FOREST SERVICE. 225 



Progress was made in a study of important indigenous and exotic 

 acacias growing in the United States. Through tlie unfortunate 

 loss of field notes by the burning of the Santa Monica Experiment 

 Station buildings, however, much of the work done will have to be 

 undertaken anew. 



A study of eucalypts for growing where there is little frost is in 

 progress. New and definite knowledge has been obtained of the exact 

 limits within which various species can be successfully cultivated in 

 parts of the West and Southwest. 



PACIFIC COAST TAN-BAKK TREES. 



Material has been collected for a complete report on the present 

 and probable future supply of western tan-bark oak, of the extent to 

 which it is likely to meet the demand of the Pacific tanning industry, 

 of new species capable of supplying tan bark, and of the various 

 barks which have been used as adulterants. 



BASKET WILLOWS. 



The basket-willow holts established last year on the Arlington Ex- 

 perimental Farm yielded their first crop of rods from 10,000 stools 

 in the spring of 1905. Some of this stock was peeled, some dried with 

 the bark on, and the remainder used for cuttings to extend the planta- 

 tion. The_ peeled and unpeeled rods will be made into various forms of 

 produce and farm baskets and placed in actual service to determine 

 whether they are enough more durable than the cheaper but compara- 

 tively much shorter-lived splint-wood baskets to make them more 

 economical in the end. 



From the total crop of rods valuable comparative data were ob- 

 tained as to the production of different willows on different soils, and 

 the effect of different treatments on the quality and quantity of the 

 rods, and, in cooperation with the Bureau of Entomology, on means 

 of preventing insect ravages. 



The holts now contain 20,000 stools, distributed in 30 plats, and 

 the plantation is well equipped. The Bureau of Plant Industry, 

 which assigned the land for these experiments, has rendered most 

 cordial and helpful cooperation in preparing the ground and in many 

 other ways. 



The appearance of Bulletin 46 (The Basket Willow) awakened an 

 interest in willow growing, and many requests are received for cut- 

 tings of approved strains of basket willows. It is planned to meet 

 this growing demand by distributing from 50,000 to 100,000 cuttings 

 during the spring of 1906. 



TTJBPENTININQ METHODS. 



The series of experiments to secure an improved system of turpen- 

 tining begun in 1902 was completed in December, 1904, and the final 

 results were published in Circular 34. These experiments made 

 known a means by which the length of life of the turpentined pine 

 forests is greatly lengthened and at the same time both a larger and 

 a better product is obtained. The study already made has received 

 the hearty commendation of the body of operators who produce the 



