FOREST POLICY. 25 



American Society for the Advancement of Science memorial- 

 izes Congress and the State legislatures to " promote cul- 

 tivation of timber and to preserve the forests " and 

 recommends proper legislation towards that end 1873 



Timber culture act, making it possible to acquire a quarter 

 section of prairie land by planting 40 (or less in later 

 years) acres in ti'ees. Up to 1889, out of thirty million 

 acres entered under this law, only 779,000 acres were 

 granted. Law was repealed in 1891 1873 



All prairie States, also Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York and 

 Connecticut, begin to grant bounties or tax release on 

 forest planting 1870-1877 



Congress appropriates $2,000 for a forestal agency in the 

 Department of Agriculture. Duties of the agent: To 

 gather statistics and to furnish information. Dr. F. B. 

 Hough appointed. Three voluminous reports 1876 



Agency is advanced to the rank of a division 1881 



Formation of the " American Forestry Congress," styled 

 thereafter " American Forestry Association," at Cin- 

 cinnati, by the influence of Baron von Steuben 1882 



Decade of "Paper Work" by State commissions 1880-1890 



Monumental report on forestry by C. S. Sargent in Tenth 



Census 1880 



M. H. Eggleston succeeds Hough as Chief of the Division of 



Forestry 1883 



Division of Forestry made an integral part of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. Dr. B. E. Fernow, Secretary of the 

 American Forestry Association, succeeds Eggleston as 

 Chief. Small appropriations, never exceeding $30,000. . 1886 



Valuable reports (especially on Timber Physics, Sylvan No- 

 menclature, Southern Pines, Sheep Grazing), whilst no 

 practical work and no practical results were possible. 

 The public mind, however, fully prepared, by continuous 

 agitation, for future work. 



Congress authorizes the President to create forest 

 reserves by proclamation 1891 



Gifford Pinchot appointed Chief of Division 1898 



Appropriations increased rapidly to almost $300,000. Prac- 

 tical work begun on a large scale. Gradual reconciliation 

 between lumbering interests and fc-rcstry . 



Division elevated to rank of Bureau, with five divis- 

 ions (Forest Management, Forest Investigations, Forest 

 Extension, Forest Products, and Records) Excellent 

 reports of practical value igoi 



