Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-01-03
UNCLE SAM TEACHES FORESTRY
Sixty Students Under Government In
struction During Last Summer.

struction During Last Summer.
Sixty stalwart students have taken
up forestry as a profession under the
instruction of the division of forestry
of the department of agriculture
They have been at work in the forests
of various states during the last sum-
mer, under the supervision of trained
foresters, with results of marked value
to the division, chiefly in the prepare
ton Of working plans and the study
of commercial trees. The students,
while living in the lumber camps, get
certain amount of fishing and hunt
ing, but the line between work and
play is closely drawn. All expenses
are betrayed by the government while
the men are in the field. During the
summer work has been done in the
Adirondacks, the state of Washington
and Maine. The ultimate object is to
prepare the students for service in
the forestry division Of the United
States government
Aside from the demand created for
trained foresters by the newly
awakened enthusiasm Of the depart
ment of agriculture in stopping the
destruction of the forests of the
United States, the call for experts in
the profession is comparatively light
| but is increasing with marked rapidity
While the government very much
wishes the services of those who have
enjoyed instruction under it. this is
not imperative. Great numbering con.
company, which controls more than
| 100,000,000 acres of spruce land; min.
ing companies, owners of game parks
as we'll as private owners of great
areas such as Biltmore forest, in
North Carolina, the property OF
George w. Vanderbilt; the Ne-Ha-Sa
| Ne-Park in the Adirondacks, owned by
| w. Seward Webb, and the adjoining
land held by William G. Whitney
along with the forest interests of a
number CT states, all need trained
| foresters. The government already
employs number of men, and will in
the near future extend the work in
|
increase in the staff of experts.
Clifford Pinchot, the government
forester, says that trained foresters
receive in the division of forestry
from $1,000 to $4,000 a year. Large
lumber companies pay better, while a
cruiser" one who estimates the
worth Of timber land, receives much
higher pay
During the year considerable work
has been done on private tracts I'm
der advice from the division of for
estry. This was the result of an Offer
made in October, 1898, to give advice
and assistance to private owners in
handling their woodlands. Within &
year applications were received from
owners in thirty-fve states, the tota
area covered by these applications
being about 100000 acres. The prep
aration of working plans for these
tracts aud the supervision of their ex
ecution is now one of the most import
ant branches of the division of for
estry. Tle first large forest put un
der systematic management with {
definite working plan was that belong
ing to G. w. Vanderbilt at Biltmore
N. G. The work was organized in 1897
by Clifford Pinchot, now the forester
of the department of agriculture, OF
about 1000 acres. Additional tract:
have since been purchased to the ex
tent Of about 100000 acres, and the
whole area has been brought under
systematic treatment An expert for
ester is still employed to superintent
the work, and there is a corps O
trained rangers. A certain amount o
matured poplar has been numbered
and the system of cutting employed
has been very successful in bringing
about an excellent reproduction o
that tree. Improvement cuttings o
various species, chiefly for cord wood
are made in the portions of the trac
nearest the market, and a certain
amount of planting is done every year
Mr. Pinchot says that great deal o
the work being done at Biltmore woul,
} not be practical on many other larg
tracts, managed solely for profit, i,
other sections of the country. TIL
| systematic management of forests TO
, practical lumbermen will be NOR
: along the lines practiced on the Web
, and Whitney tracts, in the Adiron
dacks,. both of which were lumbere,
under the supervision of the division
of forestry.-New York Sun.