19 
BRANCH OF SILVICULTURE. 
5 OFFICE OF EXTENSION. 
The work of the office of extension falls under two main heads: 
Administrative control of all forest planting within the National For- 
ests and advisory assistance to private landowners. 
The section of reconnaissance has charge of special and regional 
studies of forest planting on which the work of the sections of plant- 
ing and cooperation is based. Studies of conditions affecting forest 
planting in different States, investigations of the possibilities of plant- 
ing on irrigated lands, and preliminary reconnaissance in National 
Forests under the direction of the supervisor, followed by the prepa- 
ration of general plans for forest planting, comprise the principal 
field of work. 
The section of planting deals with all phases of forest planting 
within the National Forests. In the past two important problems 
have received special attention: (1) The reforesting of denuded water- 
sheds where planting is needed in order to control and regulate the 
flow of streams directly supplying cities and towns; (2) planting within 
the treeless National Forests in the Middle West to provide for timber 
in the future and to serve as an object Jesson to the people. 
The trees used in planting are grown at eight Government nurseries 
in the following National Forests: San Gabriel, Santa Barbara, Gila, 
Dismal River, Pikes Peak, Salt Lake, Pecos, and Lincoln. The com- 
bined area of seed beds at the eight stations is 11 acres. They now 
contain over 5,000,000 trees, from 1 to 3 years old. The seed sown in 
1907 should produce not less than 4,000,000 trees, giving a total of 
over 9,000,000 in 1908. 
The ee stations are so situated that in addition to providing 
plant material for local use they also serve as cisterbuting points for 
other National Forests. 
The preliminary stage of forest planting within the National Forests 
is now past, and several of the planting stations have this year pro- 
duced trees of sufficient size to plant directly on the permanent site. 
About 700,000 trees were planted during the winter and spring of 
1907, the greater part in the Dismal River, Niobrara, North Platte, 
San Gabriel, Santa Barbara, and Pikes Peak National Forests. At 
the nursery in the Dismal River National Forest more stock has 
reached an age suitable for planting than at the other stations. This 
nursery contains approximately 2,500,000 trees. In the spring of 
1908 there will be about 1,000,000 trees ready for planting in the 
sandhills. The species largely in use up to this time in planting 
within this Forest are western yellow pine and jack pine. Other 
species, chiefly Scotch pine, Norway pine, and Douglas fir, are being 
tested in the nursery and in experimental plantations. 
[Cir. 36] 
