University of West Virginia, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics, 



Morgantown, W. Va. 

 Yale University, School of Forestry, New Haven, Conn. (Graduate) . 



CHARACTER OF FORESTRY WORK 



Many persons still have only a vague idea of the kind of life the 

 forester really leads. Young men are often attracted to the profession 

 because of the prospect of outdoor work. They are fond of camping 

 in the open and of hunting and fishing. 



One who is considering such a career should remember that the 

 forester in his field work sometimes must endure hardships that sports- 

 men do not encounter. Spending considerable time in the woods as part 

 of one's regular business is quite different from camping out for a few 

 weeks on a vacation. 



A variety of tasks usually greets the forester on his first job. He 

 may be involved in such work as cruising or marking timber, making 

 range surveys, reforestation of cut-over or abandoned farm lands, and 

 possibly in planting or conservation work in soil-erosion or flood- 

 control areas. During his apprenticeship he is certain to be used on a 

 number of different tasks in which his technical skill and ingenuity 

 are put to test. If he shows outstanding ability, the young forester 

 may find the apprenticeship period a short one, although as the num- 

 ber of foresters increases and competition becomes more intense, the 

 training period may be expected to lengthen. 



F-41701S 



Figure 1.— The forester in the woods— estimating timber volume with a Biltmore stick. 



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