The Coconino sun., 1920-09-03

~SSi VI eHS Toit NuiSy CApclHhSH
 Station, probably knows at least a.
 much about trees-an especially i'm
 portant subject in this numbering sec
 tion-as any other person in the Unit
 ed States. Therefore, and because moi
 much is known of these matters by the
 layman, MT. Pearson was interviewed
 by a representative of The Sun, anC
 this is what he said:
 Twelve years ago, or in August
 1908, the first forest experiment sta.
 tion in the United States was estab.
 lished at Fort Valley, near Flagstaff
 During the five years following, simi-
 lar stations were established in Colo
 rado, Montana, Oregon, California
 and Minnesota. The idea was not new
 since European forest experiment sta
 tions have been in existence since
 1870. In this country it had pre-
 cedent in the agricultural experiment
 stations which are to be found in ev- cry state.
 Forest experiment stations are
 similar to agricultural experiment stations in principle, though different in detail. The fundamental idea in both is that of permanency-a per manent organization, permanent staff of workers and permanent plant providing facilities for carrying experimental work over long periods of years. The system is particularly well adapted to forest investigations because of the slow development of forest trees as compared with agricul- tural crops and the consequent long periods required to obtain results. Nowhere in the United States is this feature so outstanding as in the south- west where nature requires 200 to 300 years to mature forest and 20 years to restock it after the timber crop has been harvested. In mode of operation the two types of stations are as differ ent as the growing and harvesting of farm crops and the growing and har- vesting of timber. The agricultural investigator works largely under ar tificially controlled conditions. His field experiments are on relatively small plots of titled land where he seeks to work out new scientific facts or to apply the latest discoveries of science to the arts of planting, culti- vation, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting. The forester on the other hand, must deal almost exclusively with conditions as he find them in na- ture. The problem of the forest in- vestigator is to learn the workings of nature and discover how to take ad- vantage of what she offers. Even in such painstaking work as planting, economic conditions in this country do not permit the intensive practice possible in the growing of field crops. When the forester has planted his trees his care, aside from protection against fire and other controllable depredations, must end. Whether the plantation can, under these conditions, grow into a profitable stand of tim Der depends upon the forester's judg- ment in selecting the right species, the right kind of stock and the right method of planting for each site; his understanding of plant requirements; and his ability to analyze and inter- pret factors of soil and climate as they exist. But planting is only minor phase of forestry. In this country the greatest scientific problem is to so manage the forests that they will re- stock naturally and produce the most profitable stands of timber which the land is capable of producing. This calls into play a great complex of natural factors, including soil, moist ure, heat, light, plant and animal life, all of which are more or less interde- pendent and react in an infinite number of ways to the slightest disturbance of their established balance. To di- rect these forces by the limited means at the forester's command, in such a way as to realize the highest aims of silviculture, requires breadth of training and experience, and an inti- mate familiarity with various branch es of science such as but few individ uals can hope to attain.
 From physical point of view the forest experiment stations in this country are much smaller and less pretentious than the agricultural ex- pertinent stations. The latter are us- ually located in densely populated communities and well supported finan- cially, thus enabling them to command the best scientific talent, buildings and other equipment. Forest experiment stations, in order to be in the forest, are situated in more or less remote localities. They are pioneers in a new activity almost unknown to the general public. Because of inade- quate financial support they lack many of the material things which are con- sidered necessary to make their work success. A mighty asset possessed by these stations. however, is the spir- it of devotion and youthful enthusiasm on the part of their scientific men that has impelled them to make the per- sonal sacrifices necessary to achieve success under difficulties, a spirit which is characteristic of the entire forest service and which is associated with the forestry movement every where in this country.
 The Fort Valley Experiment Sta tion was established at Flagstaff in order to meet the pressing need for forest research in the southwest and particularly in the Flagstaff region, where numbering is most extensive and where consequently the most perplex- ]