Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-07-18
u. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE,
The New Bureau of Forestry.
Washington, n. c., July 16. 1901

Washington II. c., July 49, 1901.
ON the first of July the Division OF For
cstry and three other scientific divisions
of the L. S. Department of Agriculture
were advanced to bureaus, as provided
for by the last session of Congress, which
appropriated for the expenses of the
Bureau of Forestry during its first year
SlSliO- The change from a Division to n
Bureau and the larger appropriation, will
make possible both an improved Office or
ganization and more extended field work,
This work has been going on during the
last year from Maine to California and
from Georgia to Washington. 1t includes
the study of forest conditions and forest
pIohIems all over the country, the giving
of advice to owners Of forest lands and
the supervising Of conservative numbering
operations which business principles. This
work can now he greatly extended. Pri-
Vate owners of some three million acre.
have applied for this advice. Several State
governments have also asked the AID Of
the Bureau. But the greatest demand Is
that Of the Department Of the Interior
of the National Government, which has
asked for working plans for all the Forest
Reserves, with the enormous total area of
about AZ million acres.
ORGANIZATION OF THE BUREAU OF
FORESTRY.
The Bureau OF Forestry is made Nd of
the Division Of Forest Management, tho
Division of Forest Investigation. and the
DIVISION of Records. Each Of these CON
tinues, with enlarged facilities. work
which was In progress under the old Diyi-
sion Of Forestry
The result of the work of the Division
mas been to turn practical forestry in tho
United states from a doubtful experiment
into an assured success. Special studies
Of some of the most important trees, COM
hnA IL. ~.
can be calculated their probable future
yield. Cheap methods of harvesting the
present lumber crop without inturing the
productivity Of the forest have been put
IN operation. Such concerns AS The Great
Northern Paper Company and The Deer
ing Harvester Company have been led to
undertake conservative management of
their forest properties Meanwhile. the
work of tree planting, particularly in the
almost treeless Western States of the
plains, has been furthersd: the relation OF
the forest to the volume Of streams
erosion. evaporation, and irrigation have
been studied; matters connected with ir-
iieation and water supply have been in
VeStlgatcd hopeful progress has becn
made In the direction of regulating graz.
ing In the Western reserves in a manner
fair both TO the important interests of
cattle and sheep owners and to those who
look TO the reserves as a source of con-
t'iuous supply OF WOOD ana water; and
studies of forest fires were conducted with
a view of reducing the great yearly loss
from this source. loss which has been
estimated at 100000.
Field work is to go on this summer in Il
states. There are in all 17s persons en-
gaeed In the work Of the Bureau OF this
number 81 are student assistants-young
r,en' largely college students who expect
II enter forestry rs a profession. and who
serve during the summer On small pay for
the sake of the experience gained