FORESTRY INVESTIGATIONS AND WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT 



OF AGRICULTURE. 



REPORT BY DR. B. E. FERNOW. 



New York State College op Forestry, 



Cornell University, 



Ithaca, N. I"., December 2, 1$98. 

 Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



Sir: It is with great satisfaction that the writer embraces the opportunity kindly afforded by 

 you to prepare, in answer to the inquiry of Congress, a report on the work of tlie Division of 

 Forestry in the United States Department of Agriculture in the past, which is to show the results 

 and the practical utility of the investigations of the same. 



Having directed the work of the Division of Forestry for more than twelve years consecu- 

 tively, the writer may claim to possess intimate knowledge not only of its work, but of the aims and 

 objects, the policy and the reasons for it, which have actuated its administration during the larger 

 part of its existence. 



If the appreciation of the public, expressed by letter and by print, can be considered as an 

 indication of the value and utility of its work and satisfaction in the existence of the Division, it 

 would only be necessary to inspect the files of the Division or the public prints, especially the 

 extracts from the journals which represent the interests of forest exploitation and of the lumber 

 trade, and are, therefore, most prominently interested in the subject for which the Division stands. 

 While twelve years ago these publications had only ridicule and opprobrium for those who advo- 

 cated the application of forestry methods in the use of our forest resources, giving them the title 

 of "denudatics," under which the Division of Forestry was included, to-day there is no utterance 

 of the Division which does not receive respectful hearing and full appreciation and praise in their 

 columns, the shorter and even some of the longer publications of the Division being frequently 

 reprinted in full. 



It will, however, be more useful, as the provision of Congress calling for this report requires, 

 to explain the work of the Division more fully. I propose, therefore, in the following pages to 

 treat the subject in three parts: (1) Giving a brief historical sketch of the administrative features 

 of the Division, together with the reasons for its establishment; (2) discussing the character of 

 the work done, with the reasons for undertaking the piecise kind of work which was done; (3) 

 giving a resume of the status of the forestry movement in the United States and the relation 

 which the Division has had to \t) placing in appendixes the more detailed facts and information of 

 importance which the Division has collected or secured. 



From this account, then, it is hoped that the value of the work of the Division, the propriety 

 of its existence, and not only of its continuance but also of the extension of its work and functions 

 in the future may appear. Certain it is that so far the Division has not been properly considered 

 and endowed, and its usefulness has been impaired by insufficient appropriations and consequently 

 limited functions. 



The time has come when it should not only more vigorously pursue technical investigations, 

 but when it should have charge of the public timber lands, and especially the public forest reser- 

 vations, which will never answer their purpose until controlled by systematic management, such 

 as all other civilized nations apply to their forest property. 



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