x>uxvr.AU uF FORTJSTKY. l79 



During the year the field study of a tract of long-leaf pine forest in 

 southeastern Texas, begun in 1903, was completed. The total area 

 covered by this working plan is 800,000 acres. The collection of data 

 this year occupied sixteen men about four months. The results secured 

 will be of great value in preparing working plans for longleaf pine 

 lands throughout the South. 



The measurements of 8,000 felled trees afford the basis for unusually 

 reliable tables of merchantable volume and rate of growth of longleaf 

 pine. These tables, comhined with the results of the 19,076 acres of 

 standing timber actually calipered, give an exceedingly accurate esti- 

 mate of present and future yields of merchantable timber on longleaf 

 pine timberlands under similar conditions of growth. 



A part of the work was a detailed study of the waste in logging long- 

 leaf pine, in merchantable timber left in tops, windfalls, supposed culls, 

 and high stumps, in destruction of young growth, and in the use of 

 thrifty trees for skid poles and corduroy. An estimate of this waste 

 was reached by survey and measurement on 330 acres of lands recently 

 cut over. The results show that the great bulk of the waste is in 

 merchantable timber left in tops, which averaged 667 board feet per 

 acre. The smallest merchantable log was taken to be 16 feet long, 

 with a top diameter of S inches. Proof that this timber was merchant- 

 able was obtained by marking logs cut from a similar class of timber, 

 following them through the mil], and grading the lumber sawed from 

 them, which in no case ran under No. 2 common. 



WES1 VIRGINIA. 



A working plan was made for a tract of about 60,000 acres selected 

 from 250,000 acres of rough mountain land in West Virginia. Ten 

 men worked in the field for a period of three months. The forest is 

 composed of hardwoods, hemlock, and spruce. All of the hardwood 

 and mixed hardwood and hemlock forest has been heavilj' cut over, 

 and the hardwood and spruce forest has been culled. The forest of 

 pure spruce has been cut here and there. Destructive methods of log- 

 ging and forest fires have left cut-over lands in a very unsatisfactory 

 condition. The owners wish to know whether the condition of the 

 remaining forest is sufficiently promising and the production of timber 

 great enough to justify further logging and holding all or a portion of 

 the area for the future production of timber and railroad ties. 



The field work included a valuation survey of the 60,000 acres 

 selected for study, the collection of data upon the rate of growth of the 

 principal species, and an estimate of future yields of timber under 

 conservative forest management. The data collected in the field are 

 now being computed, and a map is being made of the Williams River 

 watershed, showing the j-ield of merchantable timber on each stream, 

 areas recommended for immediate logging, and the location of the 

 railroads and mills which will be necessary to market the timber. 



NEIV HAMPSHIRE. 



A working plan was made during the year for a tract of 25,000 acres 

 of forest and abandoned farms in Sullivan County, N. H. The field 

 work for the working plan occupied a party of seven men two and 



