208 nUPARTMl^.NTAL EEPOETS. 



other specific provision of law. These and all applications which 

 were not finally disposed of witliin the preceding year were passed 

 upon, except 18 which required necessary amendment or further 

 report and 9 of such recent date that they have not yet been reached 

 for action. The year's record shows that in the seven months preced- 

 ing February 1, 1905, action was taken upon 127 applications, and in 

 the five following months upon 161 applications. 



In response to requests by the Interior Department for report on 

 applications filed there undei- the several special acts of Congress 

 relating to rights of way for irrigation, mining, and electrical and 

 other specified purposes, approval of the application has been recom- 

 mended in 32 cases. In 13 other cases referred to the forest super- 

 visors action is awaiting their report on the effect which approval 

 would have upon forest -reserve interests. 



FItEE USE or TIMBER. 



The demand for the free use of forest-reserve timber continues to 

 increase. During the fiscal year 3,381 applications were received 

 and 3,363 applications were approved and permits issued by the forest 

 officers and the Department, for a total of 6,263,611 board feet and 

 40,652 cords, of a total value of $22,925.53. 



FOKEST MEASUBEIHEIfTS. 



FOREST COMPUTATION. 



The Section of Forest Computation is charged with the computa- 

 tion and final statement of all forest measurements. During the 

 year this section handled the results of 2,301 acres of valuation sur- 

 veys, 21,234 tree analyses, 9,135 height measurements, and 2,549 

 taper measurements. Of these data 1,599 acres of valuation surveys, 

 9,280 tree analyses, 5,141 height measurements, and 2,549 taper meas- 

 urements were taken in the field during the fiscal year in connection 

 with four working plans, studies of five commercial trees, and four 

 investigations of local problems in forest extension, covering twelve 

 species in ten States. The remainder were data selected from meas- 

 urements made during previous years in order to make tables of 

 stand, growth, and yield for regional studies of commercial trees. 

 The final tabulating of the public-domain statistics in the appendix 

 to the rejDort of the Commission on the Public Lands was done in the 

 Section of Forest Computation. 



FOREST MAPS. 



The Section of Forest Maps is intrusted with the making of maps, 

 drawings, and diagrams, the custody of those which are not required 

 for constant use, and the development of the best methods of mapping 

 the forest data collected by the Service. During the past year this 

 section has completed 333 maps and copies, made 85 miscellaneous 

 drawings, mounted 764 maps, and rendered assistance by temporary 

 detail to a total of 563 working days. The work of the year has in- 

 cluded the preparation of maps showing conditions upon actual and 

 proposed forest reserves, maps for working plans and planting plans. 



