8 



It is made a feature of recent messages of Presidents of the United 

 States and governors of some of the principal States. It is the sub- 

 ject of exhaustive Federal and State legislation. Large sums of 

 money are annually appropriated for the establishment and mainte- 

 nance of National and State forest reserves and parks, and for special 

 research in many branches of science which have a direct bearing 

 upon the utilization and preservation of our forest resources. 



Within recent years both public and private funds have been 

 devoted to the establishment of forest schools. Notably to the College 

 of Forestry at Cornell University, the Forest School at Yale, and the 

 Forest School of the Biltmore estate. Courses in forestry have been 

 established in many of the universities and colleges, and it is even 

 proposed to introduce the study into the common and high schools. 



There is a notably increased interest in scientific investigations of 

 forest problems manifested by the managers of some of our great 

 railroad systems and by other companies who are extensive manu- 

 facturers and consumers of forest products. This is demonstrated by 

 the rapidly increasing demand for special investigations and literature 

 relating to American forests; and it indicates a general appreciation 

 of the value of forests in their relation to public and private interests 

 and the need of their protection. 



Investigations within recent years, by the writer, in the hardwood 

 and coniferous forests of West Virginia, the great coniferous forests 

 of the Northwest, the pine forests of the Black Hills reserve, and the 

 spruce woods of Maine, convince him that the depredations by insects 

 on the living timber alone cause injuries amounting to many millions 

 of dollars annually. A study of the insect depredations on forest prod- 

 ucts, such as railroad and other construction materials, tan bark, and 

 minor products, makes it plain that the actual loss in money and labor 

 amounts to many millions of dollars more each 3'ear. 



Forest entomology is a branch of economic entomology which treats 

 of insects in their relation to forests and commercial forest products, 

 as distinguished from those which relate to farm and garden plants, 

 and to fruit, ornamental, and shade trees. 



While the determination of successful methods of protecting the 

 ornamental and shade trees of private grounds and parks from injuri- 

 ous insects will depend largely upon information contributed by forest 

 entomologists, such trees are, as a rule, grown under different condi- 

 tions and subject to treatment similar to that applied to fruit trees and 

 cultivated plants, which is not practicable in the forest. The acquiring 

 of information by the forest entomologist involves the determination and 

 classification of the species of forest insects, according to their system - 

 atic relations to each other, their relations to the trees the}' infest, and 

 the economic results of their work; a detailed study of the life history 

 and habits of the more important injurious and beneficial species; a 



