192 FOPEST KliGl'F.ATLOX 



forests, for betterment of range, study of growth under great 

 variety of conditions, etc., will be worth millions to the Nation, but 

 a large part of such experimental work can be done and carried to a 

 satisfactory finish only through strong organization, with well 

 digested plans and policies and with intelligent, watchful supervision. 



RECORDS OR BOOKKEEPING. 



There are probably few kinds of relatively simple business 

 where a systematic record is more necessary than it is in the care 

 ■of a forest property. A too acre stand of timber is quite a property 

 in itself and yet in a forest even as small as the usual German 

 revier, i. e., one of about lo.ooo acres, it is only I'/o of the total and 

 may be a rather remote and very much hidden i% at that. In a 

 large forest such as a National Forest, or the State Forest of New 

 York or Pennsylvania, it forms often not more than 1/50 of one 

 per cent, it is one stand in 5000 ; the forester may be in charge of 

 this property for twenty years and never really see it, to go over it 

 and appreciate its condition. The stand of timber, growth, thrift 

 or lack of it, the work done, or needed, even a timber cut ; any acci- 

 dents, etc., etc., all may have lieen known and reported by the 

 assistants at one time and another, but unless there is a systematic 

 record kept, all these are forgotten, filed away and never seen again. 



This stand may be mature and need cutting, but unless there 

 is proper record and plan, it may remain uncut for thirty years, and 

 entail great loss to the owner. That such things not only can but 

 do happen, was brought out only a few years ago in the controversies 

 in the legislature of Bavaria where is was shown that millions of 

 feet of timber were left to stand unused, long after reaching proper 

 maturity, simply by some process of neglect, where the responsible 

 office practically forgot their existence and condition. 



The fact that a good working plan was made, many years ago, 

 does not help this situation ; a plan in itself does nothing, it takes 

 systematic execution of this plan and in this execution an orderly 

 record is a necessity. 



