a2 CIRCULAR 661, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
formation. Educational work likewise must underlie and march 
along with each of the others, and the educational process itself is 
strengthened when it has results and concrete examples of successful 
application from the other activities for use in teaching. The ob- 
jectives of public regulation will be more readily attained if there is 
general public knowledge and acceptance of the need for improved 
management practices. 
In the western prairie belt chief emphasis must continue to be 
placed on windbreak planting—an activity in which agricultural 
workers of the area have long taken considerable interest, but which 
has thus far progressed slowly because of lack of facilities for ob- 
taining planting stock at low cost. Experience has shown that 
proper care of plantations during the first few years after establish- 
ment is just as Important as careful planting. For this reason, coin- 
cident with a more effective program for providing planting stock, 
there is need in the prairie area for several forestry technicians who 
can devote full time to the job of helping farmers with plantation 
establishment and subsequent care. 
In the northern forest belt, also, the need is for intensive programs of 
extension and demonstration, including technical assistance by for- 
estry agents permanently stationed in small districts. These appear 
to be fundamental requirements fer improving rural economy and the 
farm-forest situation, as well as for facilitating understanding and 
acceptance of the need for such public regulatory measures as may 
be adopted. In this part of the Lake States, one of the chief aims 
would be the use of public timber to provide employment for oper- 
ators of farms of inadequate size and income opportunity. Part of 
the responsibility of the forestry agents would be to insure smooth 
operation of plans for the use of public timber, to aid settlers to form 
cooperative purchasing and marketing associations, and to work with 
the regular forest personnel in managing the resources as a com- 
munity project in which each resident would have a personal stake 
and therefore a proprietary interest. The farm woods, however, 
would still be the agents’ major concern. The agents would plan 
with farmers the best use of their timberland, encouraging forestry 
practice where such practice would be justified, and particularly 
where the possibility of marketing products for a cash return gave 
hope of stimulating interest in the farm woods. 
In the southern woodland belt, in addition to an intensive program 
of education and extension, one promising suggestion, which has met 
with general favor, is the placing of a forestry technician in each 
farm-woods county or small group of counties, to devote full time to 
farm-forestry work. These forestry agents would be permanent resi- 
dents of their communities. They would work with farmers in plan- 
ning intelligent and profitable use of the farm woods as a part of 
the farm business, help woodland owners to form associations for 
cooperative timber management and marketing, and, through demon- 
stration and technical assistance, acquaint farmers and organizations 
of farmers with the best woodland practices. In those southern 
localities where soil erosion and flood control are major problems, the 
forestry agents should correlate their activities with other programs 
seeking better land use and management. 
