KEPOET OP THE FOEESTEE. 19 



concerning alienations and the status of titles needed to determine 

 whether the land was National Forest land or held in private owner- 

 ship were furnished to forest supervisors and to the offices in the 

 Service. 



WOKK FOE THE ENSUING YEAR. 



The need of examining lands for the creation of new Xational 

 Forests and for additions to and eliminations from existing Forests 

 will be materially less than last year, and the number of examiners 

 will be correspondingly decreased. Selection and withdrawal from 

 entry of administrative sites for rangers' headquarters will be con- 

 tinued. In regions where the National Forests are confined largely 

 to the higher elevations the sites selected will usually be on ground 

 low enough to permit of residence throughout the year. 



A large force of experienced men will continue the work of exam- 

 ining lands applied for under the agricultural settlement act of 

 June 11, 1906, and the work will be vigorously carried to completion. 



Under the revised regulations effective July 1, 1907, supervisors 

 will be authorized to grant permits for the use of the National 

 Forests, e;xcept upon applications for permits for the installation of 

 coimnercial power plants and other uses of large importance, which 

 wil] be reserved for the action of the Forester. 



Examinations of mining claims on the National Forests will be 

 made by an increased number of geologists from the U. S. Geological 

 Survey. The work of examining nonmineral claims will be assigned 

 to a trained force of Forest officers familiar with local conditions. 



The work of examining the records of the General Land Office and 

 obtaining data as to land titles within the National Forests will be 

 carried on by an increased clerical force, to meet the growing de- 

 mands of the Service for information of this character. 



SILVICULTURE. 



FOKEST EXTENSION. 



A distinct advance in efficiency was made in the work of this office. 

 Nursery and planting operations in the National Forests present 

 many difficult problems which the experience gained, both of success 

 and failure, now make it possible to attack more vigorously and ex- 

 tensively. It is clear that some of the methods which at first seemed 

 promising should be discarded, that the natural difficulties of estab- 

 lishing new Forests in the more arid parts of the Southwest must 

 be overcome by measures of special care, and that in such regions 

 it is false economy to make the first cost too small. Thus a firm 

 foundation is being laid for future work. 



Forest planting by pri^'ate persons under advice from the Forest 

 Service increased remarkabh'^ during the year. , 



PLANTING. 



Stock for National Forest planting is now being grown at 8 sta- 

 tions, of which 2, the Fort Stanton and Las Gallinas, were estab- 

 lished during the year. The following statement shows the size and 



