Daily camera., 1900-12-14
THE CHIEF FORESTER
Present Incumbent Of the Once Gro
ated BY Congress.
Branch 81 the Department Dstab-
IishsA In 1870 to Provide for
the Distribution and Dis
position " Timber.

that forestry has been recognized as
a profession in the United States. 1t
acquired this dignity with the gradua-
tion Of MIR. Clifford Pinchot from Yale
college in 1889, for Mr.. l'inchot was the
first American TO devote keen intelii-
gence and liberal education TO solu
ton Of the problem of he distribution
and disposition of the timber of this
country. He came naturally by his in
terest in forestry His father, Mr..
James w. Pinchot. OF Grey Towers,
Milford. Pa. has for years encoura ged
in every possible way the 'iAteiligent
conservation of the forests. writes j
ID. Wheipley. in Harper's Weekly.
The Pinchot family founded and do
mated $3.50 SEQ TO The Na.e forest school.
and the summer schooi in this branch
OF college work is held at Mr., Pinchot's
place in Connecticut. When MIR. Gift
ford Pinchot graduated from Yale the
value OF his services was a. once rec
ognized in number of directions. II,
worked out forestry pan for kili-
more. the great North Carolina estate
of the Nandsrblts. He was made
member of the national forestry com
mission. and undertook for The gov
ermuen' a specia, study Of he forest
reserves The permanent need of hi
services by the guvernmt ut vas quick
ly recognized. and july /. 1885. he was
appointed chief'forester of the United
States
The division OF forestry is one branch
Of thu 1. plrimert OF agriculture. II
was established potentially. but Nc.
acIua.y. in 1916. 10y IN. -,ontmeu;
Of DIR. fraak II h. lIough New lorl.
10 prepa:a q lcport on ~ Jus fnirs
matters urGsr ihe dir, ic:i Of II
commissioner of aericu asr The rG
sirion OF chief TO-, err N,,> created by
act OF con .Tr>S tru year sjcr.
Cooperation With other go,ernmen'
bodies interested in fore, ~ Is =
marked feature Of The wuIE Of the di
vision. Ii has assisted AID been N
81, ID yer! greatly by he forest d
vision of III. United States geologic.
survey. which is engaged in mappin.
and describing the forest reserves, ;n'
il has undertaken. AT the request OF b
secretary of the interior. the pr, .iara
iiou of working pans for the i7.ocnf i'
acres OF national forest reserves, a..
though. owing 10 the unfortunate sep,
araiion Of government forest work int
three parts. it ha- nothing 70 do Will
1i..af fty.tr
for positions as student as >'lr : havJ
been received from more than 80 meu
for this summers work. or these les
than ~ were selected for appointment
The total force of The division in Office
and field al present is nearly 200.
The work of the forestry experts is
most practical. American pans had
To be devised. for conditions are differ
ent in this country from those prevail
ing in any other. In Germany for in
stance where a great deal OF attcn-
rion is paid 10 forestry Ia bor i> cheaI
and wood is dear. In the nited State
labor is high and wood is cheap. Lum-
bermen have beer shown they wer,
losing seven per cent. OF their procHIci
by cutting high stumps. The system
has in conse0ue nee been changed near.
~ everywhere.
The forestry division has cooperated
with several important railroad sys
TENS in introducing novel feature q
economy. II is proposed that thes
railroads shall raise tie and pole tim
her on large scale on their nonutilized
right OF way. This action is due to h,
failure of the natural supply OF this
material in al except the recently set
tied portions of the United States
About 100000 acres OF timber are
consumed annually by railroads in
building and repairing, and d'ai the pres
ent rate Of timber depletion the in
creased cost of such material will soon
be serious factor in railroad econ
omy. The Santa Fe system has already
tried the experiment suggested. and the
results obtained have done much 10
1880 acre. in catalpus Is years ago.
The total expense was $l2s.OOO. but it is
estimated that in ten years more this
tract will have produced 81, 100000
worth of poles. etc
One purpose Of the divixonis TO dem
onstrate the value OF tree plantations
to land owners, especially those in the
treeless regions of the west. The offer
to give advice and furnish working
plans to persons desiring to plant for
est trees. made last year by the di-
vision. has met with immediate re-
sponse from the farmers of the coun-
try. Nearly 80 applications have been
received, and 70 were furnished with
plans in time for use this spring. a still
larger number have written for advice
in cases where personal inspection by
experts was not needed. The treeless
states were quickest to avail them
selves Of the Offer Kansas leading with
10 applications.