28 MISC. PUBLICATION 162, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
get all the good timber possible out of each tree by cutting low 
stumps and using as much of the tops as he can, to leave the slash in 
such condition that there will be the least possible danger of fire, 
and to leave young trees and seed trees for a new crop (fig. 16). 
While growing timber crops, the forester does not neglect other 
benefits of the forest. He sees to it that, so far as possible, the 
value of the forest for protecting water supplies, for preventing the 
washing away of soil, for recreation, and as a home for wildlife is 
not diminished. 
FEDERAL FORESTRY 
Foresty work by the Federal Government had its beginning in 
1876, when an agent was appointed in the Department of Agricul- 
ture to study general forest conditions. In 1881 a division of for- 
estry was created, but 1t was little more than a source of information 
and advice. 
In these early years the forests on the public domain had no pro- 
tection and in the latter part of the last century were threatened 
with extinction by fire and reckless cutting. Congress sought to 
remedy this condition by conferring upon the President in 1891 the 
right to establish forest reservations. This act, however, made no 
provision for the protection of the forests. It was not until 1897 
that Congress passed another act providing for the systematic man- 
agement of the reserves and placing their administration under the 
Secretary of the Interior. 
It was soon apparent that scientific forestry was necessary for the 
proper management of the reserves, and officials of the Department 
of the Interior requested the aid of the experts in the Bureau of 
Forestry in the Department of Agriculture in the solution of tech- 
nical problems. Later they recommended the transfer of the reserves 
to the Department of Agriculture. In 1905, the reserves were trans- 
ferred to the Bureau of Forestry, which then became the Forest. 
Service. Two years later the reserves were designated “national for- 
ests,” and were grouped for administrative purposes according to 
districts. There are now 10 of these groups known as national-forest 
regions, with a regional forester in charge of each. 
The Chief of the Forest Service is administrator of all the regions, 
and is responsible directly to the Secretary of Agriculture. Assist- 
ing him is an Associate Chief. In addition, his staff consists of an 
Associate Chief, a Chief of Finance and Accounts and nine Assistant 
Chiefs in charge of the various lines of work carried on by the 
Forest Service in Washington. The regional foresters are also re- 
sponsible to the Chief, and their offices follow the same organization 
plan as the Chief's. 
There are 161 national forests, covering approximately 176,000,000 
acres. Most of these forests are in the West and were set aside from 
lands already owned by the Government. Under the Weeks law, 
passed in 1911, the Government has purchased lands for the purpose 
of protecting the headwaters of navigable streams and for timber 
growing. From these lands and from comparatively small areas of 
public land have been formed the national forests of the East and 
South. In 1924, the Weeks law was amended by the Clarke-McNary 
Act, under which purchases of land for national-forest purposes are 
now made. 
