174 departmental bepokts. 



Hawaii. 



In 1903 the legislature of Hawaii passed a bill providing for an 

 insular forest service and creating a Board of Agriculture and For- 

 estry, in the hands of which is placed" the control of Territorial forest 

 lands and the administration of forest affairs in the islands. Imme- 

 diateh' upon its appointment the board sought the advice of the Bureau 

 of Foresti-y in regard to the polic}' which should be inaugurated. The 

 Bureau, to acquaint itself fully with the forest conditions and needs of 

 the islands, detailed a representative to make a reconnoissance of the 

 •situation and to report with recommendations. The examination was 

 made during August and September, 1903, and was followed by a 

 report descriptive of the conditions and needs of the Hawaiian forests 

 and recommending broadly a forest policy. The report was forwarded 

 to the Board of Agriculture and Forestry, which has approved and 

 adopted its recommendations. It was published as Bulletin No. 48 of 

 the Bureau of Forestr}' and also in Vol. I, No. 4, of the Hawaiian 

 Forester and Agriculturalist. 



On the nomination of the Bureau, Mr. Ealph y. Hosmer, in charge 

 of the forest replacement work in the Bureau, was selected by the 

 board as superintendent of forestry, in which position he will manage, 

 under the direction of the board, the forest affairs of J;he islands. Mr. 

 Hosmer began his duties December 15, 1903, but retains connection 

 with the Bureau of Forestry- as collaborator. . 



Work of the Coming Year. 



In California map work will be continued until the whole State has 

 been covered; forest-fire work will be completed; studies of yield and 

 growth of western j-ellow pine and sugar pine will be made; prelim- 

 inary working plans for the management of State forest lands will be 

 prepared; a study of the lumber market in the State will be under- 

 taken; and recommendations for forest legislation and concerning the 

 management of State forest lands will be drawn up. 



FOREST LAW. 



The great and increasing public interest in forest questions has led 

 to a multitude of requests on the Bureau of Forestry for information 

 with regard to existing forest laws, and for suggestions as to practical 

 State laws for the encouragement of tree planting, the protection of 

 forests against fire, and the establishment and administration of State 

 forest reserves. Such information and advice have been given when 

 possible, and for that purpose a careful study of forest legislation has 

 been made during the last year. As a result, a bulletin containing an 

 annotated compilation of the Federal and State forest laws in foTce 

 July 1, 1904, together with carefully prepared suggestions based on 

 the present experience of the Bureau, is now nearly ready for printing. 



EDITORIAL] IWORK. 



The editorial work of the Bureau includes the final revision of 

 reports, the supervision of publications in the course of printing, and 

 the giving out of such information of practical or educational value 

 concerning forestry and the work of the Bureau as can Ix^st be diffused 



