Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-12-02
GROWING OF FORESTS
Experiment Stations TO Be EStab-
IiShed For Scientific Work.
TRAINED MEN FOR EMPLOYEES

Forest experiment stations will soon
be established in a number of the ma
tional forest states of the west &C
cording to plans which were recently
completed by the United States forest
service. These new stations are ex-
pected to do the same for the devel-
opment of American forests as agri-
cultural experiment stations have done
for the Improvement of the country's
farms, says a forest service bulletin.
As a first step in this work an ex-
pertinent station has already been es-
tablished on the Coconino national for
est in the southwest. with headquar-
tiers at Flagstaff, Ariz. Stations in
other national forests will be estab-
lished later, and it is the intention
ultimately to have at least one expert
ment station in each of the sylvicul-
furaI regions of the west
One of the most important parts of
the work Of the new experiment sta
tons will be the maintenance of model
forests typical of the region. These
areas will furnish the most valuable
and instructive object lessons for the
public in general, for professional for
esters, lumbermen and owners of for
est land and especially for the technical
and administrative officers Of the ma
6fOnaI forests.
In the recently established station on
the Coconino national forest one of the
first problems to be taken up will be
the study of the reproduction of west
ern yellow pine and the causes Of its
success and failure. A solution of this
problem of how to obtain satisfactory
reproduction of the yellow pine is Of
the greatest practical Importance to the
southwest, since the yellow pine, which
is by far the most valuable tree there,
is in many cases not forming a salts
factory second growth. The study will
be carried on largely by means of sam
pie plots, which will be laid out for
future observations to determine the
effects of grazing, of the different meth
DDS of cutting and dispOsing of the
brush and of other factors on the sue
cess Of reproduction.
Other studies which will be taken up
soon are study of the light require
ments of different species at different
attitudes and the construction Of
scale of tolerance which will be based
on the actual measurements Of the
light intensity and not only, as has
hitherto been the case, on general OBJ
servations alone; the taking of me-
teorOlOgicaI observations to determine
the effect of the forest upon temper
AZURE. humidity, melting of snow.
wind velocity, ETC.; q study of the rel
alive value Of the terminating power
Of seeds from trees of different sizes.
ages and degrees of health and SIM
liar studies of value to the region. A
complete collection of the fora of the
forest will be made to form a herbari-
um, which will be kept ON the forest
and will be available for reference at
any time.
These stations will carry on scien-
tific experiments and studies which
will lead TO a full and exact knowl-
edge of American sylviculCure and the
indirect benefits of the forests and will
deal particularly with those problems
Of particular Importance TO the regions
IN which they are located
While work of this character is new
I'm the United States, it is not without
precedent abroad. The value of the
systematic organization of forest re-
search work was officially recognized
in Germany in 1870. when the first
forest experiment station was estab-
lished in Baden in connection with the
POlytechnikum at Carlsruhe. Half
dozen OF the German states followed
the example. instituting main expert
ment stations in connection with for
est schools and branches in various
forest districts. The work done is in
tensely scientific, and the policy Of
forest experiment stations is steadily
growing in favor.
In India, where after half a century
of administration the status OF the
forest is hardly better than in the
United States at present, the work of
research has been almost wholly neg
lected, and the result is apparent in
the poor progress of technical forestry.
Very lately, however. the need has
been recognized by the government,
and an imperial forest research inSti-
tute and college has been created at
Dehra Dun. with a faculty chosen
from the imperial forest service.
In the United States considerable re-
search work has already been done in
connection with forest problems, but
the chief trouble so far has been the
lack of persistence and permanence
which has characterized the work and
failure frequently to consider all the
factors which are involved. The new
system provides for the permanent as
signment in a given region of special
~ trained men who will have an op
portunity to become thoroughly famil
lar with their region. and the work
viii thus be conducted with the great
est effectiveness and least expense.