cult situations he may mark or direct the marking of each tree
himself. Marking is fascinating work.

Later, while the logging is under way, the Forest Examiner will often
inspect it to see that the terms of the sale are complied with, that the
trees cut are thrown in places where they will not unduly damage either
young growth or the larger trees which are to remain, and that the other
conditions laid down for the logging in the contract of sale are
observed. The scaling of the logs to determine the amount of payment to
the Government will many times be under his supervision, although in the
larger sales this work, as well as the routine inspection of the
logging, is usually carried out by a special body of expert lumbermen,
who often bring to it a much wider knowledge of the woods than the men
in actual charge of the lumbering.

In nearly every National Forest there are areas upon which the trees
have been destroyed by fire. Many of these are so large or so remote
from seed-bearing trees that natural reproduction will not suffice to
replace the forest. In such localities planting is needed, and for that
purpose the Forest Examiner must establish and conduct a forest nursery.
The decision on the kind of trees to plant and on the methods of raising
and planting them, the collection of the seed, the care and
transplanting of the young trees until they are set out on the site of
the future forest, forms a task of absorbing interest. Such work often
requires a high degree of technical skill. It is likely to occupy a
larger and larger share of the time and attention of the trained men of
the Forest Service.

[Illustration: A FOREST EXAMINER RUNNING A COMPASS LINE]

The Forest Assistant's or Examiner's knowledge of surveying makes it
natural for him to take an important part in the laying out of new roads
and trails in the forest, or in correcting the lines of old ones, and
there is little work more immediately useful. The forest can be
safeguarded effectively just in proportion to the ease with which all
parts of it can be reached. Forest protection may be less technically
interesting than other parts of the Forester's work, but nothing that he
does is more important or pays larger dividends in future results.

In addition to his studies of the habits and reproduction of the
different trees for working plans or timber sales, or simply to increase
his knowledge of the forest, the Forest Examiner is often called upon to