestation will get increasing attention in the future. 

 There are millions of acres of natural forest lands, divested of timber 

 but unfit for agriculture; and, with the rapid exploitation of our 

 remaining timber lands, this area will increase. In most regions forests 

 which are cut reproduce themselves without any assistance other than 

 protection from fire, but in some regions and under some circum- 

 stances artificial restocking is necessary. Whether mere protection or 

 artificial replanting is necessary, the work must be done mainly by 

 the Federal government. As lumber prices advance, an added stimulus 

 will be given to such work, and, when prices have reached something 

 like the European level, perhaps reforestation will be as important 

 as it now is in some European countries. ^^ 



10 Review of Forest Service Investigations, Forest Service, 1913: Forest Bui. 

 98: Agriculture Bui. 475. See also annual reports of Forester, 1908 to 1916. 



i-^Report, Sec. of Agr., 1908, 424; 1909, 388; 1910, 386; 1911, 3T2; 1912, 505; 

 1916, 166: Report, Forester, 1914, 15. 



