CAREERS IN FORESTRY 19 
Though a knowledge of forestry is not essential to a retail or wholesale 
lumber dealer, a knowledge of woods and their properties gives the dealer 
an opportunity to speak with authority on the technical qualities of the 
woods and materials handled. 
Other Private Forestry Work 
There is a broad and as yet largely undeveloped field for forestry among 
public-service corporations owning timberlands. Many railroads own ex- 
tensive tracts of this kind. Some of these corporations have already adopted 
a consistent and permanent policy of holding their timberlands and are in- 
troducing systematic forest protection and management. Some of the 
eastern railroads have considered the acquisition of forest lands and planting 
of trees, wherever necessary, for the production of ties and other wood 
supplies. Many have technical foresters in their industrial departments. 
Many water companies hold extensive timber tracts on the drainage areas 
from which their water supplies are derived. ‘These companies for the 
most part have adopted a definite policy of maintaining such land in forest 
growth. In many cases, they might find it advantageous to employ pro- 
fessional foresters to keep the forest cover in the best possible condition while 
at the same time yielding cash revenue. 
Frequently mining companies own lands covered with tree growth. 
Many companies in the southern mountains, especially coal-mining com- 
panies, hold considerable areas for mineral development and also for the 
production of wood and timber for use in the mines. Some are already 
treating timbers with chemical preservatives and others have taken up the 
problem of conservative forest management on their hands. Some com- 
panies are attempting reforestation of areas ruined by mine dumps or 
open-pit operations. 
Another class of private owners consists of clubs or individuals who have 
acquired forest property for hunting and other recreational purposes. Rela- 
tively few large tracts of land in private estates, however, are managed at 
present under forestry principles with a technical forester in charge. Usually 
work on the ground is supervised by a resident ranger or woods foreman. 
Where technical work is done, it is often directed by a consulting forester 
who visits the tract at intervals. Most of the forestry so far practiced on 
private estates has been, and, except for the largest owners, will probably 
continue to be of this character. 
There are now more than 400 private firms and individuals who act as 
consulting foresters. This is a natural goal of some of the more mature 
and experienced men who have acquired a solid footing in the profession. 
Younger men are sometimes employed as assistants and as members of field 
parties. Some consulting or private practicing foresters conduct a very 
prosperous business, especially when they have an established reputation 
which brings a demand for their services in solving particularly important 
problems. 
The operation of private holdings is likely to tend more and more toward 
conservation practices. ‘This development will probably be accompanied 
by a growth in cooperative timber production and marketing associations 
among small landholders and farmers. Already, some mills are being sup- 
plied with needed timber through such organizations. A few cooperatives 
operate their own sawmills or wood-processing plants. ‘Trained foresters 
