22 THE NATIONAL FOEEST MANUAL. 



deals. The reference to such outside data may be restricted to a brief 

 summary and bibliography, or discussed in as much detail as the 

 specific publication requires. Outside data must be used with great 

 caution in publications affecting existing commercial interests and 

 limited only to such as have been established with absolute certainty. 

 Subject to this limitation, it will be the policy of the Laboratory to 

 include such other material in addition to that obtained by its own 

 staff as will make its publications of the greatest value to the readers. 

 The same policy will be followed in the preparation of publications 

 by other units of the Branch. 



TECHNICAL PROCEDURE. 

 KINDS OF INVESTIGATIONS. 



Investigations relating to Forest Products will be classed as admin- 

 istrative investigations and technical investigations. Administrative 

 investigations are undertaken primarily to assist the administration 

 of the National Forests. They seek specific information for local ad- 

 ministrative needs. They do not require technical experiments or 

 processes. They consist usually in the study of existing industries or 

 methods and compilation of, existing data. Technical investigations, 

 while often undertaken to secure information needed in the admin- 

 istration of National Forests, require, as a rule, technical processes or 

 experiments. They aim to develop new scientific principles or facts 

 of broad application, or to assemble data for publication. 



ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATIONS. 



Under control of district foresters. 



Administrative investigations may be undertaken by district for- 

 esters whenever necessary in their judgment and conducted under 

 their instructions in the manner best calculated to accomplish the 

 objects sought. As far as practicable, such investigations should 

 be included in the annual program submitted to the Central Investi- 

 gative Committee, to keep the central committee and the Forester 

 informed of proposed work and afford opportunity for criticism and 

 suggestion. Administrative investigations should be conducted as 

 far as practicable in accordance with the principles defined below 

 which govern technical investigations. They will not, however, be 

 subject to the technical procedure outlined hereafter. They will be 

 listed by the central committee separately from the technical investi- 

 gations. Furthermore, the district foresters will not be restricted by 

 such lists but may initiate additional investigations of this char- 

 acter at any time during the year when need of them exists. 

 Relation to technical investigations. 



When an investigation is undertaken for administrative purposes 

 but involves technical processes or experiments, it will be classed as 

 a technical investigation. Similarly, when an administrative investi- 

 gation indicates the need of technical experiments, before all the data 

 desired can be obtained, a technical investigative project should be 

 proposed by the district forester. Such projects will be subject to 

 the following technical procedure : 



