The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-12-03
UNCLE SANS
TREE INTERESTS
Progress Of Forestry Fully
Told by Agricultural
Department

Washington, D. c., Dec. 3.--In the
report OF the secretary Of agriculture for
the years appears a very timely and Inn
lportant treatise on forestry as follows:
The work OF this bureau includes the
moking and execution Of working plans
for federal state. and private forest
lands; the study of forests. forest fires,
forest grazing, commercial trees, lumber
ing, and forest products; the study Of eco
nomlc tree planting and the preparation
Of planting plans. The bureau is cooper
ating with the federal government. with
several states. and with many private
owners IN handling their forest lands. Its
assistance has been asked for a total
are of 52.170.036 acres, Of which about A.
100000 acres are held by lumber compa
niles and other private owners. In IFS
! studies Of commercial trees ami forests
and OF their forest problems. IL Is pursu-
ing lines Of investigation Indispensable
| To the development and perpetuation OF
tvsr national forest resources It's work
OF tree planting on the treeless plains al
/ ready involves the making of planting
plans for many thousands of acres Of
wood lots, shelter belts, and commercial
BECAME A BUREAU.
on the nrst day OF July Of the present
year the division OF forestry became
bureau. The change was incidental 10 the
1 portal reorganization of the department
OF agriculture by congress at It's last ses-
sion, but It was brought about by the in
creased understanding of the need of for
estry among our people, and especially
by the appreciation in congress Of the
] practical methods used by this department
In its forest work. The change from
! division to "a bureau opens a way for
larger organization and more extended
work which she public and private de-
/ mands for Instance In practical forestry
/ Is now conducted along three principal
/ lines: First, forest management. which
/ involves the preparation and execution OF
working plans for federal state, and pri-
vate forest lands; second, forest inVesti-
cation, which includes the study Of COM
mercial trees, of economic tree planting,
OF forest fires, grazing, numbering, for
est products, and other important lines OF
research; and third the making and main
tenance OF records which covers the rou-
tine work Of the bureau and the care of
its library, laboratory, and Photographic
collection.
J am glad to report that the bureau.
under its present organization, can meet
must more effectively the demands made
upon il than was possible as a division.
During the fiscal year these demands
have not only increased along lines al
ready established, but the growing ten
dency to refer al important forest mat
ters to the bureau mas been more marx
Z
ADVICE ASKED.
The demands for the assistance and ad-
vice of the bureau are insistent and wide
spread. and its sphere Of usefulness has
exxtended widely with the sound sand
steady development of the forest move
ment. With the added effectiveness OF
its present. organization. the adequate ex-
tension VI It's field force, now lrst made
possible by the training OF men In our for
est schools and the urgently growing need
of its services, the bureau OF forestry
has before It a future rich In posslbili-
ties for useful work IL its resources do
not fall too far behind It's actual needs.
4 have not hesitated to recommend a
considerably increased appropriation for
the bureau of forestry for the coming MS
cal year, because OF the vast interests
which depend on forest preservation and
wise USE In very real sense an ap-
preparation for these purposes protects
and promotes the interests. among 9TH
ers, OF all that vast body OF our clti-
zens TO whom the success OF irrigation,
mining, grazing, transportation, or the
timber trade are OF primary Importance.
The rapid progress OF interest IN forest
dy throughout the South Is most crafty
ing. very considerable proportion Of
the most important recent work of the
bureau of forestry lies in the Southern
states.
with the view to encouraging the sub
stitution OF conservative for destructive
methods, the bureau has undertaken the
Preparation Of working plans, giving full
directions for the management Of for
es ttracts, and will also AFFORD practical
assistance on the ground, without cost 10
the owners OF wood lots. IN the case of
large tracts, however the cost OF travel
with the necessary helpers OF the agents
OF the bureau while Ia the heid, must
be borne by the owner.
FOREST MANAGEMENT.
The request upon the bureau of forestry
from private owners for practical assist
ance and advice In handling OF their for
est lands continue steadily TO Increase.
OF the recent requests for assistance the
most noteworthy Is the joint application
of the Kirby Lumber company and the
Houston Oh company for help IN devisins
the best method OF managing l,O00,On
acres OF long leaf pine land i'm Texas. This
area includes considerably more than hplf
OF the long leaf pine lands In that state.
Personal examinations In the woods /
We're made during the year OF 7eS,S9O !
acres OF private ownership, and four de-
tailed working plans were prepared. COW
ering an area OF 210OO acres. one of these
was for the tract OF "A lumber company
N Arkansas and another FOR a tract IN
Nissouri owned by the Deering Harvester (
company. The preparation OF working ]
plans was begun upon live timber tracts
OF private ownership, with total area
OF o1o'0uo acres The largest OF these con
sists of So0oU acres Ia Maine, owned by
he Great Northern Paper company. The
fact that tho olfer OF Corporation under
which these working plans are made 10
hNiAh Ahhth hQNohAHkt OF 80 fNNthelNtAJ
by lumber companies and other business
organizations indicates clearly the real /
practical value Of tbr bureau OF forestry
70 private owners.
The preparation OF working plans for
the federal forest reserves goes steadily
on. The working plan for the Black Has /
forest reserve has been completed, aud /
working plans have been begun for tho /
Prescott, the Bighorn, and the Priest riv-
er forest reserves. The immense labor IN /
NolFed IN some of these plans Is Indicated T
by the fact that for the Black Hills plan I
alone the diameter OF every tree. large
or small, was measured on i023i acrgs, I
and complete ring countings We're mudo I
for 400 trees. An these field measure I
ments require painstaking elaboration ia /
the OffiCe.
In corporation with the state OF New [
York, which appropriated S3 opu for tEat I
purpose, the field wosk necessary 90 "a /
working plan Tor townships 8, 6, ana li, I
Hamilton county. in the Adrioudack for 4
est reserve, has been completed. The re- I
suits OF similar co-opcrarCn on tuwa- 4
ship iV have already been printed IN 1
the form 81 complete working ,len.