Daily camera., 1901-01-04
THE CHIEF FORESTER
Present Incumbent Of the Once Gre
ated BY Congress.
Branch ~ the Department hstsb-
lAAsA in 1870 to Provide for
the Distrfbution and Dis
DositiOn Of Timber.

1
1t is only within the past few years
that forestry has been recognized as
profession in the United States. 1t
acquired this dignity with the gradua-
| tion rf Mr.. Clifford P,nchot from Yale
| college in 1889, for Mr.. Pinchot was the
| first American to devote Il keen intelli-
| gence and liberal educator TO a solu-
ton of the problem of the distribution
! and disposition Of the timber Of this
| country. He came naturally by his in
terest in forestry. His father. Mr..
James w. Pnchot, of Grey Towers,
Milford, Pa. has for years encouraged
in every possible way the intelligent
conservation of the forests. writes j.
d. Whelpley. in Harper's Weekly.
The Pinchot family founded and do
mated SIS. 600 to the Yale forest school,
and the summer school in this branch
| of college work is he'd at Mr.. Pinchot's
place in Connecticut. When Mr. Gift
| ford Pinchot graduated from Yale the
value of his services was at once rec
ognized in a number of directions. He
| worked out forestry pan for Bilt-
more, the great North Carolina estate
| OF the Nanderbilts. He was made a
member Of the national forestry COM
| mission, and undertook for he gov
ernment special study of the forest
reserves. The permanent need of his
services by the government was quick
| ly recognized, and July |. 1898, he was
appointed chief forester of the United
| States
The division OF forestry is one branch
| of the department of agriculture. 1t
was established potentially, but not
actually. in 1876, by the appointment
| of Dr. Franklin B. Hough. of New York
to prepare a report on various forest
| matters under the direction of the
| commissioner OF agriculture. The po-
sition of chief forester was created by
act of congress ten years later.
Cooperation with other government
| bodies interested in forestry is a
marked feature of the work of the di-
vision. 1t has assisted and been as
sisted very greatly by the forest di-
| vision of The United States geological
| survey. which is engaged in mapping
| and describing the forest reserves, and
it has undertaken. at the request of the
| secretary of the interior. the prcpara-
| ton of working plans for the $4,000 CGn
acres of national forest reserves. al
| though. owing to the unfortunate sep
aration of government forest work into
| three parts. il has nothing to do with
their administration. Applications
! for positions as student assistants have
been received from more than 250 men
| for this summers work. OF these less
than 60 were selected for appointment.
| The total force of the division in office
| and fed at present is nearly 100.
| The work of the forestry experts is
| most practical. American plans 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 great deal of aften-
| ton is paid to forestry. labor is cheap
| and wood is dear. In the United States
| labor is high and wood is cheap. Lum-
| bermen have been shown they were
| losing seven per cent. of their product
by cutting high stumps. The system
| has in consequence been changed near
| ly everywhere.
The forestry divisionahas cooperated
with severai important railroad sys-
tens in introducing a novel feature OF
economy. 1t is proposed that these
railroads shall raise tie and pole tim
| L L. L. l.
| right of way. This action is due TO the
failure of the natural supply Of this
| material in all 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'at 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 obt tained have done much to
stimulate interest This road planted
| 1880 acres in catalpus Is years ago.
The total expense was SIPS. 600. but it is
estimated that in ten yearA more this
tract will have produced s2,5eo,0oo
worth of poles, etc.
One purpose Of the divi4onis 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 d-
vision, has met with immediate re-
sponse from the farmers of the coun-
| try. Nearly $50 applications have been
received, and 10 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
70 applications.