FOREST SERVICE. 217 



tunity which this work affords of introducing better "forest manage- 

 ment throughout the country is very great, and the examples of 

 thinnings and other work furnished by these wood lots are of great 

 advantage to neighboring timber-land owners. 



STUDIKS OF COMMERCIAL TREES. 



The Forest Service will continue its commercial-tree studies during 

 the coming year. It will be the object to complete as rapidly as pos- 

 sible the studies of those trees which are of the greatest importance 

 commercially, or in the management of forest lands. Work will also 

 be carried on along special lines of investigation, such as the produc- 

 tion of railroad ties and studies of second gi-owth in various parts of 

 the United States. The study of lodgepole pine will be continued 

 during the coming year so as to cover its entire range, special atten- 

 tion being given to market conditions, waste in logging, and the 

 best methods of reproduction of lodgepole pine forests. Other com- 

 mercial trees to be taken up will be the Engelmann spruce in the 

 West, the red cedar in the South, the red pine in Minnesota (for 

 which sufficient field measurements have already been collected) , and 

 the white fir as a source of supply for pulp wood in Oregon and 

 Washington. 



A cooperative study of future supply of railroad ties will be carried 

 on in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The investigation will determine 

 the possibility and cost of producing ties in these States on lands 

 tributary to the cooperating road. 



The mill studies to determine the actual money value of trees of 

 different diameters and the amounts of each grade of lumber cut 

 from the trees will be continued, and the longleaf and loblolly pines 

 in South Carolina will be studied. 



Studies of second-growth white pine will be carried on in New 

 England, and a study of second-growth hard woods will also be made. 

 This work is of particular importance from its bearing upon the man- 

 agement of small timber tracts and wood lots. 



COOPERATIVE STATE FOREST STUDIES. 



A descriptive study of forest fires was carried on and completed 

 during the past year in cooperation with the State of Maine forest 

 commission. Particular attention was given to the causes of fires 

 and to the effect of fires on the forest, reproduction, and second 

 growth. The present methods of fighting fires and the efficiency of 

 these methods were also studied, and figures were collected to show 

 the actual damage done to the forest. On this work are based recom- 

 mendations for the prevention and control of fires. 



WORK'^F THE ENSUING YEAR. 



In cooperation with the New Hampshire forest commission, a 

 study will be made of forest conditions in the southern part of" that 

 State. This work will be a continuation of the work already done 

 in the northern part of New Hampshire. The lines to be followed 



s.rG '. 



(i) A study of the composition and quality of the forest and the 

 completion of the forest map of New Hampshire. 



