REPORT OP THE POEESTEK. 17 



for agricultural settlement and other special uses also added to the 

 volume of work for the laboratory. To meet these demands the 

 facilities were increased and one additional photographer was 

 employed. 

 • Equipment for mounting maps was installed, enabling the Service 

 to furnish members engaged in field work maps mounted on cloth 

 in convenient and durable form. 



The concentration of stenographic and typewriting work and other 

 routine clerical labor was continued with good results. The average 

 number of stenographers and typewriters available for copying and 

 typewriting and for temporary detail to offices was 32. In addition, 

 16 clerks, assigned to ordinary routine work, were available for detail 

 to offices in emergencies. This elastic system of supplving temporary 

 clerical help to offices resulted in a high degree of efficiency, with a 

 marked gain in economy of time and cost. 



During the year 158,191 official communications were received, and 

 299,610 were sent out. 



The depreciation of field equipment and instruments in the hands 

 of Forest officers was less than 5 per cent of the total value of all 

 such property in use. 



WORK FOR THE ENSUING YEAR. 



Additions will be made to the facilities of the laboratory, which 

 will enable the photographer to furnish maps and blueprints more 

 promptly than ever before. 



Supply depots will be established at convenient shipping points in 

 the West. The proximity of these depots to the National Forests 

 will facilitate the furnishing of supplies to Forest officers. 



The plan of concentrating the routine clerical force will be 

 extended. 



LANDS. 

 BOUNDARIES. 



The examination of lands for new National Forests and for addi- 

 tions to and eliminations from existing Forests led to the changes 

 tabulated on pages 11, 12, and 13. A total of 16,324,880 acres was 

 still under temporary withdrawal for exemption, while 11,331,916 

 acres were released from withdrawal during the year. 



Sites for 1,552 rangers' headquarters on 96 National Forests were 

 selected and withdrawn from entry during the year. The head- 

 quarters were needed to facilitate the local administration of the 

 Forests and to afford centers for protective work against fires and 

 depredations. 



AGRICULTURAL SETTLEMENT. 



The act of June 11, 1906, which opened to entry all land within 

 National Forests chiefly valuable for agriculture and not needed 

 for administrative use, brought 3,871 applications from actual and 

 prospective settlers. Examination of the lands applied for was 



24102—08 3 



