124 DEPARTMENTAL BEPOKTS. 



Its immediate purpose is to give reliable information upon the desira- 

 bility and feasibility of establishing the Appalachian Forest Reserve. 

 Aside from this purpose, the report embodies exhaustive data on the 

 composition, condition, character, extent, and distribution of the 

 forests of a little-known region. 



EFFECTS OF GRAZING ON THE FOREST. 



Investigations of the effects of grazing on the forest were con- 

 ducted in the region included by the Yellowstone and present Teton 

 forest reserves in Wyoming, in the Sacramento Mountains of New 

 Mexico, in the Uintah Mountains of Utah, in the southern Sierras, 

 and in the State of Washington. The purpose of these studies was 

 to secure information which would permit a satisfactory regulation of 

 grazing in regions where agi'ieultural and other interests dependent 

 upon water supply and \ipon timber have suffered as a result of 

 excessive grazing. 



STUDY OF FOREST FIRES. 



A study of the effect of fires on the forest was conducted in Maine, 

 Vermont, Michigan, Maryland, the Appalachian Mountains, Wyo- 

 ming, Utah, Idaho, California, New Mexico, and Arizona. The exami- 

 nation of published forest-flre records was extended to a large num- 

 ber of Western papers. A discussion of the destruction caused by 

 forest fires and the significance of the fire records now accumulated 

 was embodied in a report which will be ready for publication during 

 the present fiscal year. 



DENDRO-CHEMICAL INVESTI GATIONS. 



Under cooperative plans arranged last year between the Bureau of 

 Forestry and the Bureau of Chemistry, the following dendro-chemical 

 studies were carried on: 



Commercial derivatives from native and exotic barks, woods, and 

 gums. — Particular attention was directed to the quality and quantity 

 of tan extracts produced by native woods and barks. The species 

 studied include White Oaks, Black Oaks, Chestnuts, and Hemlocks. 

 A number of gums produced in quantities by trees native of the Philip- 

 pine Islands were studied with reference to the production of dammar 

 and gutta-percha, and a large amount of work is yet to be done on 

 similar material from the same source. 



Standard pulp ivoods and untried species probably suitable for paper 

 pulp. — The rapid exhaustion of the supply of standard pulp woods 

 renders it imperative to discover, if possible, other equally useful 

 species. To demonstrate the usefulness for pulp of certain plentiful 

 timbers not yet used for that purpose will be exceedingly valuable if 

 it can be done. Wherever supplies of such timber are present the 

 life of the wood-pulp paper industry may be greatly extended. 



The species being studied are White Spruce, Black Spruce, Red 

 Spruce, Balsam Fir, Red Pine, White Pine, Loblolly Pine, Hemlock, 

 Arborvitse, Southern White Cedar, Aspen, Large-tooth Aspen, Cotton- 

 wood, White Birch, Basswood, Red Maple, Silver Maple, Tulip-tree, 

 and Black Gum. 



The study of these woods embraces the preparation of pulp from 

 their woods and the manufacture of commercial paper in accordauce 



