Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-14
GROWTH OF FORESTRY IN
SEVEN YEARS.
An Historical Sketch from Secretary
Wilson's Report ON the Forest
Service.

The annual report of the secretary
of agriculture. just published, presents
Il striking resume of the growth of for
estry in the past seven years. and of the
part in this growth which has been taken
by the forest service
! During the past year writes the
secretary. the government work in
| forestry entered upon new phase.
Practical work in the actual introduction
of forestry began in 1895. But it was
not until February !, 1905, when the
/ care Of the national forest reserves was
transferred to the department of agri-
culture, that the forest service became
an administrative organization.
This transfer was logical outcome
! of the recent work Of the service. Dur
ing the last six or seven years it has
pa ssed through a remarkable develop
ment. which has followed but not kept
pace with its demonstration OF capacity
for public usefulness. On July /, lSnS,
the division OF forestry employed eleven
persons. Of whom six filled clerical or
other subordinate positions and five be-
onged to the scientific staff. or the
I The division possessed no field equip
|
Office work.
! AT the opening of the present fiscal
year the employees of the forest service
numbered S2, of whom l53 were pro-
fessional trained forestcrs. Field work
WIS going on in 81 States and Territories,
from Atlantic to the Pacific and from
Canada to Mexico. Over 100000 acres
of private forests were under manage
\
applications on lille for advice from own
crs contemplating management covered
100000 acres more. During the year
nearly 5000 letters were sent out from
the offices at Washington. the majority
of them in reply to requests for iniorma-
/ ton and advice from the public, of a
kind which could not be met by printed
information.
This contrast impcrfcctly indicates
the full extent of the change which has
taken place and the progress which has
been made Seven years ago there We're
in the whole United States less than ten
professional fores,ers. Neither a science
nor a literature of American forestry was
| in existence. nor could an education in
the subject be obtained in this country.
Systematic forestry was in operation on
the estate of a single owner. honorably
DESTROYS of furnishing an object lesson
| in an unknown field. Lumbermcn and
forest owners We're skeptcal of the sue
cess of forest management, ana largely
hostile to its introduction. Among the
public AT large a feeling in favor of forest
preservation. largely on sentimental
grounds, was fairly widcspread but
almost wholly msnformed 1t con-
founded use with destruction, shade-trec
planting with forestry.
THE real need Of forestry was urgent.
A time had come which presented at
once a great opportunity and dangerous
crisis. Forest destruction had reached
a point where sagacious men-most OF
all. sagacious lumbcrmen-could plainly
discern the not distant end. The lumber
industry. vital to the nation at large.
was rushing to its own extinction. Vet
with no avenue OF escape apparent. yet
forest management for future corps
should be forced by famine prices,
Meanwhile, however, the ruin would
have been wrought already.
Cumberland owners We're selling their