12 THE NATIONAL FOKEST MANUAL. 



over the established program of investigations at the Laboratory, and 

 instruct the director and the district forester accordingly. The ap- 

 proved program of investigative work will not be disturbed to make 

 tests or conduct other studies proposed by district foresters which 

 are not of direct and immediate importance in the administration 

 of the National Forests. Urgent work of this character from the 

 Forests will, however, with the approval of the Forester, be given 

 precedence over the established program of the Laboratory. Mate- 

 rial should not be shipped to the Laboratory until the tests desired 

 have been approved by the director or assistant forester. 



Current information and advice. 



The foregoing should not be understood as limiting the fullest 

 possible cooperation between the Forest Products Laboratory and 

 the district foresters, in securing currently information on specific 

 problems, advice, or suggestions on methods of attacking new prob- 

 lems. 



Conferences. 



To keep the Laboratory staff in touch with problems arising in 

 the districts and to enable it to cooperate most effectively along the 

 lines indicated, the director, will visit the National Forest districts 

 from time to time for conferences on the ground. Products experts 

 assigned to districts will similarly be kept in touch with the w r ork of 

 the Laboratory by occasional details. The interchange of monthly 

 and annual reports will furnish an additional medium for keeping 

 the Laboratory and district officers mutually informed of the work 

 of other units. 



DISTRICT OFFICES AND INDUSTRIAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



Working plans for industrial studies. 



Working plans for statistical studies and studies dealing with 

 industries or species in their entirety will be approved by the Chief 

 of Industrial Investigations. The results of such studies will be re- 

 viewed by him prior to publication. Any problems arising on 

 National Forests whose solution will be facilitated by special studies 

 in the east in the field of Industrial Investigations or the assignment 

 of experts to the districts will be submitted to the assistant forester 

 with a request for the data or other special assistance desired. The 

 assistant forester will arrange for the investigation required as soon 

 as practicable. 



Tests of material. 



Material will be submitted to the Office of Industrial Investigations 

 by district foresters for tests by manufacturers of special products 

 outside of the district, when advisable and practicable, in accordance 

 with plans made in advance with the chief of that office. 



Conferences. 



The chief of Industrial Investigations will visit the National 

 Forest districts from time to time for conference, in order to corre- 

 late the work of his office with that of the districts as. effectively as 

 possible. 



