BUREAU OF F0EE8TKY. 531 



Oregon: Blue Mountain, and addition to the Cascade Range Forest 

 Reserve. 



New Mexico: Addition to the Gila River Forest Reserve. 



Of these the Logan, Aquarius, and Manti reserves have been created. 



Beginning with May, 1903, agents of the Bureau were in the field 

 for examination and report on proposed forest reserves in New Mexico, 

 Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. 

 It is intended to examine over 20,000,000 acres during the field season. 

 Twenty-nine men were engaged in the field work. 



EXPENDITURES. 



The expenditures in forest products during the past year amounted 

 to $42,098.07, or 14. 4 per cent of the total appropriation for the Bureau. 



Work for the Ensuing Year. 



timber tests. 



A station for timber testing has been established at Lafayette, Ind. , 

 in cooperation with Purdue University, and work will begin in Septem- 

 ber. The first problem to be attacked will be a determination of the 

 mechanical properties of Red Oak, White Oak, Hickory, and Red Gum. 

 At the urgent request of manufacturers the question of the best sizes 

 and kinds of timber for box boards will be thoroughly investigated. 

 The Washington laboratory will continue the work laegun upon Long- 

 leaf and second-growth Loblolly pines. The New Haven laboratory 

 will be occupied in a determination of the effect of moisture and vola- 

 tile oils on the mechanical properties of timber. The effect of speed 

 of loading upon the results obtained from timber tests will also be 

 investigated. At the Berkeley laboratory tests of Red Fir will be con- 

 tinued and tests of Western Hemlock and Redwood will be taken up. 



WOOD PRESERVATION. 



During the coming year studies already begun to determine the 

 best methods for the seasoning and treating of timber by preservative 

 processes will be continued. An exhaustive experiment will be made 

 to determine the suitability after preservative treatment of Adirondack 

 hardwoods for use as railroad ties. 



STUDY OF PROPOSED RESERVES. 



The study of proposed reserves and of the boundaries of existing 

 reserves, which is now the most urgent piece of work before the 

 Bureau, will be pushed as rapidly as its resources in men and money 

 permit. 



RECORDS. 



Forest Library. 



The usefulness of the forest library has grown steadily. During 

 the year 664 books and pamphlets were added. The book catalogue 

 was completed and now contains references to all books in the library 

 of the Bureau of Forestry, to forest periodicals and serial publications 

 in the Library of the Department, and to technical and other works 

 of interest to foresters in the Library of the Department and in the 



