Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-04-26

The annual report Of the secretary Of
agriculture. ;isi published. presents a
striking resume of the growth of forestry
In the past seven years. and of the part
in his growth which has been taken by
the forest service.
During the past year" writes the sec
rotary. the government work in forestry
entered upon a new phase. Practical work
in the actual introduction OF forestry be-
gan in 1898. But 1T was not until Febru-
airy |. 1908. when the care of the national
forest reserves was transferred to the de-
partment of agriculture, that the forest
service became an administrative organiz-
alton.
This transfer was a logical outcome OF
the recent work Of the service. During the
last six or seven years II has passed
through a remarkable development. which
has followed but not kept pace with its
demonstration OF capacity for public USE
fulness. On July l. 1898. the division OF
forestry employed eleven persons. OF whom
SIX filled clerical or other subordinate po-
sitlons and Ave belonged to the scientific
staff. OF the latter. two were professional
foresters. The division possessed no field
equipment: practically all of it's work was
office work.
AT the opening OF the present fsca!
year the employees II the forest service
numbered S2i. of whom l3 We're profess
sional trained forc.ters. tiei! york was
going on in tw~enty-scven states and ter
r,tories. from the Atlantic to the Pacific
and from Canada to Mexico. Over 800. 900
acres OF private forests were under man
agernent by the service. and
applications on file for advice from owners
contemplating management covered 1900
OJ acres more. During the year nearly
g. g letters were sent out from the offices
at NNaShiYNfOn the mainritV OF THAN IN,
reply 10 requests FOR Information and ad-
vice from the public. of a kind which could
not be met by printed Information.
This contrast impcrfectly indicates the
full extent OF the change which has taken
place and the progress which has been
made. Seven years ago there were in the
whole United States less than ten profess
sional foresters. Neither a science nor a
literature OF American forestry was In cx-
istence. nor could an education In the sub
tect be obtained in this country. Syste-
matte forestry was In opertion on the es-
state of a single owner. honorably desir-
.ous OF furnishing an object lcssen In an
unknown field. Lumbermen and forest
owners were skeptica! of the success OF
forest management. and largely hostile to
IT'S Introduction. Among tn. public at
large a feeling in favor of forest prcserya-
ton, largely on sentimen tai grounds. was
fairly widespread. but almost wholly mis-
informed. IL COMPOUNDED use with destruc-
ton. shade-tree planting with forestry.
'Th. real need Of forestry was urgent.
A time had come which presented at once
a great Opportunity ard Il dangerous cri-
sis. Forest destruction had reached a
point whore sagacious men-most OF all.
sagacious plainly dis
Germ the not distant end. The lumber in
dustry. vital 10 the nation at large. was
rushing TO its own extinct on, yet with no
avenue OF escape apparent. until forest
., 49, T-. .,t,-. a, -
forced by famins prices. Meanwhile. now
eyer. the ruin would have been wroug. :
already.
'Tinbsr.and rwners were selling their
holdings or their stumpage with little evil
dciice Of an understanding OF their future
value and iuinberrnen were compelled by
business competition TO keep down the
cost o! operation to the lowest terms. or
markec ,hei! product at a loss.
forestry was both an evident economic