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T H E J O r - R S . 4 L OF I - V D I - S T R I A L A N D E-VGI-VEERI-VG C H E M I S T R Y
Vol. j, No. 8
EDITORIALS UNITED STATES FORESTRY SERVICE INVESTIGATIONS T h e first number of a new publication entitled Review of Forestry Service Investigations (1’01. I , pp. 1-68, pl. I-VIII. Mar. 1 1 , 1912) has just been received. T h e purpose of this publication is t o keep t h e entire force in touch with t h e r o r k of t h e Forest Service-its scope, progress a n d accomplishments. By keeping t h e men informed as t o t h e nature a n d development of t h e work in all its branches, i t will enable t h e m t o coordinate more completely their investigations as well as t o conduct them according t o t h e most improved methods. T h e succeeding numbers will be issued as th.e material accumulated permits. The present number is of unusual interest. It contains t h e first complete outline of t h e extent a n d nature of t h e work undertaken by our Forestry Service. It shows t h e nature of t h e present organization, established January, 1912, and t h e various lines of investigation t h a t are being followed out at present. T h e work as now organized falls under four main divisions : I . Dendrology, covering forest distribution a n d m7ood structure. 2 . Grazing, or the relation a n d utilization of forage crops in a n d adjacent t o forests without danger t o t h e forests a n d watershed. T h e field of work here is a broad one, t h e investigations covering such subjects as artificial a n d natural seeding, t h e production of t h e maximum value of forage crops, methods of handling stock on t h e range, etc. 3. Products: T h e aim of this work is t o obtain authentic information regarding properties a n d suitability for different purposes of various species a n d kinds of foreit products. The investigations deal with wood preservation, pulping processes, distillation, etc. 4 . Silviculture: The purpose of this division is t o secure a thorough knowledge of t h e nature a n d requirements of all forest trees in order t h a t existing forests m a y be handled in a scientific manner a n d t h a t new forests m a y be established t o secure t h e best returns in timber a n d other forest products. This broad field covers investigations in forestation; forest influence upon climate, stream flow. erosion; forest management, protection, utilization, etc. The final twenty-four pages of t h e volume are devoted t o a n outline of t h e plan of work t h a t has been approved for t h e ensuing year. Here we find all of t h e investigations t h a t are now being carried out classified under t h e topics mentioned above. The nature a n d scope of t h e work is briefly stated a n d t h e sections of country in which t h e investigations will be carried out are given. One can not look a t this splendidly organized work without feeling a keen regret t h a t t h e Forestry Service is so hampered b y lack of funds a n d men. No country is so fortunately adapted. as regards climate, soil a n d species, for this work as America. Now for a long
time we have been conscious of t h e evils a n d dangers t h a t are t o come from a neglect of this resource of t h e nation a n d yet in t h e face of all of this there is t h e blighting influence of a p a t h y a n d cheap politics. It is greatly t o be desired t h a t information of this nature, instead of reaching only t h e forest service a n d t h e few interested in this line of work, should be p u t out in a form so as to a t t r a c t t h e attention of t h e voting mass of t h e people. Past experiences mould seem t o warrant t h e belief t h a t very little is t o be expected from our politicians. T h e y are like chips upon t h e water. bobbing a n y way a chance wind may blow them. They are like a n administrative officer in charge of work concerning which he is ignorant. He can have no sympathy with t h e policies, owing t o his ignorance of t h e nature a n d scope of t h e work. He can not advise or lead, because he does not understand, a n d naturally he is led this way a n d t h a t way b y every selfish interest t h a t reaches him. The majority of our legislators are in t h e same situation. Keither b y nature nor b y training are they adapted t o carry on t h e work in t h e positions t o which t h e y are elected. They can not exercise judgment concerning matters of which they are ignorant a n d their actions are very largely controlled by selfish interests and p e t t y policies. So imperative is t h e need of conducting t h e work of our forestry service upon a larger scale i n accordancewith t h e outlines of this bulletin t h a t i t would seem wise t o devise some scheme of acquainting t h e people of t h e country with t h e nature of t h e problem t h a t demands their immediate attention a n d action. It is not t o be questioned t h a t if t h e country were informed of t h e importance of this work, steps would be taken t o give it adequate support. C. C. CURTIS WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH THE AMERICAN CHEMIST? I n t h e article on “ W h a t ’ s t h e Matter with t h e American Chemist?” in this issue, Mr. Grosh seems t o think that we have indeed entered upon parlous times, a n d t h a t t h e lack of appreciation o r cooperation between t h e manufacturer a n d t h e scientist is demoralizing t h e chemist. His principal illustration in support of his views is t h e American dyestuff ind u s t r y ; he laments t h e fact t h a t o u r chemists cann o t supply t h e home market with t h e required dyes so largely employed in t h e textile industry. There is no gainsaying t h e fact t h a t in spite of tariff protection a n d t h e high genius of American chemists in general, dyestuffs can be manufactured cheaper a n d better in Germany t h a n in this country. T h e dyestuff industry in fact does not seem t o be well adapted t o t h e conditions obtaining here in America. I n t h e first place, t h e manufacture of dyestuffs has heretofore necessitated large a n d specially trained corps of research chemists working more o r less blindly in t h e hope of “getting something.” I n Germany there are numbers of chemists graduating from t h e universities
