112 DEPARTMENTAL KEP0BT8. 



TREE PLANTING. 



Planting plans.— The cooperation of the Bureau of Forestry with the 

 owners of timber land is paralleled by its cooperation with the owners 

 of treeless areas who wish to plant. Up to June 30, 1902, there were 

 received 262 applications for assistance, in response to 224 of which 

 planting plans were prepared. In the course of the work 197,439 

 acres of land were examined. The area to be planted under plans 

 already prepared is 6,474 acres. These plans cover 29 States and 

 Territories and 172 different localities. 



Planted woodlands. — In order to use the information already at 

 hand from previous planting, careful studies of 20 large plantations, 

 8 in the Middle West and 12 in the East, were carried on during the 

 year. A similar study is now under way to find trees adapted for the 

 Southwestern plains. 



Forest extension. — Studies of the natural extension of forests were 

 continued during the year. A careful forest survey of a large part of 

 Nebraska was completed, and resulted not only in arousing great 

 interest throughout that State, but in the creation of two forest 

 reserves for tree planting, a most valuable contribution to the forest 

 policy of the United States. 



Reserve planting . — Preparations for planting considerable areas in 

 the two reserves in Nebraska were made during the latter part of the 

 fiscal year. 



Sand dunes. — Investigations with a view to preventing damage 

 from drifting sand dunes were begun during the year, both on the 

 Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and promise results of great value, espe- 

 cially along the Columbia River. 



RECORDS. 



Office work. — The office work of the Bureau has continued to 

 increase steadily in efficiency throughout the year. 



The collection of forest literature from the Department Library was 

 transferred to the library of the Bureau, which now contains 1,120 

 bound volumes, 1,900 pamphlets, and numerous periodical publi- 

 cations. 



The photographic collection was largely increased, and is now serv- 

 ing as the source from which nearly all forest illustrations are derived. 



The correspondence of the Bureau increased until the number of 

 mail pieces forwarded during the year was 24,538. 



Eight new publications and 10 reprints were printed during the 

 year, with a total number of 77,200 and 127,500 copies, respectively. 



A photographic laboratory was prepared at the quarters of the 

 Bureau, and was nearly ready for occupancy at the end of the fiscal 

 year. 



Forest Management. 



private lands. 



During the past year the Bureau of Forestry has continued to give 

 advice and practical assistance to private forest owners. The demands 

 upon this branch of its work have increased steadily, and they are 

 now even further beyond its capacity than at the end of the previous 

 fiscal year. In the Southern States in particular there has been a 



