While the power of the Forestry Department rests with the Regents of
the University, acting through the Advisory Board, the detail work is
in the hands and under the management of the State Forester, who is
secretary of the Board, and all correspondence and inquiries should be
addressed to him at 1411 Fidelity Building, Baltimore.
Scientific Staff:

F. W. Besley, State Forester Baltimore
Karl E. Pfeiffer, Assistant State Forester Baltimore
Walter J. Quick, Jr., Assistant Forester Baltimore
C. F. Winslow, Extension Forester College Park
H. C. Buckingham, District Forester Cumberland
R. H. Hershberger, District Forester Laurel
Nelson H. Fritz, District Forester Salisbury

The State Forester has studied the timber interests of each of the
twenty-three counties in detail and the statistics and information col-
lected are published for free distribution, accompanied by a valuable
timber map to all who may apply. He will co-operate with counties,
towns, corporations and individuals, in preparing plans for the protec-
tion, management and replacement of trees, woodlots and timber
tracts under an agreement that the party obtaining such assistance
pay at least the field expenses of the men employed.

An important work of the Forester is to encourage methods of
preventing and extinguishing forest fires which annually destroy
thousands of dollars worth of young timber. For this purpose a forest
protection system has been established. The state is divided into
three districts, each in charge of a District Forester, assisted by nine
part..time District Forest Wardens and 680 Forest Wardens. There
is also a system of 30 lockout towers for detecting forest fires and
24 forest guards to respond promptly to fire calls. The laws against
setting out fires are very strict. The State and Counties divide the
expense of extinguishing fires.

The Department also administers nine state forests and five
state parks, comprising about 65,000 acres in eleven different counties.
The main purpose of the forests is for timber growing and watershed
protection, but they also serve along with the state parks as a recrea-
tion ground for the people of the State, being visited every year by
thousands for camping and other forms of recreation.

The Roadside Tree Law directs the Department of Forestry to care
for those trees growing within the right-of-way of any public highway
in the State, and no tree can be cut or trimmed by a corporation or
individual without a permit from the Forestry Department, after ap-
plication has been made to the State Forester. The Forestry Depart-
ment co-operates with the State Roads Commission in tree planting
along state highways.

A State Forest Nursery, established in 1914, furnishes trees at
cost for forest planting and for planting along roadsides.

STATE WEATHER SERVICE.

Name. Postoffice.
Edward B. Mathews, Director Johns Hopkins University Baltimore
John R. Weeks, Meteorologist, U. S. Custom House Baltimore

The State Weather Service continues its work of compilation of
local statistics regarding climatic conditions and in the dissemination
of information regarding the climatology and current weather of
Maryland under the Regents of the University of Maryland through
the State Geologist as successor of the Maryland State Weather Ser-
vice Commission. The State Geologist ex-officio is Director, perform.