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Master Negative Number CONTENTS OF REEL 60 1 ) Forest leaves, v. 6 MNS# PSt SNPaAg060.1 2) Forest leaves, v. 7 MNS# PSt SNPaAg060.2 3) Forest leaves, v. 8 MNS# PSt SNPaAg060.3 4) Forest leaves, v. 9 MNS# PSt SNPaAg060.4 Title: Forest leaves, v. 6 Place of Publication: Philadelphia Copyright Date: 1897 Master Negative Storage Number: MNS# PSt SNPaAg060.1 <2062721>**OCLC*Form:serial2 lnput:HHS Edit:FMD 008 ENT: 980122 TYP: d DT1: 1886 DT2: 1950 FRE: u LAN: eng 010 sc 79003849 022 0097-1 294 035 (OCoLC) 1950889 037 PSt SNPaAg059. 1-065.5 $bPreservation Office, The Pennsylvania State University, Pattee Library, University Park, PA 16802-1805 090 00 SD1 $b.P5 $cstPX $s+U1X1886-U36X1950 090 20 Microfilm D344 reel 59-65 $cmc+(service copy, print master, archival master) $s+U1X1886-U35X1945 245 00 Forest leaves 260 Philadelphia $bPennsylvania Forestry Association $c1 886-1 950 300 36 V. $bill. $c28 cm. 310 Bimonthly $bJan.-Feb. 1 940- 321 Frequency varies $b1 886-1 939 362 0 [Vol. 1]-v. 36, no. 5 (July 1 886-Nov.-Dec. 1950) 533 Microfilm $mv.1 (1886)-v.35 (1945) $bUniversity Park, Pa. : $cPennsylvania State University $d1998 $e7 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. $f(USAIN state and local literature preservation project. Pennsylvania) $f(Pennsylvania agricultural literature on microfilm) 590 Archival master stored at National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD : print master stored at remote facility 590 This item is temporarily out of the library during the filming process. If you wish to be notified when it returns, please fill out a Personal Reserve slip. The slips are available in the Rare Books Room, in the Microfilms Room, and at the Circulation Desk 650 0 Forests and forestry $zPennsylvania $xPeriodicals 650 0 Forests and forestry $xSociefies, etc. $xPeriodicals 650 0 Forrest and forestry $zUnited States $xPeriodicals 710 2 Pennsylvania Forestry Association 785 80 $tPennsylvania forests 830 0 USAIN state and local literature preservation project $pPennsylvania 830 0 Pennsylvania agricultural literature on microfilm Microfilmed By: Challenge Industries 402 E. State St P.O. Box 599 Ithaca NY 14851-0599 phone (607)272-8990 fax (607)277-7865 www.Iightlink.com/challind/microl.htm IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (QA-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 1 5.0 ■to 2.8 m 23 2.2 2.0 1.4 1.8 1.6 — 150mm // /APPLIED A IIVMGE . Inc — 1653 East Main Street ^ Rochester, NY 14609 USA j= Phone: 716/482-0300 Fax: 716/288-5989 O 1993, Applied Image, Inc., All Rights Reserved ikn"^ '^< c^kAu nv %f2^i^ ^2105 03 Cr. By cash, sundries, postage, office rent, etc., $346 95 By publication of F'oREST Leaves, 981 83 By Assistant Secretary's salary, . 600 00 By lectures, hall rent, etc., . . 338 40 By expenses Membership Com- mittee, 103 69 $2494 85 $2370 87 Balance on hand Dec. 5th, 1896, . ;J5i23 98 Chas. E. Pancoast, Treasurer. Audited and found to be correct, Wm. S. Kirk, Albert B. Weimer, Auditing Committee. This was followed by the presidential address, which will be found on another page in this issue. Mr. John M. Shrigley, of the Williamson Free School, urged the importance of tree planting by institutions and large land owners, and stated that the Williamson school had set out one hundred acres of land in oak trees. Dr. J. L. Ziegler, of Lancaster, thought that many of the young farmers of Lancaster County could be interested in the forestry movement. He also presented the association with a photo- graph of the famous oak tree in front of the Done- gal Presbyterian Church at Mt. Joy, under which the congregation gathered during the Revolution and swore allegiance to the Continental Govern- ment. Messrs. William S. Kirk and Samuel Marshall were appointed tellers of the election, and after the ballot had been counted, announced the following persons as the officers for the ensuing year : President^ John Birkinbine. Vice-Presidents, Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins, James C. Haydon, Prof. William P. Wilson. Secretary, Dr. J. T. Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. J. P. Lundy. Treasurer, Charles E. Pancoast. Council-at-Large, Dr. A. L. Elwyn, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, W. S. Harvey. Council from Philadelphia County, J.Rodman Paul, Eli Kirk Price, Richard Wood, Henry Budd, A. B. Weimer, Henry Howson, Mrs. George W. Carpenter. The meeting then adjourned, after one of the most successful business sessions the association has ever held, and the energy and enthusiasm dis- played auguring well for decided advances during the coming year. — America does not seem as favorable to the longevity of trees as are many parts of the Old World, says Meehan's Monthly. It is said that pines in the north of Europe are known to have endured for nearly 500 years. In Bavaria there is a larch which is known to be 255, many oaks in Germany are known to be over 300 years old, and some over 200 years. Of other trees, individuals are known that have reached the ages set opposite lo them: Ash, 170 years; birch, 160 to 200 years; aspen, 220 years ; mountain maple, 225 years; elm, 130 years; and red alder, 145 years. In our country there are few that are more than mere remnants. Most of Bartram's trees are gone wholly or are fading. The famous cypress has yet a few green branches. The fine silver fir on the Johnson estate in Germantown, though less than 100 years old, is entirely dead now. President's Address. (Presented by Mr. John Birkinbine at the Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Dec. 14, 1896.) To the Members of the Pennsylvania Forestry As- sociation. 7\ S the report of Councils presents a retrospect J^A_ of the work of the Association during the ^* past year, the President may with propriety direct attention to what seems to be before the organization. The present status of the forestry movement in Pennsylvania may be fairly considered as critical, to the extent that if those who are interested in forest protection fail to take advantage of the favorable conditions now existing, the cause which we have espoused may receive a set back. After eleven years of persistent effort there is much encouragement in the public sentiment which is voiced by the press of the State in favor of preserving our forests from destruction, and of reforesting waste areas. Step by step advances have been made, some apparently so slight as to suggest discouragement, others more pronounced in their results ; but although each year since its organization, the Pennsylvania Forestry Associa- tion has shown some progress, the year 1896 has presented more that is apparently advancement than any of the others. We have reached a point where failure to advance may suggest defeat. Largely augmented membership is one of those favorable signs, others are the publicity given to the work of the Association by the press, and the interest exhibited in Arbor Day celebra- tion by the people of the State. Another is the existence of a handsome and valuable work (the Report of the Forestry Commission issued by the State for free distribution to its citizens), which discusses the forest problems of Pennsylvania, so that all may understand them. This report leaves no excuse for State or county officers or any citi- zen being in ignorance of the laws which affect the forests, or of the relative extent of wooded areas and waste land, or of the damage done-by fire and flood, or of possible protective measures. Either by recommendations in the message of the Chief Executive or by bills introduced by members, legislation looking to the preservation of the forestal remnant, or the encouragement of new growths will be suggested to the general as- sembly of Pennsylvania in session. The influence of the friends of forestry in favor of, or their in- activity (which may be assumed as opposition) to remedial measures may bring about the passage or defeat of such legislation. It is, therefore, impor- tant that all who favor forest protection should familiarize themselves with any legislation proposed, giving it careful consideration so as to offer such as is worthy endorsement, and such as is not in the M' FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. i< interest of true forest reform, condemnation. But such approbation or disapproval will amount to little unless brought to the attention of the legis- lators, and although the council of the Associa- tion, its committees, or if necessary the Associa- tion called in special meeting, may take action for or against specific measures, or appear before the general assembly, it is the privilege, if not the duty of individual members to make known their wishes to the Senators and Representatives of the districts in which they reside, or to others with whom they may be acquainted. If Pennsylvania is to have forest areas reserved on the drainage basins of our rivers, to assist in maintaining a supply of timber and regulating the flow of our streams, those who favor restoration of our forests, must unite their influence with those whose industries sufler from droughts or whose property is destroyed by freshets. If any equitable method is presented for the encouragement of timber growths, either by re- ducing taxation upon woodlands, or by granting bonuses or premiums for their propagation, those enrolled as members of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association will naturally be expected to exert their influence in favor of such method. If the waste lands which now make much of the State barren, and which, owing to the denudation of the timber, are being robbed of nutritive soil, and are, by the washings from them, damaging other lands which are arable, are to be reforested, the pronounced friends of forestry will be counted as possible supporters of such action. If the ravages of forest fires are to be reduced, if those who originate them are to be punished' if the county officers, remiss in their prescribed duties, neglect to extinguish fires, or to seek out the authors of such destruction, are to be brought to account by improved legislation, we, who preach forest preservation, should be among the active advocates of such measures. If appreciation of the value of forests and love of trees are to be instilled in the youth of to-day, such interest must be excited, and those who pre- side over their education should be enlisted in this work. It was especially gratifying at two Arbor Day meetings of the past year, to note the active part taken by some of our leading educators in advocating true forestry. With a membership of i coo liberally distributed throughout our own State, and to some extent in adjoining states, the interest which could be ex- erted by the Pennsylvania Forestry Association should be potent, and if each member should make it his or her business to enlist in the cause of for- estry the interest of a Senator or Representative such influence would be recognized. The roll of I GOO is far from representing the list of the friends of the forestry cause in Pennsylvania, and personal effort on the part of individual members with friends and acquaintances will augment the power which the Association can exert by a show of numbers. Where members of the Association know of damage by forest fires, and especially if such dam- age is in any way due to the failure of county officers to attempt in the method prescribed by law to stop the spread of fire, or to ferret out and punish those who caused the fires, a report of the same to the Forest Commissioner or to the office of this Association may be the means of reducing loss due to this cause. The interest and activity of the officers of an association will not always compensate for the lack of these qualities in mem- bers, and the exhibition of personal effort will soon extend from one member to others. Lectures on Forestry at the University of Wisconsin. THE University of Wisconsin deserves special mention among educational institutions from the fact that it is the first of our great universities to present at greater length the subject of forestry to its students from the standpoint of economics and sociology. Dr. B. E. Fernow, Chief of the Division of Forestry, lately delivered during the month of December a successful course of lectures in the University of Wisconsin, entirely devoted to the needs of students, economic and social, on the subject of forestry. The audiences varied from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty voluntary attendance. The course was begun by an introductory lecture on the relation of the State to natural resources in general, incidentally show- ing the importance of the forest in the household of the nation, pointing out the comparative neg- lect of this branch of economics aud outlining general principles that should guide in considering the subject. This was followed by seven other lectures which treated the forest in its various aspects. As a resource, Dr. Fernow outlined in detail the commercial significance of forest prod- ucts, the extent of their application and the pecu- liar advantages in their use ; the dependence of other industries on their supply, and the position which wood-working industries occupy in the national household, with special reference to the United States. The third lecture was devoted to a discussion of the forest as a condition of the earth's surface and the claimed and observed influences of forest areas on climate, health, and water flow, citing cases of marked modifications in those regions which have been deforested. One of the most interesting lectures in the course was that on forest growth and sylviculture, in which c * the biology or natural history of forest growth was outlined and described, as well as the technique resulting from this knowledge in reproducing and improving forest growth. Perhaps no lecture in the whole course was more important than the one on forest management. In this, business aspects and business methods were discussed, showing their difference as compared with other industries, especially in the application of capital. Dr.*Fernow emphasized the important role which the time element plays in forest pro- duction, making it unattractive to the employment of private capital, for in the production of timber supplies large capital must be tied up for long periods, sometimes more than one hundred years, and often longer time, must elapse before there is any return. The peculiarities, difficulties, and need of systematic forest management as a private in- dustry, and the advantage of State ownership or control was also emphasized. The three remaining lectures treated fully of forest policies in general, pointing out the position which the State should, or could, take towards the forest resources, and the various methods by which this position can take practical shape. The lec- tures also included a statistical and historical account of the status of forest policies among the leading European nations, closing with a brief statement of the condition of our forest resources and the attempts at establishing a forest policy by the States and Federal Government. It is safe to say that this course of lectures was in many respects a revelation to most, if not to all, who heard them. It is impossible to listen to Dr. Fernow's lectures and not be convinced of the crime of deforesting a country like ours and making no intelligent and scientific effort to re- pair the damage, thus putting nature in the way of serving future generations with the same gen- erosity with which she has ministered to us, and yet also realize the difficulties, economic and otherwise, in bringing about reforms. The interests of forestry are not sectional, but concern society as a whole, being second only in importance to agriculture. This statement is met with surprise by the majority of people, and shows the need of widespread knowledge upon the sub- ject of forestry. To this end, a course of lectures such as has been here far too briefly outlined, should be given in*every college and university in the land, for it is to those who receive the benefits of scientific training that the country looks for leaders in every great movement which touches the common weal. Mary Elizabeth Young. Madison, Wis. — Bamboo is being experimented with as a pos- sible substitute for wood. Houses Built in Trees. TRAVELLERS report that the natives of New Guinea construct their houses in the top of the tallest forest trees. First a native, hav- ing climbed the great trunk of the teak or cedar or oak tree he has selected, begins by cutting off some of the branches the right length to support a plutform of bamboo on which his house is to rest. He has no saw or steel-edged axe, but only a sort of tomahawk made of stone and knives of bone or hard wood. When, however, he has managed to get the limbs of his tree so cut and fashioned as to support his house, his hardest work is done. The house itself is soon built and is made of bamboo strips and thatched with palm leaves. All parts are firmly lashed together with strips of rattan palm, a very tough vine, used by the natives in place of ropes. It is not a large house, though it sometimes contains several rooms, but it is a safe and secure retreat for the women and chil- dren in case of a sudden attack by hostile tribes. The house is reached from the ground by a long ladder or inclined plane, made of woven vines. In case an enemy appears the ladder is drawn up, and the man and his family and the pig are safe within the house. The elevation not only secures the household from wild beasts and from the ants that roam the country, seeking what they may devour, but also from disease germs, which, like those of yellow fever, do not rise above a certain level. — Philadelphia Inquirer, — The vessel in which Dr. Nansen made his Arctic voyage was built of Douglas fir, the ex- plorer, after sufficient test, preferring that wood to all others. During the voyage, the staunch little ship was subjected to great hazard from ice floes. On one occasion she was in a floe which squeezed her on all sides with ice thirty feet in thickness. But the fir in the vessel's timbers withstood all pressure. Nansen wrote enthusiastically of the conduct of his vessel and the Douglas fir. This North Pacific coast wood is becoming of world- wide favor on account of its toughness, elasticity and endurance under strain, coupled with a re- markable lightness, considering its strength. — Northwestern Lumberman, — Paris is making the venture of laying down mahogany roadways. The Rue Lafayette has been pulled up and relaid with real Brazilian ma- hogany of a peculiarly fine texture and color. 8 FOREST LEAVES. Nyssa Sylvatica, Gum Tree, Tupelo, Pepperidge, Black Gum, Sour Gum. tT would be well if one could keep names, both common and botanical, for our trees in some regular system, but so long as human nature is as it is I am of the opinion that the attempt is hopeless. Though to be perfectly frank, so far as our Pennsylvania trees are concerned, the com- mon names are quite as fixed as the botanical. It is true that once in a while ambiguity is likely to creep in from a confusion of terms. The tree in question is one in point. When we speak of the gum tree we mean the Nyssa sylvatica ; or in other words, the sour gum. South of Washington the term gum tree would mean the Liquidambar Sty- raciflua, or what is often called the sweet gum by the people. • The latter, the sweet gum, is a tree of many uses, and probably will be more valued in the near future than it now is. On the contrary, the sour gum has a very narrow range of capabilities, so far as we yet have taken to using it. Altogether it is variable in all its relations. For example, it will grow on dry mountain sides, where I have found some of the largest specimens with which I am acquainted in this State. On the other hand, I can remember many vigorous specimens which are flourishing with their roots perpetually bathed in swamp water. In fact, it is probably more common in swamps in the southern portion of the United States than it is on dry ground. This starts almost interesting problem in the sur- vival of trees. North or south, there is a com- paratively small number of species which have the ability to live in the swamps as the gum tree and the bald cypress do. Other trees might, if they were obliged to live in the swamps, become ex- tinct. The bald cypress and the gum tree, having but few active competitors in the swamps, would in all probability survive and thrive. Then, again, the spur gum is as variable in its shape as it is in its place of growth. Some speci- mens are tall, straight, and have only a few short branches, near the top, which produce a very small head. Other individuals, as in the figure which illustrates this article, have a system of branches which produces a tree of oblong shape. Then, again, we frequently see trees of this species which are much broader than tall. These peculiarities of shape are by no means confined to the gum tree, but in other kinds of trees one is apt to dis- cover that the shape is caused by the situation, whether it is in the woods or in the open ground. But the gum tree is more apt to assume its shape, with us, regardless of situation. Ordinarily, one may at once determine a tree growing in Penn- sylvania by its bark. Recently, however, I encoun- tered a gum tree with bark much more like that of an elm than it was like that of the ordinary gum. In fact, the bark of the tree which illus- trates the tree shape (in this article) differs from that illustrating the trunk. The latter was selected because the other did not show a characteristic gum pattern. I have photograplis taken from different sides of the same tree, and the appear- ance of the bark is so unlike that one might readily suspect that they came from different trees. The branches on a gum tree may be straight, long, and switch like. More commonly they are not only crooked, but almost kinky — nearly as much so as those of the persimmon. The observing person can hardly fail to be struck by the general resem- blance which the black walnut, the persimmon and the gum tree have to each other in this, that all have dark bark with many deep clefts that divide the bark into somewhat regular oblong ridges, or masses, with squarish ends ; and besides all have the same contorted, kinky branches. While the general mode of curvature in all of these branches is the same, those of the walnut are probably more graceful and less angular than in the persimmon and the gum tree. As observed here, very large gum trees are almost invariably hollow in the trunk. There are apt very often to be openings left among the branches which show where a limb has been torn out. There are some trees which show character- istic defects. The old Sequoias of California, the largest hemlocks of our mountain sides, our mature bald cypress, and our gum trees become ragged in the tops in much the same manner. It is a rare thing to find our oaks, or our hickories, so syste- matically maimed. It is the more strange that the gum should suffer from loss of limbs, because its leaf surface is not inordinately large and its branches are outgrowths from a stem whose fibres are closely interlocked. The gum with us some- times reaches a height of seventy feet and a diam- eter of two feet, or even a little more, but such trees are past their prime, as a rule. The gum tree lumber decays very rapidly, espe- cially if it is subjected alternately to moist and dry conditions. For example, it would not make a good fence post, unless it were located in a peat bog. It endures constant immersion in salt water well. Hence it has been used along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico for '* wharf piles." It fur- nishes a '* tolerable timber" for the keel of an ocean-going ship, because such vessels seldom allow the keel to become dry : but if, on the other hand, it is used in one of the smaller vessels, which are often hauled out, decay soon appears. The leaves of the gum are somewhat crowded on the ends of the branchlets. When young they are rather brown in color from the hairs which cover them. Later they become smooth, except on the midrib of the lower side where a few brown ,* .**?; I i Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. i, \ Forest Leaves, Vol. vi. No. i. > ■ w ill »: TRUNK OF THE GUM TREE. NYSSA SYLVATICA. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. GUM TREE. NYSSA SYLVATICA. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. Forest Leaves, Vol. vt, No. i, Forest Leaves, Vol. vi. No. i. GUM TREE. NYSSA SYLVATICA. QHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. W .1 <: TRUNK OF THE GUM TREE. NYSSA SYLVATICA. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE m FOREST LEAVES. f^ f ¥i hairs may remain. The upper surface of the ma- ture leaf is a shining green : the lower surface is lighter colored. In autumn or often earlier, if the nutrition of the tree or of a branch is interfered with, the upper surface of the leaves in the por- tion affected becomes a bright scarlet color. The margin of the leaf is quite entire, that is, it is never notched or divided in any way. In outline the leaf varies from narrowly to broadly oblong, and tapers more or less distinctly to a point at each end. When fully mature it is from two to live inches long and has a footstalk of about half an inch to an inch and a half long, which is often conspicuously hairy on the margin. Flowers, in the common sense, the gum tree has not ; at least there is no conspicuous coralla. Of course, however, that which essentially consti- tutes a flower, fhe reproductive organs, are present. These are, botanically considered, genuine flowers. They are usually of but one sex, either male or female, on any given tree. Occasionally, though quite seldom, both sexes may be present in the same flower. The male flowers arise from the axil — /. e. the angle between the upper part of the leafstalk and the stem. They are in small clusters on a common, thread-like footstalk, which is from half an inch to an inch long. The individual flower is greenish-yellow. Its most conspicuous feature is the stamens, which, from six to twelve in number, arise from a minute disk-like body. The female, or fertile, flowers arise, as do the male, from the axil of the leaf. On a slender, hairy foot stalk, which is an inch or more long and bears at its summit a cluster of very small scales, within the circle of which will be found from three to eight minute fertile flowers, each of which consists essentially of a pistil with a conspicuous hairy style. The mature fruit is elliptic, nearly or quite half an inch long, of a blue-black color, the pulp acid in taste ; the stone, or seed, being oval, somewhat flattened and marked plainly with longitudinal lines. These "■ gum berries,'* as*the fruit is pop- ularly called, are eagerly eaten by such birds as the robins and flickers. Hunters formerly, taking advantage of this fact, concealed themselves near such trees and shot the birds as they came to feed. It is a pleasure to add that it is now done to a much less extent than it was. The sour gum ranges from Maine to Tampa and from Ontario to the Brazos in Texas. The physical properties of the sour gum have been stated by Professor Sargent thus: Specific gravity, 0.6356, or when absolutely dry as 0.6353 ; percentage of ash, 0.52 ; relative approximate fuel value, 0.6323 ; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 39.61, or if this be absolutely dry, at 39.59 ; in order of strength it ranks 118 on the list of 310 species of our American trees. The sour gum was once in great demand for making wagon hubs. It is now generally super- seded by the rock elm, which is not only as hard to split, but resists decay longer. The expression " Tough as a gum log " comes from the difficulty of splitting a billet of this wood, whose fibres are so interlocked. As a fuel, when seasoned, it would rank high if it were less troublesome to reduce to proper size. In Pennsylvania it is but seldom used. It is said by Sargent to be used for rollers in glass-factories. It was once taken in this State as a material for ox yokes. Oxen, how- ever, are but little used here now. J. T. ROTHROCK. Governor Hastings' Message. TN his biennial message to the Legislature, his I Excellency Daniel H. Hastings, Governor ^ of Pennsylvania, shows that the sentiments which he expressed in his address at our Phila- delphia Arbor Day celebration, April 10, 1896, were deep seated. The treatment of the forestry problem in the message is frank, and shows aggres- sive spirit, which will be welcomed by the readers of Forest Leaves. We wish Governor Hastings could have felt justified in going a step further ; and in addition to his recommendation concerning the acquisition of waste lands, which are neces- sarily scattered and upon which timber must be grown, that he would have advised the purchase of some connected areas on which timber is now standing, as the nuclei of forest reserves. We give below the portion of Governor Hast- ings' message referring to forestry : " Pennsylvania was originally one of the best wooded of the Eastern States. For many years we stood first as a lumber-producing State. With the exception of an occasional lake or an open meadow, the entire State was woodland. The Forestry Commissioner estimates that about thirty- six per cent, of the entire area of the State may yet be classed woodland, but most of this has been stripped of its valuable merchantable timber. Much of it, although claimed as woodland, pos- sesses almost nothing that is worthy of the name or would be valued by lumberman for sale or by the mechanic for construction. Many of these large unproductive tracts present a picture of desolation which cannot well be contemplated without awakening apprehension as to their future bearing on the prosperity of the Commonwealth. " Most of Pennsylvania's timber crop during the course of many years floated down our rivers on the spring freshets in the form of logs, rafts, arks, and other floating combinations of native woods on their involuntary way to the market. The North and West Branches of the Susquehanna, ?■'• 10 FOREST LEAVES. the Allegheny, the Monongahela, the Delaware and the 'smaller tributary streams ^-je -^^^^^^^^ presented interesting pictures of the P^ss^^SJ^* Pennsylvania's forests from headwaters to market ^ So profitable has been our timber crop that about four-fifths of it has already been broug^^t^^^^^^ market. The railroads have mvaded th^ forests wSe the streams were not large enougn U> J^^^^^ the timber, and the portable saw ^^^ ^^^^^f^^ havoc with the smaller timber growths Ihere cannot be much objection to the remova of a tree nfte? it gets its full growth if the removal be for a Sw u ip'urp^^^^^^^ No'r is it reasonable to expect the famier or the landowner to give up his land to the ra s^ng of a timber crop that takes fifty years or r^oe to mature and that costs him in taxes more Tan the natural crop will ^nn^ ^l^^^i^'by the that period. This is not what is asked by the friends of the Pennsylvania forests. Their desire ;"o tee that all th'e land of the State which . absolutely good for nothing else be utihzed in g^wii g tim^^^^ The Forestry Commissioner Estimates that if the land unfit for agricultural purposes and not worth more than an average of 5xTr acre were protected from further destruc fion by the hand of man and from forest fires the imber^alue of the crop produced at the end of fifty years would be worth, at present values, a billion and a half of dollars, or an average of thirty million dollars per year. - Aside from the money value to the State and the people, there are other and probably greater considerations to be taken into account. 1 his is perhaps the first generation in this Commonwealth that has been brought face to face with the dan- cers and disasters of a timberless country Ihe removal of the marketable timber from our forests, thus cutting off one of the great industries of the State, and the fact that Pennsylvania is no longer able to supply her own inhabitants the lumber which they require, are of themselves discouraging; but when coupled with the apprehension that further destruction of the forests will work per- petual harm to our agricultural interests, the situ- ation becomes alarming. It is recognized as a fact that of the waters which fall upon cleared areas, four-fifths are lost because they run imme- diately out of the country ; while four-fifths of the waters which falls upon our forest areas are saved ; thus proving that if the vast volumes of water which so frequently deluge the State could be retained long enough to soak into the ground destructive floods would be prevented and the consequent loss of property and life averted Two floods have occurred within the past eight years of unequalled proportions and destructiveness. Large areas of alluvial soil, once tilled, have been abandoned along the Juniata river because the repeated floods have made it impossible to main- tain fences or mature crops. This is true also of other portions of the State. During the past eigh years Te valleys of the Juniata and the West Cch of the Susquehanna have lost more than a Sion dollars in\he bridges which were swep ^ay The recurring floods overflowing the banks or/early all our rivers and the consequent loss of property! the personal danger, apprehension and fear are quite enough to excite serious solicitude. -Pennsylvania possesses vast areas of mountain- ous territory which are of no value whatever as aScultural or mineral lands. They are, however, of untold value to the State at large because they contain the sources of many of our rivers. When the owners have removed the timber, the land is generally deserted and no attempt is made to festore a growth of timber because it involves a period of time too long for private enterprise. Forest fires aid the work of destruction. ^' The great interests involved make it essential that our forests be protected and restored where- ever possible. The waste areas should come under proper guardianship. No interest so important should be left in private hands. The State should feel the necessity, and it has the power to protect and restore and guard against forest fires In the doing of this work, the rights of the private owner, of course, should be carefully guarded by proper compensation. The National Government has already set apart large areas of timber land as forestry reservations. New Jersey has ceded her portion of the Palisades to the Government as a SuX reservation. New York already maintains large forestry reservations, and the legislation needed to accomplish the same has met with , general approval. We were developing a tree- ' destroying instinct at a time when France, Ger- many, Splin, and Switzerland were realizing t ha there were in each country certain exposed areas which, after the forests were removed, ceased o be productive, and compelled the Pop^^ation to seek homes elsgwhere. France forniulated he experience into law when her statute d^d^red that trees were more necessary to the State than to the individual, and, therefore, the latter should not be allowed to destroy them at will. It may be stated as the truth of history that all countries that were once blessed with abundant forests and favora^^^ climate are now, with their forests gone, absolute wastes or the abode of perpetual droughts. ** Most of the wooded area is known in legal phrase as unseated land, much of which has be- come so valueless as to be sold for taxes at public auction by the county authorities at stated periods. The land advertised to be sold for taxes in June 1894, gathered from the printed lists furnished by newspaper advertisements over the name of the county treasurer, amounted to more than a million and a half of acres, or 2,358 square miles, while FOREST LEAVES. 11 the total amount of taxes upon which the sales were advertised to be made was $290,386. If the taxes were not paid the county became the pur- chaser of the lands, and, after holding for five years, will advertise it for sale again. Since the timber has been removed from the land it became valueless to the lumberman and taxes are gener- ally left unpaid. ** It is now submitted to the General Assembly that it would be both wise and profitable for the State, in some right manner, to become the owner of these vast and comparatively worthless forest areas which contain the source of our water sup- plies, and to hold them as such reservations, pro- tecting them from forest fires and encouraging regrowth of forest timber.'* Fire and Flood the Scodrge of Pennsylvania. ON Tuesday evening, January 19th, 1897, a meeting, under the auspices of the Penn- sylvania Forestry Association, the Penn- sylvania Horticultural Society, the Civic Club, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Drexel Institute, was held at Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia. At the appointed hour the room was well filled, and Mr. Robert Craig, vice-president of the Horti- cultural Society, introduced Dr. J. T. Rothrock, Forestry Commissioner of Pennsylvania, who de- livered an illustrated lecture on ** Fire and Flood — the Scourge of Pennsylvania.*' The speaker prefaced his lecture by reading some notes from the annual message of the Governor of New York State, referring to what was needed in the line of forestry legislation. He then spoke of the fact, that at first Pennsyl- vania was in great part forest clad, but now these woods have been generally cleared, it is proper to remove the timber for farm lands, and also for the lumber trade, provided, in the latter case, the timber is mature, but it is a matter of regret that the rougher portions of the State were cleared for the sole purpose of obtaining lumber or bark and then abandoned without care to the flames. If in some large areas in the State restoration is not soon commenced, it will be necessary to restore soil as well as trees. The one great obstacle to the growing of timber is forest fires. One error lies in the fact, that it is a popular opinion that fires will not spread in green timber. At one time (except in cases of unusual drought) this state- ment was true, but now there are many well-known instances where valuable bodies of green timber have been destroyed by fire in spite of all efforts to prevent it. The second error is, that the tim- ber growth is improved by an annual burning. Possibly, for a brief period, this was the case, but repeated fires destroy the seeds and humus. Under- brush, unless too dense, is no obstacle to vigorous forest growth, but rather a help. The increase of cleared areas has led to such an evaporation of moisture that the wooded lands are dried out, and hence more frequent burning. Numbers of views of many square miles in Miffiin, Centre, Clear- field, Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Luzerne and Sullivan counties, which had been devastated by the flames, were exhibited. It was stated that partial returns for 1896, received at the Forestry Division, showed that there was burned over in that year 178,982 acres of woodland, that 121,- 752,322 feet of standing timber, 7,391,080 feet of manufactured lumber, and 30,764 cords of bark were destroyed by fire ; ;J2 1,269 were expended in fighting the flames, and the reported money loss si-ggTQgSitGd $557,056. These returns are under- estimated. Each year enough land is laid waste to equal a strip one mile wide and 208 miles long, and this fire is as much a foe to our commercial interests as an invading force. The worst feature of repeated fires is the de- struction of the soil, which is usually thin, and this is the hardest to recover, especially on the hill sides and mountains. In addition, the failure to preserve and restore timber land is now threatening the continuance of our great lumbering industry. In fact, the pine is now almost gone, and the hemlock in a decade will be exhausted, sweeping away an industry which hitherto has distributed $20,000,000 annually among our wage earners. The removal of large timbered areas also means loss of water power, for which, under normal con- ditions, this State has great resources. Proper forest reservations would preserve these vast powers, and, when the coal becomes dearer, aid in securing the permanence of our great manufacturing indus- tries. Forest reservations also mean good water sup- plies for our towns and cities, and while filtration would be a boon to us now, the citizen would rather find safety in filtering water which he sup- poses to be pure. Forestry is not now a question of lumber, but of statesmanship, the proper and prompt solution of which means protection to the largest interests of the Commonwealth, and there is hope for early, decisive action. After a vote of thanks to Dr. Rothrock for his interesting lecture, the following resolutions were presented and enthusiastically adopted : Resolved, That we recognize the wisdom of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania in authorizing a Forestry Commission to examine and report upon the forestal conditions of the State of Penn- 12 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 13 sylvania, and in providing a liberal edition of this valuable report for the information of our citizens. Also to its action later in incorporating a Forestry Bureau in the Department of Agriculture, and would respectfully recommend that the Legislature now assembled make proper provision for the con- tinuance and extension of said Forestry Bureau. Resolved^ That we commend to the careful atten- tion of legislators the recommendation of Gov- ernor Hastings in his biennial message, that the waste and non-productive lands of the State be- come the property of the Commonwealth and be reforested, and urge that forestry reservations be established on the head waters of our principal rivers, as suggested in the reports of the Secretary of Agricufture and the Forestry Commission. Resolved^ That the frequency and extent of forest fires demand the serious attention, of our legislators, for these fires not only destroy timber, but also render the ground unfit for the production of profitable crops, and the impoverishment of the State thus becomes progressive. Resolved^ That the importance of the lumber industry, of the water supplies and water powers of the State, demand the careful husbanding of our lumber reserves and an increase of the area devoted to forest growths. Elk County's Hemlock. 71, WELL-KNOWN hemlock lumberman, Mr. r\^ Alfred Truman, of Bendigo, Pa., writing ^ of this industry in the Ridgway Advocate. says: The subject of the remaining tracts of hemlock timber yet standing in Elk county is one of gen- eral interest, and as the manufacture of hemlock lumber and the tanning industry have been the leading business features of the county for years past, so the same industries are likely to continue to be for some years yet to come. The estimate on the various tracts of hemlock timber in this county is placed at fifteen hundred and thirty millions. This includes sixty millions located in Cameron County, which will be sawed at St. Marys. It is safe to predict that at the rate hemlock lumber is being cut the supply will be exhausted in ten years. The amount of hemlock timber standing in Elk County before the work of wholesale destruc- tion began was not less than four thousand million feet. This will sound prodigious to some. It can be proven, however, to any intelligent lumberman that the amount was greater, rather than less. In the matter of land clearing and the peeling of timber for bark only, the waste is supposed to have been over two hundred million feet. According to the figures given, some twenty-three hundred millions have been manufactured in this county, furnishing freight to the various railroad com- panies of not less than three million four hundred and fifty thousand tons, which, at an average rate of %2 per ton, brings the total railroad receipts for hemlock shipments out of Elk County to ^6,900,000. The yield of bark from this same timber must have been not less than one million six hundred thousand tons, for which the railroad companies have received not less than $1,600,000. The cost in labor of manufacturing and loading on cars for shipment of the amount of hemlock stated has been $11,500,000; and at least $4,800,000 have been paid in labor for peeling, hauling and load- ing of bark. Successful as this business has been in furnish- ing employment to men, and freight to railroad companies, apart from this there are at least two extremely sad circumstances connected with its past history. The first is in having cut away so much of this natural wealth in so short a time, and the other still sadder fact is that so much of all this vast volume ot business has been done to almost no purpose, other than to render the once magnificent forests into desolate and dreary waste. A few have been successful, and are using their means in developing the various other industries of this locality. The many have nothing to show but the desolation they have made. In this same connection we may briefly view the situation in some of the adjoining counties, which is incom- parably worse than our own. A great deal of the natural wealth of Cameron County has been floated down the streams, and but little remains to-day of that recently busy region to represent its once boundless wealth. The case of Potter County is all but revolting. To witness the rate at which the forests are being cut away one would get the idea that the people had but one object, and that, to render that whole country a desert as speedily as possible. The ob- ject, however, is to create freight, and with as lit- tle regard for consequences as might be expected if this same freight consisted of rocks, or the earth from one of the numeraus mountains. This species of madness has been the curse of the industry almost from its beginning, and in- creases in intensity as the area of timber lands grows less, and threatens to continue until the top of the last hemlock tree has nodded its final fare- well to heaven. Turning to McKean County, a bird's-eye view of that county presents to the eye great territories made worthless by a band of reckless, extravagant and irresponsible men, whose operations, like some in our own county, came like a blight, leav- ing nothing but desolation and ruin to all and everything concerned. When the last hemlock tree has been felled, then must the great hemlock manufacturing indus- try cease forever ; but not so with the tanning of leather, for by the aid of science, and different known substitutes for bark, this latter business is destined to continue for all time. Therefore, sad and gloomy as is the certairity that our saw-mills must soon be numbered with the things of the past, it is cheering, however, to know that the great tanning industry will contiriue in activity after the sound of the mills has died away. The Rodman Buttonwood Tree. TV T a place called Flushing, in Bucks Co., Pa., /4\ on the Newportville Road, about one half- 6 mile from Newportville, and about two miles from Croydon Station, Penna. R. R., stands a magnificent plane tree, at least one hundred and fifty years old. While this tree may be known to a great many people, still it is as equally certain that a great many lovers of majestic trees do not know of its existence. The following is an extract from the memoirs of William Rodman, who planted this tree, fur- nished through the kindness of one of his great- great-granddaughters : ** When a young man, riding in a distant por- tion of his plantation (about i745)» William Rodman plucked up a little buttonwood sprout to use as a riding whip, which he planted, upon reaching his home, by the side of a spring at the foot of the slope below the house. Its stout roots slowly groped their way into the sources of this spring, and appropriated its crystal water, until no vestige of it remains. The little sprout has grown to be the largest tree east of the Rocky Mountains, measuring upward of thirty feet at its base, and twenty-five feet in circumference, seven feet above the ground. Within the dimensions of its venerable trunk the whole family of him who planted it, might comfortably be gathered together. Its dismembered branches would people a wood of no mean proportions. Generation after generation have sat beneath its far-reaching boughs, wondering at its vastness, and the story of their mortality is written in its broad green leaves. It is as vigorous and unimpaired by decay as it was a hundred years ago, and is yearly aug- menting its great dimensions. In the spring of 1861 the present proprietor, A. Murray Mcllvaine, who married a grand-daughter of William Rod- man, took down the old house at Flushing, built in 1 715, to make way for a more substantial striic- ture. The new house stands upon the same site occupied for so many years by the venerable man- sion which preceded it, with its gable end upon the brow of a gentle slope, which runs down toward the Neshaminy. At the foot of this slope stands the old buttonwood, whose wide branches reach halfway to the house walls. The creek flows two hundred yards distant, forty feet below the house, and in it, the ebb and flow of the tide is distinctly visible through the foliage. The road to Rodman^s ford runs in front of the house, one hundred and fifty feet from the porch, and in the spacious grounds which surround it, thickly studded with shade trees, the native greensward rolls, and slopes and spreads itself in level lawns over an area of about seven acres.*' This estate is now owned by Edward W. Patton, Esq. The tree now measures twenty-nine feet six inches at a point two feet from the ground, and twenty-eight feet four inches in circumference at a point six feet from the ground. It appears to be in a perfect state of preservation, vigorous and healthy, and bids fair to continue growing to an indefinite period in the next century. It is needless to add that Mr. Patton is very justly proud of this noble giant of the forest, and will spare no effort in doing everything possible for its preservation. John C. Lewis. Philadelphia, Pa. Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Forestry Association. THE annual meeting of the New Jersey For- estry Association was held in the Supreme Court room, Trenton, N. J., on January 5th, 1897. In the afternoon the reports of the Secretary and Treasurer were presented, showing that the association was in a flourishing condition. The subject of incorporation was discussed, a com- mittee being appointed to take the necessary steps, and appropriate resolutions offered on the death of the President, Mr. Augustus W. Cutler. Captain Mcllvaine delivered an address upon ** Fungoid Helps to Forest Growth," in which many valuable facts were presented, showing that they act as forest scavengers. In the evening, B. E. Fernow, Chief Division of Forestry, delivered an illustrated lec- ture in which the effects of fire and flood in New Jersey and other States, together with views of the expensive work necessary in reforesting some of the waste lands in France were shown. The following officers were elected ; President, Mrs. John C. S. Davis ; Vice-Presidents, Captain A. M. Bradshaw, Francis B. Lee. and Jules Eis- taurat ; Secretary and Treasurer, John C. Gifford : Executive Committee, Franklin Dye, John Hall, L. B. Ward, and Miss Susan Lippincott. 14 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 15 Excerpt from Report of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture of Pennsylvania. THE following, taken from the report of Hon. Thomas J. Edge, Secretary of the Depart^ ment of Agriculture to the Governor of Pennsylvania, shows that this department of the administration at Harrisburg is in thorough sym- pathy with forest reservation, and is an evidence of the good results which have followed from the estab- lishment of the Division of Forestry. We com- mend this excerpt from Secretary Edge's report to the careful perusal of the readers of Forest Leaves : /' Under the direction of Dr J. T. Rothrock, the Division of Forestry has made extended and com- plete investigations into the extent and money value of the losses annually sustained by the lumber interests of our State from forest fires, many of which are preventable, and for which our legisla- tive enactments, if enforced, would furnish a prac- tical preventive. Many thousands of dollars are annually lost by forest fires which can clearly be traced to preventable causes, such as hunting fires not extinguished by sportsmen, carelessness with matches, and fires kindled for the purpose of de- stroying underbrush. '' The examinations of this division plainly show that much less of this damage is caused by loco- motives than is generally supposed, it being found that many of the fires which have caused the great- est losses are remote from railway lines, where the cause can only be found in carelessness. " A resolution of the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives adopted March 21, 1895 (P- L- 1895, p 650), authorizes me to publish the report of the Forestry Commission of 1893 and 1894, if it is found to be sufficiently valuable. A careful exam- ination of this report demonstrates that it was of • great value to the lumber and agricultural interests of the State, and, after consultation with yourself and the Attorney General, it was published as Part II. of the annual report of this Department. The wisdom of this decision is proven by the great de- mand for the report, not only from scientific insti- tutions, but also from the farmers of the State who are anxious to study the economic questions which so closely relate to their welfare as does the one treated upon in the report of the Forestry Commission. " Dr. Rothrock has also been of great use to the Department in the work relating to Farmers' Institutes. His lectures upon the various phases of the forestry problem have aroused great inter- est among our farmers, and at each institute at which they have been delivered, the correspon- dence of the Department shows the benefit by the greatly increased amount of inquiries relating to this special topic. These lectures have also been in demand outside of our State, and Dr. Rothrock has been repeatedly detailed to deliver them in other States, where they have aroused no little interest in the problems connected with forestry. *'In view of the generally admitted effect of forests upon the water supply of our streams I would strongly advise that as soon as the condi- tion of the State Treasury will permit, an attempt should be made to obtain control of at least a portion of the timber areas on the water sheds of one or both branches of the Susquehanna, in Pennsylvania, by imitating the example of other States, and be placed in a position in the near future to influence the water supply by control- ling the character and condition of the forests upon the water sheds. This experiment may be made by degrees, as the condition of the Treasury may warrant, but a beginning cannot be made too soon, as the emergency becomes more pressing each year, and the difficulty of obtaining control of these areas is annually increasing. The import- ance of this work is beyond debate, and I consider It but a question of time wjien the State will be in duty bound to protect her water supplies, as the neighboring State of New York has already done." —A California laurel has split a large bowlder into three pieces. The tree is of the type common in many parts of California, but there are several queer things about it and its surroundings. The place where this one grows is a most unusual one for its species, which naturally requires considera- ble moisture. The fact of the tree taking root in a barren rock is also unusual in California, on ac- count of the long, dry summers, during which young sprouts usually perish unless there is con- siderable moisture in the soil. The location of this botanical curiosity is a few hundred feet east of the trail to the top of Tamalpais. The general appearance of the tree is unusual, and it is undoubt- edly very old. —The Connecticut Forestry Association was formally organized at Hartford, Conn., on Decem- ber 30, 1896. The following officers were elected to serve until the first annual meeting, which will be held on Arbor Day : President, Rev. Horace Winslow ; Secretary and Treasurer, Miss Daisy M. Winslow, While the Advisory Board consists of Judge Dwight Loomis, Dr. J. B. Lewis, Prof John B. McLean, and Richard B. Eno, together with the officers of the Association. The organization has now over thirty members including the Governor of the State, and will without doubt grow rapidly, doing much to aid the forestry cause in Connecticut. THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES IN THIS PAPER ARE MADE BY THE NEW Autoglyphic Process FOHE^T LEAVER. THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE PemisylTaiiia Forestry Association, OF ^W;^pHllrADBW?Htt '^^-B^ffl^r '^"'»i«ST'»?,"ED IN HIOHEST.M'SiTlO'' AND THE AEricaii Forestry Associatloii. ELPHIA SEND FOR CIRCULAR. The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, 1012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. LEIYIS'LEAF CHART. ■ PART 1, NOW HEADY, No. 1. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. Price 50 c No. 2. Annual-fruited Oaks : White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3. Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c Accompanying illustrated Booklet, relating to the Oaks. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of cash price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered In large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, «6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 VTest Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. I inch, 'A page, T (< RATES. I 6 insertion. insertions. $1.00 $4.00 12 insertions. $8.00 4.00 17.00 34-00 7.00 30.00 60.00 12.00 50.00 100.00 BUY NO INCUBATOR ON'T BUY ^8°.SS^UNTIU'*°tS~* TlieWin.H.|VIOON(!<>"iP>n)* MORRI8VIIiI^B> PA. / For their new descrip- Emaa live Ostalogus for Vm- rl ••s and pay for it before giving it a trial. The firm who is afraid to let you try their incubator before buying it, has no faith in their machine. We will sell you ours ON TRIAL, NOT A CENT until tried, and a child can run it with 5 minutes' attention a day. We won FIRST PRIZE WORI^B'S FAIR, and will win vou for a steady customer if you will only buy ours on trial. Our large catalogue will cost you 5 cents and give you $100 worth of practical infor- mation on poultry and incubators and the money there is in the business. Plans for Brooders, Houses, etc., 25 cts. N. B.— Send us the names of three per- sons interested in poultry and 25 cents and we will send you **The Bicycle: Its Care and Re- pair," a book of 180 subjects and 80 illustrations, worth $5 to any bicycle rider. VON CULIN INCUBATOR CO., BOX 1310 DELAWARE CITY, DEL 16 FOREST LEAVES. ORIENTAL PLANE, THE BEST TREE FOR STREET AND AVENUE PLANTING. At the present time tree-loving people are endeavoring to secure the best tree for plant- ing on the avenues and streets of our cities, and after a careful study of the matter we have reached the conclusion that the Oriental Plane is in every respect the most satisfactory. It is long lived, a rapid grower, and very clean, as it is never troubled with worms or insects. PL«NE THEES ON VICTORIA EMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES RIVER. LONDON. Five years ago, while in Europe for horticultural research, we found that for a num- ber of years, m London, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and other cities, this tree had been used with most successful results. It was found to be the onlv tree which would grow satisfactorily on the Victoria Embankment of the Thames River,' London. The parks and cemeteries in many of our cities and a number of our leading land- scape gardeners have recently been using the Oriental Plane very extensively for avenue planting. Can furnish many testimonials concerning the merits of this tree. Trees of good size 75 cents, $1.00, and $1.50 each. Special rates in quantity. ANDORRA NURSERIES, WILLIAM WARNER HARPER, Manager. CHESTNUT HILL PHILA PA SFECIAI.TIE8 : ' Large | Specimen Ornamental Trees, I Hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Vol. VI. Philadelphia, April, 1897. No. 2, Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, as North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second class matter. CONTENTS. Forestry Legislation and Edi- torials Bills Presented to the Legisla- ture of Pennsylvania, 1897... Arbor Day Proclamation Proposed Forestry Legislation in Indiana New Forest Reserves Forests and Water- Powers The Outlook.. Annual Meeting of the American Forestry Association Does Fottstry Pay? The Washington State Forestry Association ; The Big Trees 17-19 19-21 21 22 23 24 24-26 26-28 28 29 30 Subscription, $1.00 per Year. The attention of Nurserymen and others is called to the advantages ^Forest Leaves as an advertising medium. Rates will be fur- nished on application. Committee on Publication. John Birkinbinb, Chairman^ 25 North Juniper Street. F. L. BiTLER, 1820 Master Street. Prof. Wm. P. Wilson, 640 N. 32d Street. B. WiTMAN Dambly, Skippack, Pa. Charles A. Keffer, Dept. Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enact- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both State and National. Annual membership fee ^ One dollar. Life membership^ Fifteen dollars. Neither the membership nor the work of this Association is intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names \oA.B. Weimer, Chairman Member- ship Committee, 512 Walnut street, Phila. President, John Birkinbine. Vice-Presiaents , Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins. James C Haydon, Prof. Wm. P. Wilson. , j «. v.. General Secretary, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. Treasurer , Cnarles E. Pancoast. Council-ai- Large, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn. W S Harvey. Council from Philadelphia County, J. Rodman Paul, A. B Weimer Richard Wood, Eli Kirk Price, Henry Budd, Henry Howson, Mrs! George W. Carpenter. Council from ChesUr County, Mrs. H. J. Biddlc, Wm. S. Kirk Samuel Marshall. Council from Delaware County, Miss Grace Anna Lewis. Charles G. Ogden. Council from Montgomery County, Dr. H. M. Fisher, Dr. Alice Bennett, Dr. J. M. Anders, Hon. B. Witman Dambly, Dr. J. Newton Hunsbersfer, Dr. Samuel Wolfe. Opficb op the Association, 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia. Forestry Legislation. 7\ S the readers of Forest Leaves will notice, ,^\_ the necessity of protecting existing or of ^ propagating new forests is evidently re- ceiving widespread attention throughout the United States. The liberal reservations pro- claimed by ex-President Cleveland, and the meas- ure which passed both houses of Congress for the management of these reserves, to which attention is called in another column, indicate the interest taken in the matter by our national legislators. The report of the fire warden of Minnesota and the meeting of the Washington Forestry Associa- tion, as also the measures proposed for forest pre- servation in that well-timbered State, demonstrate that the northern tier of our States appreciates the importance of this movement. The strong mes- sages of the Governors of New York and Utah, the act to create a forestry commission in New Jersey the legislation asked for in Maine, Massachusetts, and Indiana, which are presented to our readers, are sufficient to indicate how widespread is the in- terest in forest protection. We trust that the State of Pennsylvania will not be behind its sister States in this mark of progress.- We are gratified to be able to endorse the vari- ous Pennsylvania bills printed in this issue, pro- viding for constables acting as fire wardens, au- thorizing the arrest without warrant of persons who set fire to forests ; requiring county officers to furnish information, and providing for the pur- chase of unseated lands. These bills are all worthy of support, and we trust that the friends of forestry will give them their cordial endorsement and per- sonal influence. We, however, believe that Pennsylvania needs more than these bills provide for. The purchase of unseated lands will undoubtedly form a valua- ble nucleus for future forests, but while these are growing up, drainage areas which are essential for the maintenance of the flow of our prominent streams are being denuded, and the Pennsylvania 18 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 19 Forestry Association has asked the Legislature to pass a bill which provides for the purchase of at least of 120,000 acres of forest lands and maintain- ing these as State reserves. Every consideration of public benefit seems to point to such action as wise. Undoubtedly, the destruction of the State Capitol, and other demands, will cause some legis- lators to consider that the State cannot afford this expenditure ; but as we have pointed out in another editorial, we believe that the improvement of the water-powers alone would increase the industrial wealth of the State far more than the amount which would be required for the purchase-price of these mountain lands. With the rapidly advanc- ing value of lumber, the annual growth of these forests would prove a good interest on the invest- ment, and the influences which forests have in re- stricting the flood damages will add further to the commercial advantages of such reservations. We trust that every friend of the forestry reser- vation in Pennsylvania will give the bills which are now before the Legislature, and which are printed in this issue of Forest Leaves, full, candid investi- gation, and that each one will use his or her per- sonal influence, no matter how small, towards the enactment of measures which will not only protect our existing forests from needless destruction, and which will provide for future forest growths on waste lands, but that they will also call especial attention to the necessity of the State securing, before it is too late, some existing forests as re- serves upon the headwaters of our prominent streams. Washington, with its wealth of timber, declares that an emergency exists demanding immediate jiction ; how much greater is the emergency in Penn- sylvania^ from which the forests have been so largely removed ? J. B. ♦ ♦ * ♦ 4c Friends of forestry everywhere will regret the failure of the Sundry Civil appropriation bill through lack of tirrte for its consideration by Pres- ident Cleveland. While in conference a provision was inserted by the House conferrees, at the suggestion of Hon. John F. Lacey, of Iowa, chairman of the House Committee on Public Lands, empowering the Secretary of the Interior to establish a system of forest utilization and management within the Forest Reservations proclaimed by President Cleve- land, and described in this issue of Forest Leaves. Both Senate and House passed the bill as thus amended, but it was in the last days of the session, and as President Cleveland was averse to signing any bill without thorough examination the bill failed. As the Sundry Civil bill carries large appropria- tions, covering a great variety of interests, it will of necessity be considered at the extra session, and it is earnestly to be hoped that Mr. Lacey will again push his measure to a successful issue in Congress. C. K. * * * * * The Washington State Forestry Association has demonstrated that it was organized for a definite purpose by having two bills introduced into the Senate of that State, both of which, at present writing, have passed the Senate and are expected to pass the House of Representatives. One bill creates a Forestry Commission to col- lect and report upon the forests of the State, to enforce laws for forest protection, and for the pre- vention and suppression of forest fires. The Commission is also authorized to employ for three months of each year patrolmen or forest wardens, and to call upon the Attorney General or the prosecuting attorneys of the several coun- ties for legal advice and assistance. As an illus- tration of the appreciation of the forest problem, this bill provides that '* owing to the lavish waste of the forests and the destruction of one of the State's greatest natural resources, and owing to the lack of information of and legal protection against such waste, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act shall be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Governor.'* The second bill is for the prevention and sup- pression of forest fires, and also declares an emer- gency. This act provides penalties as follows : For wilfully or negligently setting fire to woods or forests whereby the property of another is dam- aged, a fine not exceedmg $100 and imprisonment not exceeding three months. If, in addition, life is destroyed, the limit of fine is $500 and imprisonment ten years. Railway companies must provide spark-arresters to prevent live coals being left unprotected, or permit fire to be unchecked along the right of way under penalty of ;J|ioo for each offence, and the negligence of employes is also subject to fine. Logging railroad employes for similar offences are liable to fines of from §50 to $500. But such penalties do not prevent action for damages. The forest commissioners or their fire wardens are empowered to arrest without warrant any per- son violating the provisions of the act. The County Commissioners are directed to aid the forest commissioners in suppressing fires, and to publish and keep posted the provisions of the act. Any one destroying or mutilating the posters may be fined $100 and imprisoned for three months. The penalties collected are paid into th.e treas- ury of the county where the offence was commit- ted, to be used for enforcing the provisions of the act. Washington is evidently more advanced in forest protection than Pennsylvania. The new President of the American Forestry Association, Gen. Francis H. Appleton, of Bos- ton, Mass., has been recently appointed a briga- dier general on the Governor's staff. He is prominently identified with many public interests of his native State, being President of the Massa- chusetts Horticultural Society, President of the New England Agricultural Society, and a member of other organizations of similar character. ***** Mr. Shaforth's bill to prevent forest fires on the public domain has passed both houses of Con- gress and gone to the President for his signature. The bill will be printed, with comments, in the next issue of Forest Leaves. Bills Presented to the Legislature of Pennsylvania, 1897. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association Bill. House of Representatives Bill — No. 210. 7\ N ACT to secure State Forestry Reser- .h\. vations, and providing for the expenses •^ thereof. Section i. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the same, That a commission to be composed of the Commissioner of Forestry, the Chairman of the State Board of Health, the DeputySecretary of Internal Affairs, and two other persons to be appointed by the Governor, be hereby created. Sec. 2. The said Commission shall, after exami- nation, locate and report to the Governor, or to the Legislature, if it be in session, the following for- estry reservations : (i) One of not less than 40,000 acres upon wa- ters which drain mainly into the Delaware River. (2) One of not less than 40,000 acres upon waters which drain mainly into the Susquehanna River. (3) One of not less than 40,000 acres upon waters which drain mainly into the Ohio River. Provided, That each of these reservations shall be in one continuous area, so far as the same is practicable. Sec. 3. That the lands selected shall be of a character better suited to the growth of trees than to mining or agriculture, and that at least 50 per cent, of the area of each reservation shall have an average altitude of not less than 600 feet above the level of the sea. Sec. 4. That the said Commission shall have full power to take by right of eminent domain and condemn the lands it has selected for the purposes aforesaid as State reservations for the use and behoof of the Commonwealth, and wher- ever it shall be necessary to have a recourse to a jury to assess the damages for any property to be taken as aforesaid, the said jury shall consist of such number, and shall proceed and their award shall be reviewed and enforced in the same man- ner as now provided by law for the taking of land for the opening of roads in the respective counties in which said property is situated. And all the lands acquired by the State for public reservations by the action of said Commission shall be paid for by the State Treasurer upon a warrant drawn by the Auditor General of the Commonwealth, after approval by the Governor. Sec. 5. The Commissioners appointed under this Act shall serve without compensation, except so far as the officials designated hereby are com- pensated by the continuance of their salaries, as such officials, whilst serving as Commissioners, but the necessary expenses of travel and all other nec- essary expenses incurred under the provisions of this Act shall be paid by the State Treasurer on the warrant of the Auditor General, after due cer- tification. House of Representatives — Bill No. 27. AN ACT to authorize constables and other peace officers, without first procuring a warrant, to arrest persons reasonably suspected by them of offending against the laws protecting timber lands. Section i , Be it enacted, etc.. That if any person or persons shall be detected by any constable or other peace officer in the act of trespassing upon any forest or timber land within this Common- wealth under such circumstances as to warrant the reasonable suspicion that such person or per- sons have committed, are committing, or are about to commit some offence or offences against any of the laws now enacted or hereafter to be enacted for the protection of forests and timber land, such constable or other peace officer shall have authority at once, without first procuring a warrant therefor, to arrest on view such person or persons, with like effect as though such warrant had first been procured. Sec. 2. That all acts or parts of acts incon- sistent herewith be and the same are hereby repealed. House of Representatives — Bill No. 28. AN ACT making constables of townships ex- officio fire wardens for the extinction of forest fires, and for reporting to the Court of Quarter Sessions violations of the laws for the protection of forests from fire, prescribing the duties of such fire war- 20 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 21 • >• i; dens and their punishment for failure to perform the same, and empowering them to require under penalty the assistance of other persons in the ex- tinction of such fires. Section i. Be it enacted^ etc., That on and after the first day of January, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight, the constables of the various townships of the Commonwealth shall be ex-officio fire wardens, whose duty it shall be, when fire is discovered in the forests or woodlands within their respective townships, immediately to take such measures as are necessary for its extinc- tion, and to this end to have authority to call upon any person or persons within their respective town- ships for assistance, the said fire wardens to receive fifteen (15) cents per hour, and the persons so assisting twelve (12) cents per hour as compensa- tion for their services ; the expenses thereof shall be paid, one-half out of the treasury of the respec- tive county, and the remaining half of said expense shall be paid by the State Treasurer into the treas- ury of said county out of moneys not otherwise appropriated, upon warrant from the Auditor- General ; but no such warrant shall be drawn until the respective county commissioners shall have first furnished, under oath or affirmation, to the Auditor-General, a written itemized statement of such expense, and until the same is approved by the Auditor-General : Provided^ That no county shall be liable to pay for this purpose in any one year an amount exceeding five hundred dollars. Sec. 2. Any person who, being called upon by the fire warden of his township to furnish assistance in extinguishing forest or woodland fires, as pro- vided in section one, shall without reasonable cause refuse to render such assistance, upon con- viction thereof shall pay a fine not exceeding ten dollars, or undergo imprisonment not exceeding thirty days, or both, at the discretion of the court. Sec. 3. The fire wardens of each township throughout the Commonwealth shall in the first week of each term of the Court of Quarter Sessions of their respective counties make returns to said court, under oath or affirmation, of all violations occurring within their respective townships which may come or be brought to their notice of any of the provisions of any law now enacted, or here- after to be enacted, for the purpose of protecting forests and woodlands from fire ; and it shall be the special duty of the judge of said court to see these returns are faithfully made, and on failure of any fire warden to comply with this provision, or if it be found upon examination or inquiry by said court that any fire warden has either wilfully or negligently omitted to report all such violations occurring within his township, or having failed to perform his duty as set forth in section one of this act, such fire warden shall be deemed guilty of wilfully or negligently making a false return, or neglect of duty, and the court shall suspend him from office and direct the district attorney to indict and try him, and if found guilty he shall be fined in a sum not exceeding fifty dollars, and undergo an imprisonment not exceeding three months, both, or either, at the discretion of the court. Sec. 4. The term forest herein used shall not for the purposes of this bill be held to include an area of timber land or brush land of less than fifty acres in extent, unless such said area shall by proximity to other timber land be liable to convey fire to an area of brush land or timber land con- taining at least fifty acres. House of Representatives — Bill No. 62. AN ACT authorizing the purchase by the Com- monwealth of unseated lands for the non-payment of taxes for the purpose of creating a State Forest Reservation. Section i . Be it enacted^ etc., That from and after the first day of January, Anno Domini one thou- sand eight hundred and ninety-eight, whenever any unseated lands within this Commonwealth shall, under existing laws, become liable to sale by the respective county treasurers or the county commissioners for non-payment of taxes, it shall be the duty of such treasurers and commissioners to publish a notice once a week for six successive weeks in at least two newspapers of general cir- culation within the county in which the lands lie; and if two newspapers be not published in said county, then in one newspaper in or nearest to the same, which notice shall contain the names of the owners when known, the warrant numbers, names of warrantees when known, the number of acres contained in each tract, the township in which the same is located, and the sums due upon each tract for taxes ; and, further, to mail to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Commissioner of Forestry each ten copies of such printed advertise- ment immediately upon the publication thereof. Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the Commis- sioner of Forestry to inquire into and examine the location and character of the lands so advertised, and if, in his judgment, the same are so located and are of such a character as to make them de- sirable to the Commonwealth for the purpose of creating and maintaining a Forestry Reservation, he shall have power, at his discretion, to purchase any such lands for and in behalf of the Common- wealth at such tax sales, subject to the right of re- demption under existing laws. Provided, however. That the bid njade and the price paid for said lands shall in no case exceed the amount of taxes for the non-payment of which the same are being sold and the costs. For all purchases so made in behalf of the Commonwealth, the Auditor-General shall draw his warrant upon the State Treasurer to the order of the county treasurer upon certificate filed by the Commissioner of Forestry with the said Auditor-General. Sec. 3. In the event of redemption of said lands, the redemption money paid shall be re- mitted to the State Treasurer by the county treas- urer, with a statement describing the tract of land so redeemed. Sec. 4. The title to all lands so purchased and not redeemed after the expiration of the time limited for redemption shall be taken as vested in the Commonwealth to the same extent and with like effect as though such purchase had been made by an individual at such sale, and the county treasurer shall certify to the Secretary of Agricul- ture lists of all lands purchased in behalf of the Commonwealth and not redeemed within the time limited for such redemption, with a description of each tract, as required by Section i of this Act, and thereafter such lands shall not be subject to further taxation while the same are owned by the Commonwealth. It shall be the duty of the Sec- retary of Agriculture to keep a record in a book, to be especially provided for that purpose, of all the lands so acquired by the Commonwealth, with full description of each tract, the character of the same, the date of purchase, the price paid when the title became absolute, or, if redeemed, the date of redemption. Sec. 5. The lands so acquired by the Common- wealth shall be under the control and management of the Department of Agriculture, but assigned to the care of the Division of Forestry, and shall become part of a forestry reservation system having in view the preservation of the water sup- ply at the sources of the rivers of the State, and for the protection of the people of the Com- monwealth and their property from destructive floods. Sec. 6. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. Senate — No. 19. AN ACT making it the duty of the various county officials to furnish, on demand therefor, in- formation from their respective offices to the head of any department of the State government, and providing a compensation therefor. Section i. Be it enacted, etc.^ That it shall be the duty of the county officials of the various counties of this Commonwealth to furnish, on ap- plication therefor, to the head of any department of the government of this Commonwealth, such information and copies of such records or docu- ments contained in the respective offices of such county officials as in the opinion of such head of department may be necessary or pertinent to the work of his respective department. The official so furnishing information shall receive for his ser- vices in copying and forwarding the same such reasonable compensation as the Auditor General may determine, and be paid by the State Treasurer out of moneys not otherwise appropriated, upon warrant from the Auditor General. As Forest Leaves goes to press the status of of the foregoing bills may be summarized thus : House Bill No. 28, making constables ex officio fire-wardens for the extinction of forest fires, and House Bill No. 62, authorizing the purchase of unseated land for the purpose of creating a State forestry reservation, have both passed finally and are in the Governor's hands for signature. The bill of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association (House Bill No. 210) has been reported from Committee and is awaiting second reading. The remaing bills are well advanced and in satisfactory condition. Mr. Z. T. Moore has also introduced House Bill No. 217, an act which relieves in part forest lands from taxation, and provides that owners of land having on it 75 forest or timber trees, such trees to be at least 8 inches in diameter 6 feet above the ground, are entitled to receive annually a sum equal to 80 per cent, of the county tax, but this shall not exceed 45 cents per acre or be paid on more than 20 acres. From the above it will be evident that to secure advanced forestry methods in Pennsylvania it be- hooves every friend of the forestry movement to promptly correspond with the members of the legislature urging favorable action. *r:>crj* Arbor Day Proclamation. IN the name and by the authority of the Com- monwealth of Pennsylvania. Executive De- partment. Proclamation. The custom of annually fixing a day to be cele- brated as Arbor Day has spread into every section of the country. The value of these celebrations has been abundantly manifest. In the State which claims the honor of having originated Arbor Day, more than three hundred and fifty million trees were planted during the first five years. The cer- emonies incident to Arbor Day have created in- creasing interest in the growth and care of trees, and have quickened the appreciation and import- ance of forest preservation. The necessity of cov- ering with a new growth of trees the otherwise useless areas of our State is apparent in every sec- tion. To this end, our law-makers have appropri- ate legislation in progress. Young and old, more than ever, appreciate that there is not a spot on the earth which may not be made more beautiful by the help of trees and flowers. School-grounds have been adorned, the surroundings of the home 22 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 23 have been beautified, public parks have been mul- tiplied, and the landscapes and charming scenery of Pennsylvania may yet be made still more at- tractive. We are rapidly passing from a destruc- tive to a constructive policy. We have learned the lesson that trees and the forests are essential to our continued prosperity, and that he who plants a tree, whether boy or man, is a public benefactor. In pursuance of the joint resolutions of the Gen- eral Assembly, requesting the Chief Executive to appoint annually a day to be designated as Arbor Day, and in view of the fact that differences in latitude and altitude cause a difference in the sea- sons in different portions of the State, I, Daniel H. Hastings, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, name and proclaim Friday, April 9, and Friday, April 23, as Arbor Days for the year of our Lord 1897. Let the people choose the day which they deem best suited for tree-planting, and teach the children how to select trees for fruit, for shade, for fuel and for timber, how to plant, protect and foster the several species of trees, vines, shrubs and flowers, and how to use all these for eco- nomic and esthetic purposes. Let every pupil learn what the forests do, how they hold the rain and the snow, feed the springs and the rivers, stay the floods and the freshets, and temper the summer's scorching sun and the winter's chilling blasts. In the orchard and the field, about the home and along the highway, upon the school-grounds and on the barren hill-side, let trees be planted for use and for beauty, thereby adding to the charms of life in beautiful Pennsylvania. Given under my hand and the great seal of the State this i8th day of March, in the year of our Lord 1897, and of the Commonwealth one hun- dred and twenty-first. By the Governor: Daniel H. Hastings. Frank Reeder, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Proposed Forestry Legislation in Indiana. WE have repeatedly, in these columns, called attention to the fact that the taxation of timber land in Pennsylva- nia very often drives the land owner to cut the trees and then abandon the land to tax sale. It is wholly unnecessary to add, in the light of our present knowledge of the forestry question, that this is a most undesirable condition of aff'airs. The land owner discovers, when he comes into the market with his lumber, that he has to con- tend very often with a timber glut, and that the prices received from his lumber hardly repaid him for the cost of placing it upon the market, as things are at present. A bill has been introduced into the House of Representatives in Indiana which provides ''That whenever any citizen of the State, or any person outside of the State, yet owning land therein, shall have started a growth of timber, either by planting or from seed, of not less than one acre nor more than ten acres, the same shall be exempted from taxation ; provided that there shall be planted or started from seed not less than one thousand trees on each acre. However, no such exemption shall take place until said grove thus started is five years old and two-thirds of the young trees thus started are alive and in a healthy growing condition. And provided, further, That on every tract of land covered in whole or in part with an original forest, exemption from taxation shall be as follows, to wit : On forty acres, five acres of timber ; on eighty acres, ten acres of timber^ and on every 160 acres, twenty acres of timber ; Provided that the owner of the exempted lands mentioned aforesaid shall not be permitted to cut down and destroy young and growing trees. Nothing in this act shall prevent him cutting and removing full groves of timber or dead trees. " When any person has complied with the first part of Section i of this act, before he can have the exemption therein made he must appear be- fore the auditor of the county and make affidavit that he has a grove of timber of not less than one acre nor more than ten acres, which he has started either by planting or grown from seed ; that on each acre of land was either planted or started from the seed one thousand trees ; that two-thirds of the same are in a growing, healthy condition. Upon the presentation of this affidavit, the audi- tor, being satisfied of its truthfulness, shall note on the tax duplicate the number of acres which said affidavit affirms has been thus planted to tim- ber, and the same is exempted from taxation. And be it further provided. That before any per- son can enjoy the exemption mentioned in the last part of Section i he shall also make an affi- davit before the auditor of the county, stating that he has set apart timbered land, on which he seeks exemption as follows : If forty acres, five acres of timber ; if eighty acres, ten acres of tim- ber ; if 160 acres, twenty acres of timber, and that he has not removed nor caused to be removed therefrom any of the young and growing timber. Upon the presentation of such affidavit, the audi- tor, being satisfied that it is true, shall note on the tax duplicate that the number of acres, as the case may be, is exempted from taxation. If any person shall make any false statement in his or her affida- vit as mentioned aforesaid, he or she shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and be punished for such an offence as made and provided for by the law governing such cases." There is sense in such a law, so far as it goes. Unfortunately, it does not go far enough. Had the limit of exemption been placed at one-fourth, instead of one-eighth, it might have led to some really important' results. Indiana need have no fear that, under any circumstances, her list of ex- emptions will diminish her tax receipts very mate- rially. It will be years before any great area of forest is created there by tree planting. It were well enough, then, to pass a law which will size up to the requirements of the future, when it can be done without injury to the present. Unfortunately, by our constitution, it is impos- sible in Pennsylvania to exempt timber land from taxation. All that can be done short of a change in the constitution is to place timber land in a class by itself, and then subject it to a minimum rate of taxation. This should be done at once so far as the seated lands are concerned. It is rank folly in a State to impoverish itself by law. It is unjustifiable under any system of political econ- omy. There are other sources of revenue which might far better be taken. Nev^ Forest Reserves. PRESIDENT CLEVELAND celebrated Washington's birthday, this year, by pro- claiming thirteen new forest reserves, with a total area of over 21,000,000 acres. This, added to the existing reserves, makes a total acreage of over 38,000,000 acres now set aside from the public domain for forestry purposes. No single executive act since the war has been of greater possible benefit to the people, for it should commit the Government to a policy of car- ing for its own vast property in the West, not only for present but also for future needs. Con- gress should promptly pass the necessary legisla- tion for the proper management of this domain, greater in extent than the combined areas of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachu- setts, or than Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, or of New York and Massachusetts. The location and area of the reservations are as follows : No. I. The Black Hills Reserve, embracing the central portion of the Black Hills of South Da- kota. Estimated area, 967,630 acres. No. 2. The Big Horn Reserve in Northern Central Wyoming, embracing both slopes of the Big Horn Mountains. Area, 1,198,080 acres. No. 3. The Teton Reserve lies adjacent to the Yellowstone National Park Timberland Reserve, being south thereof, and contains 829,440 acres. No. 4. The Flathead Reserve covers both slopes of the main Rocky Mountain range or Continental divide, in Northern Montana, and extends from near the line of the Great Northern Railroad north- ward to the international boundary. Estimated area, 1,382,400 acres. No. 5. The Lewis and Clarke Reserve embraces both slopes of the Continental divide in Mon- tana, and extends from near the line of the Great Northern Railroad southward nearly to the forty- seventh degree of north latitude. Estimated area, 2,426,000 acres. No. 6. The Priest River Reserve occupies the basin of Priest Lake and Priest River, in the ex- treme northern part of Idaho and in northeastern Washington, and extends from a point a few miles north of the line of the Great Northern Railroad to the international boundary. Area estimated at 552,960 acres in Idaho and 92,160 acres in Wash- ington, a total of 645,120. In this reservation the Western white pine grows to its largest size. It is within the limits of the Northern Pacific Railroad grant, and consequently the Government owns only the alternate sections within the limits of said grant. No. 7. The Bitter Root Reserve lies on both sides of the boundary, between Montana and Idaho. The estimated area is 4,147,000 acres, of which 691,000 are in Montana and 3,456,000 in Idaho. No. 8. The Washington Reserve, located in the State of Washington, extends from about the 120th degree of west longitude to nearly the 12 2d de- gree, and from the international bounflary south- ward to a little below the 48th degree of latitude, an estimated area of 3,594,240 acres. The region extends over both slopes of the Cascade Mountains, and is entirely clothed with forests. This reserve is one of the most rugged, least known and un- settled parts of the United States. No. 9. The Olympic Reserve occupies the high and broken Olympic Mountain region in northwes- tern Washington. Estimated area, 2,188,000 acres. No. 10. The Mount Ranier Reserve was origi- nally established by executive order of February 20, 1893, as the *' Pacific Forest Reserve." The proclamation extends the reserve southward along the two slopes of the Cascade Mountains nearly to the Columbia River, and changes the name from the Pacific to the Mount Ranier Reserve. The proposed extension makes the area of the Mount Ranier Reserve 2,234,880 acres. No. II. The Stanislaus Reserve extends along the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Cal- ifornia. Area, 691,200 acres. No. 12. The San Jacinto Reserve embraces the San Jacinto Mountains in Southern California, and is separated from the existing San Bernardino Re- serve by the San Gorgonic pass. Estimated area, 737,280 acres. No. 13. The Uintah Reserve embraces both slopes of the eastern part of the Uintah Mountain range in northern Utah and the northern slope only of the western part of this range, the southern slope being part of the Uintah Indian reservation. 24 FOREST LEAVES. Forests and Water-Powers. IN this issue we depart from our custom by pre- senting to the readers of Forest Leaves two views of Pennsylvania water-falls in lieu of the illustrations of trees, which have given such satis- faction. We do this to emphasize the dependence of stream flow upon forest preservation, for, as Alexander von Humboldt said, ''when men de- stroy their forests they rob themselves of both wood and water." We offer two views on Kitchen's Creek, near the border of Luzerne and Sullivan Counties, Pennsylvania. This stream is on the eastern slope of North Mountain, where a fall of about fourteen hundred feet is reported in seven miles. " There are many slaty ledges over which the water pours. Ganoga Falls, near by, are one hundred and twenty feet high.*' These illustrations are merely introduced to show some of the scenic effects of our wooded areas, and to suggest the value of our many water-powers when utilized. In the early portion of the present century Pennsylvania was prominent, if not pre-eminent, in utilizing its streams and water-courses. An elaborate canal system was constructed, which has practically passed out of existence ; mills and fac- tories wer^ located where water-power could be obtained, and the dependence upon the flow of our streams was recognized throughout the Com- monwealth. Droughts and freshets were not unknown, but their occurrence was at greater intervals, and their severity was less than now, because at that time so large a portion of the State was covered by forests. The application of steam brought changed con- ditions; railroads were constructed, and, finding dangerous competition in water transportation, the railroad companies secured control of the canal system, and have practically abandoned it. Mills and factories, which were dependent upon water- powers, constantly becoming more uncertain, be- cause of the denudation of forests, moved from the banks of streams and applied steam as motive- power, and many localities which had been im- proved for water-power were abandoned. In various portions of our own and of other lands there has been a revival of interest in canal schemes and in the improvement of water-powers. It is doubtful if Pennsylvania will profit as liber- ally from canal projects as some other States, but with a large portion of the area of the State drained by streams which, with their tributaries, are fed by water-sheds reaching from near tide-level to from looo to 2000 feet above the sea, there would seem to be numerous opportunities for the devel- opment of water powers, if the flow of these streams can be depended upon. The recent application of electricity for light. for power, for the production of metals, such as aluminium and sodium, and compounds, such as calcium carbide, carborundum, etc., present a wide scope for the employment of water as the initial motive force. But most water-powers must be gauged by the minimum flow, or at least the average flow of streams, for the drier portions of each year, and, hence, water-courses which are least affected by drought are in most demand. With the forest areas at the headwaters of streams protected from destruction, or with new growths established in portions which nature in- tended for trees, the volume of flow would be maintained and the amount of power to be de- pended upon augmented. Pennsylvania capital is now invested liberally in other States for purposes depending upon water for power, while many available streams course through the State unused, and are even means of destruction, owing to the^ floods which develope on the denuded drainage-basins, causing damage to bridges, highways, railroads, houses and farms. A number of water-wheels are on the market which can be relied upon to produce one horse- power for each cubic foot of water flowing per second over a fall of twelve feet, and there are in our mountainous sections man} locations where the flow of streams of considerable size in dry times exceeds one cubic foot per second for each two square-miles of drainage area. Thus a stream which drains 45 square-miles of wooded area may, with a fall of 50 feet develop 100 horse-power continuously night and day throughout the year. An investigation of the benefits to be derived from forest reservations, properly located, would demonstrate that in the possibilities of developing water-power alone the State would receive liberal interest upon the money expended in the purchase of the lands. If to this be added the natural accretion in lumber and the reduced destruction by flood, it will be found that the money of the State could be expended in no more judicious manner than in establishing the forest reserves asked for by the bill proposed by the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, viz., on the headwaters of our principal streams. The bill appears in this issue, page 19. J. B. The Outlook. 7\, SUMPTUOUS volume, the i? > < H {/5 b] (A O KITCHEN'S CREEK, NEAR THE BORDER OF LUZERNE AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA. (i Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 2. KITCHEN'S CREEK, NEAR THE BORDER OF LUZERNE AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE O •J o > C/5 > < o ^-..'" FOREST LEAVES. 25 !M (t ^ i chapter on "Forest Fires." The following fur- nishes comfort to those who believe Pennsylvania should have fire wardens where these are needed ^* The large number of incipient fires which were extinguished indicates that the fire wardens were vigilant and prompt in the discharge of their duties." The State of New York under existing law pays half of the expense of suppressing forest fires and of supporting the fire wardens when post- ing forest rules and regulations. Fire wardens were present at and responsible for brush and fallow-burnings. The summary informs us that there were burned over 2448 acres, and that the total in New York of State forest lands damages were $4309- The aggregate bills presented and paid for fighting forest fires and posting regulations was $1919 15. Just here we may place in interesting contrast the facts and figures so far as heard from in Penn- sylvania (where the fire-warden system is not yet adopted). Acres burned over (in 1896), 178,982; timber destroyed, 121,752,322 feet, board meas- ure ; manufactured lumber destroyed, 7,391,080 feet, board measure ; bark destroyed, 30,764 cords ; cost of suppressing forest fires, $21,269. Total money value of loss by forest fires, $557,056. This money loss is far below the figures, because in many instances standing timber destroyed was not con- sidered. And it should also be added that in a large proportion of cases those who gave their time to suppressing forest fires did not estimate that as having any money value. In other words, in 1895 the State of New York, under fire wardens, had one acre out of 347>^ o^ its woodlands burned over, and Pennsylvania, without fire wardens, reports one acre out of 5 1 of its woodlands, though we know that this is only a partial statement of Pennsylvania's actual losses from this cause for 1896. For Maine, Mr. Austin Gary has made an admir- able report to the State Forest Commissioner, Hon. Charles E. Oak. It is just such a report as one might expect from Mr. Cary — practical, full of good sense, and giving the figures. In a word, the pamphlet, containing 238 pages, is so full of facts that we find serious fault because it is not provided with a good index. It does not even have a table of contents. In a book of no real value one would not complain loudly over these sins of omission. But this is a good book— one which will be useful for many a year; *' hence more is the pity'' that it should be lacking in this detail of ** book-making "and labor-saving. Commissioner Oak calls attention to the fact that, in spite of the unusual drought of 1 895 , the losses by fire in Maine were not great. This he attributes to the fact of «* the people having waked up to the necessity of looking after and extinguishing them before they got beyond their control." He also notes the need of forest maps, in which Pennsylvania sends him a sympathetic response. The chief object of inquiry in this report is the spruce, because it is the greatest forest product of that State. Speaking for Maine, practical lumber- men say that " if, to-day, we could have what lum- ber was actually wasted in cutting our old stock of pine, for which the State was once so noted, it would be worth more than was received for the stock utilized." We cannot in this brief notice do Mr. Cary the justice we desire to. The bed- rock upon which his work is built is that Maine is more concerned in the rate of growth of her spruce than she is in what now stands. " Growth is to be the source of our future supply. What have we left on the land to grow?" Mr. Cary gives deserved prominence to the destruction of timber by wind, especially where the lumberman has already thinned out the trees. The estimate made of the Kennebec spruce supply is 400 square miles of spruce not yet cut. Available saw-logs, 1,260,000,000 feet, board meas- ure. Average annual cut for the last ten years, 143,000,000 feet, board measure. For the Androscoggin basin the estimate of spruce is, in Maine and New Hampshire, 4>5oor 000,000 feet. In the year 1895 there were sawed on the Androscoggin River 73,500,000 feet, and used for pulp, 123 000,000 feet. Some of the spruce is brought in from Canada (about 9,000,000 feet), and about 10,000,000 feet goes out of the basin to be manufactured. Mr. Cary, page 181, says that, for Maine, *' We know we have not to fear such complete destruc- tion [of spruce] ; yet partial exhaustion in this direction is known to be possible." He thinks, *' as a whole, the yearly production of spruce is not overcut." What Mr. Cary has to say of the possibilities of scientific forestry as developed in Germany we will quote elsewhere. Massachusetts is moving in forestry matters, and when she moves it is usually in a productive direc- tion. The following has been introduced and is under legislative consideration. RESOLVE PROVIDING FOR A FOREST SURVEY OF THE STATE. ''Resolved: That the Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners is hereby authorized to make a forest survey of the State, to collect accurate infor- mation as to the condition of the forest and wood- land areas, to cause to be personally examined all unimproved and unproductive lands in the Com- monwealth, and make recommendations as to the best method of caring for such woodlands, and improving such unused areas. Said commission shall prepare a detailed report showing with such exactness as is possible the location, extent and 26 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 27 condition of said lands ; and said report shall be submitted to the general court on or before the first day of February in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-eight. A sum not to exceed four thousand dollars may be expended from the treas- ury of the Commonwealth under the direction of said board in carrying out the purposes of this resolve/* Two years ago we called attention to the great work Massachusetts was doing for the education and comfort of her citizens by the niagnificent system of parks which surround the city of Bos- ton. We note with great pleasure that the work upon these has been continued, and must soon furnish a model for other cities and States to struggle up to. The attempt to retimber Cape Cod has been seriously and carefully undertaken. There is great reason to expect ultimate success, and the work will be valuable not only as an addition to the resources and comforts of Massachusetts, but also as an object-lesson to the entire country of what may be done even on the most bleak situa- tions. Wisconsin is coming to the front of the forestry movement with a serious, scientific purpose in view. Her bill introduced into the legislature by Mr. Niss authorizes ** the Governor to appoint a com- mission to draw up a plan for the organization of a forestry department which shall have the man- agement of such State lands as may be suitable for timber culture and forestry. The said Com- missioners shall embody in their plan provisions for the classification of the lands now owned by the State and the reservation to the State of all. lands which are better suited for the growing of timber than for agricultural purposes ; the pur- chase of similar lands which may have been aban- doned by their owners or may have been struck off to counties for unpaid taxes ; the management of the forests existing on such larfds according to the principles of scientific forestry ; the replant- ing of forests on such lands, as far as they have been denuded of their timber." They shall " aim at devising the best means by which the forest resources of the State can be utilized for the peo- ple and preserved for future generations without retarding the development of the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries." The com- mission ** shall draw up a plan by which the for- estry department may be, from the first, self-sup- porting, and in time become a source of revenue to the State." This is a comprehensive bill. It outlines the possibilities of forestry under the best conditions. Our only criticism is that, to us, the time allowed, and the machinery provided to do all this work, seem too limited. Still, it is in the right direc- tion and must bear fruit. Pennsylvania is still moving ahead in forestry matters. The people and the papers of the State have declared for the cause, and the legislature is willing to go as far as the people approve. It is too soon to predict the outcome of the pending bills. They are good measures, all of them, and merit a cordial support. Information has just reached us that the Eagles- mere Chautauqua, of which General Beaver is the head, is arranging for a course of instruction in forestry this summer. It appears as if this Eagles- mere movement is on a permanent basis. The fact that the State Forestry Commissioner is on the board of direction would imply that it is in- tended the forestry instruction should be real and practical. It would be a fortunate thing if, in the near future, some understanding could be reached by which the State reservations now proposed could be made available as a source of practical instruction to those desirous of learning how to care for woodlands. Colonel Fox, Superintendent of the New York State Forests, intimates that, under certain con- cessions on the part of that State, it might be possible to start a school of forestry in the Adi- rondacks, and that financial support would prob- ably not long be lacking. Annual Meeting of the American Forestry Association. THE fifteenth annual meeting of the Associa- tion convened in the hall of the Cosmos Club, Washington, D. C, at lo A.M., Feb- ruary 5th. In the absence of Hon. J. Sterling Morton, President, Mr. Gardiner G. Hubbard, Vice-Pres- ident for the District of Columbia, presided. After the reading of the minutes of the last an- nual meeting the chair announced the following- committees : Nominations — Messrs. French, Bowers, Fox, Gannett and Binney. Constitution and By-Laws — Messrs. Higley, Whittlesey and Moses. Resolutions — Messrs. Appleton, Gifford, Bar- nard and Keffer. To audit the accounts of the Treasurer — Messrs. Fox and Sud worth. Mr. B. E. Fernow, Chairman of the Executive Committee, presented the report of the Committee, which reviewed briefly the work of the year. The most notable event was the appointment of a For- estry Committee by the National Academy of Sciences, which was secured through the efforts of the Executive Committee by inducing the Secre- tary of the Interior, Hon. Hoke Smith, to ask the advice of the National Academy, the legally con- stituted advisor of the Government in scientific matters, regarding the proper steps to be taken with reference to the public timber lands. The progress of congressional action on pend- ing bills for the management was detailed as else- where indicated. Strenuous attempts have been made to open for entry and greatly reduce the Cascade Range Forest Reserve in Oregon, and the Committee was active in opposing such action. The Committee endorsed and transmitted to President Cleveland a petition for the creation of the Fish Lake, Utah, Forest Reservation. The report closed with a review of the progress of the forestry movement in the several States. The members present participated in an infor- mal discussion of the report and of the future work of the Association. Mr. Fernow and Mr. Bowers urged upon the consideration of the Asso- ciation the advisability of a complete reorganiza- tion of the Executive Committee, not only with a view to enlisting the services of new men, but more especially in the hope that an executive committee made up of interested citizens of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, or some other locality outside of Washington, might have more influence in shaping national legislation than the present Committee exerted. Five members of the Execu- tive Committee are in the employ of the Govern- ment, and while they represent as many States, it was yet thought that the interests of the Associa- tion could be more forcibly presented by private citizens. The consensus of opinion of those present was opposed to the position above taken. It was shown that the principal effort of the Association should be toward securing congressional action for the establishment of a system of forest manage- ment in the Government reserves ; that no com- mittee located away from Washington could keep as close watch on the progress of legislation as could a local committee, and that it was necessary that the majority of the committee should live in one place, so that frequent meetings would be possible. It was urged, also, that the past service of the committee did not warrant a change either of location or of personnel. The Association having been incorporated dur- ing the year, a new constitution and by-laws con- forming to the articles of incorporation were adopted. The principal change is a provision for a Board of Directors to have control and management of the funds and property of the Association. Regarding the present status of the forestry bills before Congress, it was developed in general discussion that members of the Executive Com- mittee had interviewed the chairman of the Sen- ate Committee on Forest Reservations, Senator Allen, and that there is no likelihood of the Sen- ate taking action at this session. This, of course, makes it necessary to reintroduce the subject in the next Congress. Even should Senator Allen *s bill (^S. 21 18) pass the Senate in its present shape it would have to go to the House as an original measure and take its place on the calendar, thus making its consideration practically impossible. The only way by which the matter could reach a conference committee of the two Houses would be for Senator Allen to change the. form of his bill, making it a substitute for H. R. 119, and this he is not disposed to do. It is therefore almost certain that the subject will have to be again introduced in the next Congress, and the entire field of legislative action traversed. An invitation from the Governor-General of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition Company, with courteous letters from the Governor of Tennessee, the Mayor of Nashville, and other officials, was received for the Association to hold a meeting in Nashville during the Exposition. The report of the Secretary showed a healthy growth on the part of the Association, the present I membership numbering 705, of whom 2 are I patrons, 70 life members and 633 annual mem- bers. An especial effort was made to close the accounts of members in arrears, resulting in a gratifying increase in the receipts for the year. The report of the Treasurer shows a cash balance in the general fund of $253.18, the receipts of the year being $1248.39 and theexpenditures $1359.61. The permanent fund of the Association amounts to $2500, which is invested in 5 per cent, bonds. Not the least enjoyable feature of the meeting was the luncheon provided at the Plotel Welling- ton by the resident members for their friends from abroad. The afternoon session was devoted to the elec- tion of officers and the reports of committees. The election of officers resulted as follows : President, General F. H. Appleton, Boston, Mass.; First Vice-President, Sir H. G. Joly de Lotbiniere, Quebec, Canada; Correspondmg Sec- retary, F. H. Newell, Washington. D. C. ; Re- cording Secretary, G. P. Whittlesey, Washington, D. C. ; Treasurer, H. M. Fisher, Philadelphia, Pa. ; Vice-President for District of Columbia, G. G. Hubbard, Washington, D. C. ; Executive Com- mittee, the above officers ex-officio and B. E. Fernow, E. A. Bowers, J. C. Hornblower, C. C. Binney, C. A. Keff'er, Washington, D, C. ; John Bir- kinbine, Philadelphia, Pa. ; Directors. E. A. Bow- ers. G. G. Hubbard, George P. Whittlesey, Na- thaniel Wilson, B. E. Fernow, Washington, D. C. ; F. H. Appleton, Boston, Mass. ; Henry M. Fisher, Philadelphia, Pa. ; Vice-Presidents, S. C. Mason, Manhattan, Kan.; J. D. W. French, Boston, Mass. ; John Gifford, Princeton^ N. J. ; John R. 28 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 29 Proctor, Frankfort, Ky. ; J. B. Thoburn, Okla. Remaining Vice-Presidents were re-elected. The following resolutions were adopted as re- ported from the Committee : Resolvedy That, reiterating our support of the McRae bill, H. R. 119, to protect and administer the Public Forest Reservations, which passed the House of Representatives at the first session of the present Congress, we deplore the seeming im- possibility of its being taken up in the Senate during the current session, and emphasize our regret that slight personal differences of opinion should operate to stay the passage of legislation so clearly designed to inaugurate a national system of forest preservation and management. . Resolved, As a fundamental proposition of ra- tional forestry, we commend the well-organized effort of the State of Minnesota to suppress forest fires, being aware that no advance can be made in forest management without such protection. Resolved, That we urgently recommend that the Federal and State authorities take measures to en- courage the study of forestry in all agricultural colleges, technical and normal schools throughout the United States ; and we hope that the report of the Forestry Committee of the National Academy of Sciences will not only favor legislation similar to that advocated by this Association, but will em- body recommendations looking toward the estab- lishment of means of education as herein sug- gested. Resolved, That the American Forestry Associa- tion expresses its hearty approval of the efforts heretofore put forth and which may be hereafter made on the part of the several States to establish State forest reservations. The States of New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Minnesota have under considera- tion in their several Legislatures bills for the en- largement or establishment of such reserves. The friends of forestry everywhere should view these efforts with sympathetic interest, and further such legislation in every possible way. Resolved, That we recommend to the Executive Committee the acceptance of the cordial invita- tions to hold a meeting of the Association at Nashville during the Tennessee Centennial Expo- sition, the date and necessary arrangements to be made by the Committee. At a meeting of the Board of Directors, held after the adjournment of the afternoon session, the Board organized by electing General Apple- ton President and Mr. G. P. Whittlesey Secretary. The evening session was held in conjunction with the Geographical Society of Washington, and was devoted to a lecture by Dr. B. E. Fernow, Chief of the United States Forestry Division and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of this Association. Mr. Fernow was introduced by Mr. Gardiner G. Hubbard, and spoke on "The Forests and Deserts of Arizona.** The lecture was most en- joyable, its instructive and vivid descriptions being enhanced by the many beautiful views shown, which were taken by Dr. Fernow during the trip described. The extensive pine forests of the San Francisco mountain region, the parched mesas needing only water to make them fertile fields, the Painted Desert, the customs of the Moqui Indians who dwell on its borders, and, finally, the wonders of the Grand Canon of the Colorado, formed a panorama of striking interest, and the brilliant descriptions of the lecturer created a profound impression upon the large and attentive audience. Does Forestry Pay ? TV LL forestry operations must ultimately be j^^ judged by the business standard of profit ^ and loss. No possible point of view from which the question can be studied will admit of any departure from this rule. Whether we con- sider it from the ground of public health, of regu- lating the waterflow of the State, of restoring fer- tility to impoverished acres, or of simply provid- mg lumber for the future, the question will finally be judged by this standard. In some shape the Commonwealth must be the gainer or the advo- cates of forestry have no case before the public or before the court. It is, therefore, with peculiar satisfaction that the following facts are taken from the report of Mr. Austin Gary to the Forestry Commission of Maine. They relate to forestry in Germany, but indicate possibilities for this coun- try as well. ** And to-day the forest stands as one of the prime objects of the people's regard, a source of health, wealth, and national independence [in Germany],'* p. 188. '* The first forest of which I gained any knowl- edge was the property of the city of Freudenstadt, in Wurtemberg. I remember thinking, as I rode up to the place by rail and found it a city of 6,000 inhabitants, that it wouldn't do for a man like my- self, who wished to see nothing but woods from morning till night, to live in the city *' — but ** the forest was all about us. In five minutes' walk from the centre of the city one could step into such fine woods as cannot be found in the whole State of Maine. Spruce and fir trees, two to three feet through, and all the way up to 130 feet high, stood on the ground as thickly as they could stand. There were acres there that would cut more than 100,000 feet, board measure." '' The previous summer I had cruised all through the spruce lands of the Kennebec, and here on single square miles was more tiuiber than on whole townships on that river. And the best of it was that this was no new or exceptional thing. The whole area of the forest was doing it. If it hadn t old timber, it did have young, which is quite as essential to the result. They were growing that timber right along because they knew how to do it, and because they were patient enough to wait for results." To the American lumberman this may seem in- credible, but Mr. Gary is an expert scaler of tim- ber, and knows whereof he speaks. " The financial returns from this forest will be of interest. The yearly net revenue derived from its <, g«;o acres had amounted in the last few years to from $20,000 to $25,000. The yearly yield of wood had been 106 cubic feet [about 1200 feet, board measure] per acre. The revenue paid all the municipal expenses of a city of 6000 people, relieving the citizens from local taxation and pay- ing a bonus to each voter besides." *' Baden-Baden is another good illustration. The city owns 10,000 acres of forest land in its immediate vicinity kept under the best of man- agement, just about the equivalent of half a town- ship of our Maine timber land, and in much the same kind of trees. The yearly net revenue from this tract as an average, from 1 881 to 1891, was nearly $3.50 per acre. That is about the total val- uation, timber, land and all, of a pretty good Maine township. A yearly net income of $35,?oo ^^s here, it can readily be understood, a significance in connection with municipal expenses." 1. c. p. ^ Speaking of the Black Forest in Germany, Mr. Gary says : ** The State forests throughout this dis- trict yield a net yearly revenue of $2.50 per acre. Tracts of unusual productiveness have yielded ten dollars. The best feature of the situation is the certainty and regularity of the supply. Tlie man- agement is splendid in its conservatism. Managers take a pride in never making a false show by over- cutting The yearly growth on these forest areas is closely known. Mills and markets have adjusted themselves to their output, and business in conse- quence is regular and certain." I. c p. 190. Leaving Mr. Gary's suggestive statements, we turn now to the Report of the United States De- partment of Agriculture for 1890. On page 220, Mr. Fernow states that the average net profit on the 57,000 acres of forest on the estate of the Duke of Anhalt for the years from 1881 to 1888, inclusive, has been $1.78 per acre. Mr Fernow, in Report of Commissioner ot Agriculture (U. S.) for 1886, page 185, also states that for the year 1 886-' 87, Prussia received a net income of $5,95^735 ^om forests containing 5»933,894 acres. This sum came from an area representing a little more than one-fifth of the area of Pennsylvania, and from land which on the whole was rather below than above the average. To make the appli- cation more direct— here is a crop, which is a reg- ular one each year, varying but little from season to season. It can be depended upon as a source of revenue. Would not Pennsylvania be in great good fortune at this moment if, from a fifth of her area (now yielding almost no income), she were assured of a revenue of $5,000,000 annually ? The Washington State Forestry Association. THE Washington State Forestry Association was organized last summer *' to help devise means of checking the rapid destruction of the forests, and to seek all possible information regarding the best plans for protecting and utiliz- ing them.'* ^ ^ The first annual meeting of the Association was held at Seattle on January 9, 1897, and addresses were delivered by Edmond S. Meany, president, of the Association, and Mr. Henry C Myers, Ph D professor of chemistry in the University of Washington, the latter speaking on wood pres- ervation. , , i. 4.1,^ From President Meany's address we present the following to show that the friends of forestry in Washington are endeavoring to awaken an inter- est in tree protection before it is too late. Mr. Meany said : .v «. ^u- *• It is a most auspicious circumstance that this the first public meeting of the Washington State Forestry Ass6ciation, should be held in conjunction with the lumbermen's convention and really as the guests of a lumber manufacturers' association. Success surely awaits the efforts of a forestry asso- elation that launches out on its field of usefulness with the sympathy and co-operation of the lum- bering interests of the State in which it intends to ^^*^^The State of Washington presents all the numerous and varied problems that challenge the attention and the interest of the scientific forester the world over. We have, in Western Washing- ton, vast forests to protect; in Eastern Washing- ton great treeless areas to be planted ; and between these two natural divisions we have the sources of many rivers which the health and prosperity ot the people demand to be protected by a generous cover of forest growth. Out of these three classes of general forestry problems will spring all the diversified problems that deserve your attention now, and if neglected will some day compel your attention in ways not pleasant to contemplate. Let us consider briefly the three classes of prob- 30 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 31 lems, and see if we can detect any present duties for the State. ''How long at the present rate of annual devas- tating forest fires will the magnificent timber tracts of the Puget Sound region remain to us as a match- less heritage of wealth ? An accurate answer is, of course, impossible at present with our imperfect knowledge of timber areas, but the question itself is enough to set some people to thinking that these fires have been endured years enough if there are any means at command to stop them. "Five centuries of thought and action have evolved for the Germans the most perfect system of forest management on earth. Here on Puget Sound we find the loggers entering into a combine when the market is dull so as to regulate the num- ber of logs put into the water. The lumber makers also combine for similar reasons to regulate the number of logs that shall be made into merchant- able lumber. What a blessing it would be if both combined to say that the tree-harvest shall hereafter be garnered in such a scientific way that future gen- erations shall not find the forests gone forever !" The national government has created in this State the Pacific Forest Reserve, the importance of which will be realized more and more as the years roll on. The State should exert itself to see that other reserves are created by the national government, and, if necessary, by the State itself. It is now an accepted and acknowledged fact throughout the civilized world that a forest cover at and near the sources of rivers is absolutely nec- essary to guard against floods and drought. This will appeal forcibly to the citizens of Eastern Washington, who irrigate the lands from the streams that rise in the Cascades. The volume of water is seriously affected by the removal of the trees at the sources of the rivers. The irrigator who looks beyond the to-day has learned this, and he is wide awake to the necessity of the State's making an early effort to put into active operation this branch of the science of forestry. ** The planting of needed trees in Eastern Wash- ington embraces the elements of a long and tedi- ous battle ; but no serious undertaking is made easier by being deferred, and earnest men should assist in every way they know how, all efforts to- ward finding out the best kinds of trees to be in- troduced and the most feasible way of encouraging their planting on a large scale. Why not begin an agitation here that shall make every Washing- tonian not only a lover, but a zealous champion of the trees ? We do not want to become cranks, but there is needed persistence and constant effort to secure all the enlightenment possible on these subjects. Every truth has its hero and its fool — the man who thinks of it — the man who thinks of nothing else. Let us become heroes in the crusade for the tree. " Now we know that our forests need protection from fires ; we know that the forest cover at the sources of the rivers should be protected ; we know that these problems of the moment can be solved by legislation at very little expense to put the laws into execution ; therefore let us urge that the proper steps be taken without further delay.** " Who learns and learns, but does not what he knows, Is one who plows and plows, but never sows." We extend the right hand of fellowship to our Washington friends and wish their Association the fullest success. J. B. Governor Black on Forestry. Governor Black, of New York, strongly advo- cates adding additional timber lands to that already secured in the Adirondack region, and in his message to the legislature says : **A question too long neglected is the preserva- tion of our forests. The State, either through in- difference or false economy, has been stripped of its most valuable timber lands, allowed its water supply to be seriously impaired and the most won- derful sanitarium in the world to be defaced and partially destroyed. Every element of economy and foresight is outraged by this course. Private individuals have taken advantage of the State's neglect until of the entire Adirondack region, con- sisting of more than three and a half million acres, the State owns eight hundred and forty-one thou- sand, less than a quarter, and of the proposed Adirondack park of two million eight hundred thousand acres, it owns even a smaller percentage, about six hundred and sixty-one thousand acres. Of this proposed park more than eight hundred and eighty thousand acres are held as private pre- serves, and more than a million and a quarter acres by lumbermen and others, so that of the pro- posed total area of two million eight hundred thousand acres, more than two millions are owned by private individuals. More than a million and a quarter of the two millions so owned are now subject to fire and axe, and the devastation wrought yearly is appalling and disgraceful. More than 450,000,000 feet of wood and timber are cut, and more than one hundred thousand acres stripped, every year. This work of devastation is progress- ing fast. The banks of the lakes and rivers and ; all sections accessible from either, are ravaged i at such a pace that but few years more can I elapse before that region, in many respects the most wonderful and valuable in the world, i will be practically destroyed. The land is steadily and rapidly increasing in value. The bogus title burrows further out of sight the longer it is let alone. Witnesses die, and the only thing sure to increase is the encroachment of in- dividuals upon the domain of the State. The enlargement of the canals will require more water and the demand in every direction is mcreasing, while the supply is steadily falling off. A subject of such magnitude should not be postponed nor conducted with the halting method which is too apt to distinguish public enterprises in which large appropriations afford convenient resting- places in which office-holders may grow old. Not long ago the State appropriated a million dollars to preserve the beauties of Niagara Falls. That I subject is without significance compared to the Adirondack forests. Every consideration of health, pleasure, economy and safety urge the speedy con- sideration of this subject, and such consideration should include appropriations adequate to ascer- tain the nature of the titles adverse to the State, and to recover where the titles are insufficient and I to purchase where they are valid. Any other \ course would be false and unwise economy. —Efforts have been made to preserve as far as possible the wealth of Siam in the teak and other forests, by a system of afforestation. Where prac- ticable new forests have been created to replace those exhausted by the cutting of timber, and the waste places in the country have thus been utilized. The future of Siam was to a large extent depend- ent upon this, as railways are already an important factor in deforestation through the demand they create for wood material for construction and other purposes. , i_, j ^ Teak is easily worked, strong, durable, and not liable to the attack of insects. The number of logs that are floated down the river Menam to Bangkok averages 50,000 per annum. It is ex- ported to European countries for the purpose ot building railway cars and also ships. BUY NO INCUBATOR and v^7 for it before giving it a trial. The firm who is afraid to let jrou try their incubator before buying it, has no faith in their machine. We will sell you ours ON TRIAL, I NOT A CENT until tried, and a child can run it with 5 minutes' attention a day. We won FIRST PRIZE WORI^D'S FAIR, and will whi vou for a steady customer if you will only buy ours on trial. Our large catalogue will cost you 5 cents and give you $T00 worth of practical infor- mation on poultry and incubators and the money Sere ?^m the business. Plans for Brooders Houses, etc :?> cts N. B.-Send us the names of three dm-- ^aii 'Tbo JkSf 180 f ubjeJts and 80 illustrations, worth $5 to any bicycle rider. VON CULIN INCUBATOR CO., BOX 1310 DELAWARE CITY, I>ET., THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES IN THIS PAPER ARE MADE BY THE NEW Autoglyphic Process OF SEND FOR CIRCULAR. No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. LEWIS' LEAF CHART. PART 1, NOW REA1>T. Biennial-fruited Oak7~BlackOal. and allies. l^riceSO « when ordered in large quantiiies. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. Price of whole series of Char'^^jFustrating one huiidred species !of our best trees, «6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 West Washington Street. Media, Pennsylvania. ON'TBUY ^ The Win.H. MOON Compan). MORRISVIIil-E, PA. . For their new deBcrlp- Efgg We Catalogue for 1896— ■ ■ ••• 32 FOREST LEAVES. ORIENTAL PLANE, THE BEST TREE FOR STREET AND AVENUE PLANTING. At the present time tree-loving people are endeavoring to secure the best tree for plant- ing on the avenues and streets of our cities, and after a careful study of the matter we have reached the conclusion that the Oriental Plane is in every respect the most satisfactory. It is long lived, a rapid grower, and very clean, as it is never troubled with worms or insects. PLANE TREES ON VICTORIA EMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES RIVER. LONDON. Five years ago, while in Europie for horticultural research, we found that for a num- ber of years, in London, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and other cities, this tree had been used with most successful results. It was found to be the only tree which would grow satisfactorily on the Victoria Embankment of the Thames River, London. The parks and cemeteries in many of our cities and a number of our leading land- scape gardeners have recently been using the Oriental Plane very extensively for avenue planting. Can furnish many testimonials concerning the merits of this tree. Trees of good size 75 cents, $1.00, and $1.50 each. Special rates in quantity. ANDORRA NURSERIES, WILLIAM WARNER HARPER, Manager, SPECIALTIES : CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA. I ( Specimen Ornamental Trees, \ Hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas. i^^^-'fe'L ^-^ Vol. VI. Philadelphia, June, 1897. No. 3. Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 25 North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second class matter. CONTENTS. in Philadel- Editorials Spring Arbor Days phia •. Arbor Day in Pennsylvania The Present Status of Our National Forestry L*^«i^»ii,^);i"--V^^^ Resolutions of the West Chester. Pa., High School Forestry As- sociation Submerged Forest Growth A Notable Silver Maple •• ;V''*''':*U" w:nM'\ Iron-Wood, Hop-Hornbeam. (Ostrya Virguiica, Will d.) Forest Conditions in California Forest Fires in Minnesota, 1896 ••••••• ForesVT^e!lManti'ngExperime.;Vs'aVSt Necessitrof Appropriations for Forest Protection and Restoration Minnesota Timber Resources •• :"'{"' New Members of Pennsylvania Forestry Association Utah for Forest Reservations... Forests as Conservators of Moisture 'J^'_11"11'1Z 33-35 35-36 37 37-38 39 39 39 40 40-41 42 42 43 43 44 45 46 46 Subscription, $1.00 per Year. The attention 0/ Nurserymen and others f^^^^'^'^']'^^^^^ . of Forest Leaves as an advertising medium. Rates will be Jur nished on application. -■ Committee on Publication. John Bikkinbine, Chairman, 25 North Juniper Street. F. L. Bitler, 1820 Master Street. PKOF. Wm. p. Wilson, 640 N. 32d Street. B. WiTMAN Dambly, Skippack, Pa. ♦„„ r» r Charles A. Kbffer, Dept. Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and n^th^ds of forest culture and preservation, and o ^^^"^f. ^$^^^"^^^- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both State and National. . . , .^ j n .. Annual membership fee. One dollar. ^'a::r'Th/m1«rp"„o°ihrworlc of .his AssoCation » intended weiiner uiv.ii ^ v Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become L^i'"'st;wtn'dTell^"^« To^-f . <*-«> ship Committee 512 Walnut street, Phila. President. Tonn Birkinbine. . ., » 1 • t /- vSi Presidents, Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins. James C. Haydon, Prof. Wm. P. Wilson. ^ ^, _, . , ^ene^al Secretary, Dr. Joseph l- Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. 7V^aj«r^r, Charles E. Pancoast. .,r j t i?i w g CounHl-at-Large, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn, W. S. ^^Toul'cil from Philadelphia C^««/y, J. Rodman Paul A. B Weimer, Richard Wood, Eli Kirt Price, Henry Budd, Henry Howson, Mrs. ''Tofnlll/rZThester County, Mrs. H. J. Biddle, Wm. S. Kirk, ^""Zun^t/Xm' DelauH^re County, Miss Grace Anna Lewis. Charles ^'cJin^i/rom Montgomery C^«'^, Dr. H M Fisher, Dn Ahce Ben^U Dr. J. M. Anders, Hon. B. Witman Dambly. Dr. J. Newton Hunsberger, Dr. Samuel Wolfe. Office of the Association, 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia. EDITORIALS. IF Forest Leaves was a partisan newspaper, and if the bills which have been before the Legislature of Pennsylvania for improving our forest conditions had been partisan measures, its readers would be treated to display headings indicating that "a clean sweep'' had been made, *' a glorious victory " achieved, etc. Such expressions would properly represent the con- ditions as they exist at present writing ; but we are content to offer a statement of what has been accomplished, and to congratulate the readers of Forest Leaves upon the tangible evi- dence of progress before us. We would also express our appreciation of the patriotism of our legislators, and of the Governor of the State, as evinced by the following record. House bill No. 27, authorizing constables and other police officers, without first securing a war- rant, to arrest persons reasonably suspected by them of offending against the laws protecting timber land, has passed both House and Senate, and been signed by the Governor. The same may be said of House bill No. 28, making constables of townships ex officio fire- wardens for the extinction of forest fires, and for reporting to the Court of Quarter Sessions viola- lions of the laws for the protection of forests from fires, prescribing the duties of said fire-wardens, and their punishment for failure to perform the same, and empowering them to require, under penalty, the assistance of other persons in the extinction of such fires. House bill No. 62 is now also on the statute- books of the State. This bill provides for the i)ur( hase by the Commonwealth of unseated lands for the non-payment of taxes, for the purpose of creating a State forest reservation. House bill 217 as passed by the House, was amended in the Senate, and is now a law of the Commonwealth. It provides that in consideration of the public benefit to be derived from the reten- 7* 34 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 35 tion of forest or timber trees, the owner or owners of land in this Commonwealth having on it forest or timber trees of not less than fifty trees to the acre, and each of said trees to measure at least eight inches in diameter at a height of six feet above the surface of the ground, with no portion of the said land absolutely cleared of the said trees, shall, on making due proof thereof, be entitled to receive annually from the commissioners of their respective counties during the period that the said trees are maintained in sound condition upon the said land, a sum equal to eighty per centum of all taxes annually assessed and paid upon the said land, or so much of the said eighty per centum as shall not exceed the sum of forty-five cents per acre : Provided, however, that no one property owner shall be entitled to receive said sum on more than fifty acres. Another act. Senate bill No. 19, making it the duty of various county officials to furnish on de- mand therefor information from their respective offices to the head of any department of the State government, was also in the interest of forest re- form, and it, with the other bills, has passed the Legislature and been signed by the Governor. House bill No. 210, which was suggested by the Law Committee and urged by the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, is also now a law of the State ol Pennsylvania. This bill, as our readers are aware, provides for the creation of three reservations, each of 40,000 acres or more, upon the headwaters of tributaries of the Delaware, Suscjuehanna and Ohio Rivers, and is the initia- tive measure towards securing for the State of Pennsylvania a system of forestry reservations which, we hope, will ultimately be greatly ex- tended. It is worthy of special mention that this bill was introduced into the House of Represen- tatives and warmly advocated by the Hon. V>. W. Jennings, of Sullivan County, who is actively en- gaged in the lumber industry, and was entJiusias- tically supported by Senator J. Henry Cochran, of Lycoming County, another lumberman. In the Senate, General J. P. S. Gobin, of Lebanon County, took charge of the bill, and his influence is evidenced by the fact that the bill passed that chamber with but one dissenting vote. The prompt action of (Governor Hastings in api)rov- ing this measure, as well as his endorsement of other measures looking to forest reform, fitly sup- plement his strong forest protection address at the Drexel Institute in April, 1896. By resolution the thanks of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association has been formally expressed to Representative Jennings, Senator Gobin and Governor Hastings. J- B- The text of the above bills, except No. 217, aj)peared in the April issue of Forest Leaves, and need not be repeated. The Reservation Bill, as proposed by the Association, was amended by providing that one member of the Commission to select reservations shall be a lawyer or conveyancer of at least ten years' professional experience, and another member shall be a practical surveyor. ,1^ iK * * * In addition to the above very satisfactory record made by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, now in session, we note that standing committees on for- estry in both the House of Representatives and Senate have been created, and such committees will probably continue to be appointed by subse- quent Legislatures; and, that to replace those destroved by the fire which wrecked the State capitoi, provision has been made for the publica- tion of 17,000 additional copies of the very excellent and instructive report of the Pennsyl- vania Forestry Commission. Each reader of Forest Leaves who peruses the above list of achievements in the forest reform movement must be gratified at the results accom- plished, and with the laws now on our statute- book there is every reason for encouragement to believe that forestry reform has passed its critical days, and that what is now required is careful, thoughtful enthusiasm on the part of those en- gaged in the movement, and an enrollment among the active supporters of forest protection of the thousands of the citizens of the State of Pennsylvania who, while believing in the purposes of our Forestry Association, have not become actively recognized in its membership. Pennsylvania now has good forestry laws, but her citizens must look to the enforcement of their provisions, and see that they are interpreted in the spirit which formulated them, viz.: forest pro- tection, forest preservation, and forest propaga- tion. In the results which have been above chronicled we see the influence of the Forestry lUireau created by the last Legislature, and recognize thai mu( h of what was accomplished is due to the pre- sentation of the needs of the State in the report of the Forestry Commission, and the supervision of the various bills by the Forestry Bureau. J. B. % ^c * * * Considerable space is given in this issue to nar- ratives of Arbor Day celebrations in the State of l*ennsylvania, and especially in connection with the public schools of Philadelphia. Each year the re( ognition of Arbor Day becomes more and more pronounced. The spring Arbor Day a year ago was made memorable by the co-operation of the Trustees, the faculty and students of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania and the Drexel Institute, and it will undoubtedly please readers of Forest Leaves to know that the scion of the Penn Treaty elm planted in connection with this celebration exhibits a strong, healthy growth, and gives promise of standing as a mem.orial of Arbor Day. The Spring Arbor Day of 1897 was n^ade especially memorable in Philadelphia by interesting exer- cises at a number of the public schools, arrange- ments for most of which were perfected by the Civic Club and carried out under its efficient direction. The custom of the State Department of Public Instruction has been to have the schools outside of the larger cities observe Arbor Day in the fall, when all of the State schools are in session. There were, however, a number of impressive and im- portant ceremonies in connection with spring Arbor Day held throughout the State, and some of them have been referred to in this issue of Forest Leaves. We trust that the interest in Arbor Day will continue to increase, and that each year will find growing evidences of this manifested. The children who are being taught to-day the appreciation or interest in a single tree or group of trees will in a few years be the leaders in the direction of thought towards the protection of existing forests or re forest rat ion of waste areas. J- ^' ***** As this issue of Forest Leaves goes to press, we learn that the Commission appointed by the National Academy of Sciences, at the request of the Secretary of the Interior, has presented his report to the President of the United States. We regret that this document, which discusses the for- estal conditions of the United States, and which we understand covers records of experience in other countries, is not at hand for review, for the personnel of the Commission will make its deliver- ances command the respect of the entire country. We shall take pleasure in discussing the report after careful perusal, and rejoice that its presenta- tion at the present time attracts additional interest to the subject of forestry. The country is awaken- ing to a realization of the value of forests none too soon ; in some sections the awakening is, we fear, too late to permit of any material benefit for a number of years. J- ^^• ***** An interesting sequel to the impressive dedica- tory services of the Grant memorial on Riverside drive, in New York city, was the planting of a tree contributed by Viceroy Li Hung Chang, of China, who sent a personal representative to this country for that purpose. ***** We clip the following from the Centre Reporter of April 29th : , , t **The constables of the difi*erent boroughs and townships then made their quarterly returns to this term of Court, after which the Court called them up and explained the duties of constables under an Act of Assembly recently passed, and to go into effect January i, 1898, in reference to con- stables to be fire marshals in their several baili- wicks to extinguish forest fires or to see that they are extinguished. The Court stated further that he would have this Act published in the several county papers." Under Judge Love we may look for active for- est protection in Centre County. All honor to him. ***** A meeting of the American Forestry Associa- tion will be held in Nashville, Tenn., the latter part of September, in connection with the Ten- nessee Centennial. Col. E. C. McDowell, of Nash- ville, Tenn., is chairman, and George P. Whittle- sey, of Washington, D. C, secretary of the Committee on Arrangements. The party may visit Biltmore, N. C. Spring Arbor Days in Philadelphia. "r)OTH of the Spring Arbor Days, April 9th V_y and April 23d, appointed by Governor ^^"^ Hastings, were observed in Philadelphia, the Civic Club taking up the matter with energy and enthusiasm. On Friday, April 9th, exercises were held at a number of the public schools, at which, in ad- dition to tree-planting, addresses were made by ex-Governor Robert E. Pattison, who issued the first Arbor Day proclamation for Pennsylvania; Mr. John Birkinbine, President of the Pennsylva- nia Forestry Association; Mr. Herbert Welsh, Mrs. C. Stuart Patterson, and others. The trees were supplied by the Civic Club of Philadelphia, and were named by the children, the names se- lected being generally those of famous Ameri- cans. The schools at which exercises were held were the Franklin, at American Street and Columbia Avenue; Adaire, Thompson and Palmer Streets ; New Street, New Street below Second ; Horace Binney, Sixth and Spruce Streets ; Ringgold, Eighth and Fitzwater Streets; Washington, Ninth and Carpenter Streets; Landreth, Twenty-third and Federal Streets. The varieties of trees planted were sugar maple, Norway maple, mag- nolia, tulip, poplar, linden, mountain ash, oriental plane, elm and ash-leaf maple, the selections being made' for the qualities of speedy growth and At the Central Manual Training School appro- priate exercises were held, but the inclement weather necessitated the postponement of the cus- tomary planting of a tree in Fairmount Park by the Senior Class. Superintendent Edward Brooks sent out a cir- cular urging the general observance of the Second 36 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 37 Arbor Day, April 23d, by the public schools, the later date being selected in order that the children could secure an abundant supply of flowers for class-room decoration. The observance of the 23d as Arbor Day was much more general, the exercises consisting mainly of talks by the principals and teachers on tree life, products, economic values, etc., as well as practi- cal object-lessons in seed-planting, the children in many cases taking part in recitations and sing- ing. At the Girls' Normal School the display of woods, tree products and other biological collec- tions was probably finer than in any previous year. The display was arranged in the auditorium, and during the day each class in the School of Prac- tice was given an opportunity of seeing it. The words '* Economic Botany," suspended over the platform, gave the keynote to the display, one of the most interesting phases of which was a fine collection of insects inimical to trees, their power to destroy being forcibly illustrated by the insects being mounted in such a way as to show them feeding upon leaves, buds, branches and nuts, while on the opposite side of the platform was an equally fine display of birds which prey upon the insects injurious to trees. Principal Clifl" gave a talk to the students, in which he referred to the historical development of Arbor Day as a feature in the schools. He spoke of the progress being made in scientific forestry and of public opinion being aroused to the need of laws for preserving forests. Mrs. Lucy L. Williams-Wilson, head of the De- partment of Biology, was then introduced, and Degan by asking whether or not the destruction of trees is really likely to be so complete, so sudden, so fatal in its consequence, or is there and has there been in nature some marvellous recuperative power which has in the past, and will in the future, stand between man and a deserved fate? Has any country ever been thus devastated ? If not, why not ? Are we the only nation which has thus recklessly jeopardized our inheritance, and, if so, what has saved other countries, what will save us, and, lastly, what can we do individually to help? As an answer, the island of St. Helena was re- ferred to as showing the effect of the ruthless sac- rifice of trees by the early settlers. Instead of being a green and beautifully wooded island, as when discovered, nearly 400 years ago, there is now nothing to break the rainfall ; the soil is washed away and the island has become rocky, barren and desolate. In spite of this example, in no time and among no people has there ever been such ignorant, wasteful destruction of trees as in this generation and in the United States of America. The speaker told of the early worship of trees, whereas in this day, in cities at least, they are regarded as an excrescence on the landscape, the roots of which are likely to stop up drains and the branches interfere with the trolley wires. Mrs. Wilson urged the students to take ad- vantage of the opportunities existing, even in large cities, for teaching important truths to the children who will be some day their pupils. '' Make this day and every day an Arbor Day for your spirit," said Mrs. Wilson, '' by trying to be in touch and sympathy with every little bit of the great god- dess. Nature." The programme at the Girls* High School con- sisted of readings and recitations. Miss Rebecca Armstrong recited '' The Groves Were God's First Temples," Bryant, and Miss Merrill '*The Plant- ing of the Apple Tree," also by Bryant. Read- ings were given from '* Among the Trees," Miss A. C. Brackett, by Miss Murdock, and from '' Our Pennsylvania Forests," Governor Hastings, by Miss Rohrer. At the annex to the Girls' High School, Broad and Spring Garden Streets, an ad- dress was made by Miss M. S. Holmes, of the De- partment of Physics and Physical Geography. Professor E. J. Houston gave a talk to the students of the Northeast Manual Training School, and later a tree was planted in Fairmount Park by the Senior Class. The day was celebrated at the Central High School with an address by President Thompson, who dwelt upon the significance of the western floods as showing the urgent necessity for restoring a fair share of the forests that have been de- stroved, and of planting woods where none are found. At the Washington School, Ninth and Carpenter Streets, a tree-planting was conducted by a com- mittee of the Civic Club, Mrs. C. Stuart Patterson, Mrs. J. P. Lundy, Mrs. Walter James and Miss Beulah Fennimore, before a large audience, a short address being made by Mr. John Birkinbine, President Pennsylvania Forestry Association. Exercises were also held at the James G. Blaine School, Robert Morris School, George G. Meade School, John Welsh School, etc. City Forester Lewis also celebrated the day by planting 400 trees in Allegheny and Wharton Squares, the number being equally divided be- tween the two. Trees were also planted in Norris Square and Penn Treaty Park. The co-operation of the ladies of the Civic Club made the day a great success. They raised the money to purchase the trees which were pre- sented to the public schools, and arranged a pro- gramme which kept the Committee active for the entire day. The daily press, by liberal notices of what wks planned and what was accomplished, brought forest reform to the attention of the reading- public. Arbor Day in Pennsylvania. THROUGHOUT the State the second of the two spring Arbor Days, Friday, April 23d, was generally selected, and the following items taken from the press in various portions of the State will indicate the interest exhibited : South Bethlehem. — The formal observance of the day was held at Lehigh University. Over 5000 school children of the Bethlehems were pres- ent, together with the faculty and students of the university, and hundreds of citizens. President Drown made a short address, thank- ing the Governor for his presence, and paying him a high tribute for the interest he has shown in popular education. The Governor responded in an earnest address on the benefits of education and the necessity of restoring to the denuded mountains of the State their once grand and glori- ous forests. He paid a tribute to Asa Packer for his work in establishing the university and for other men who left similar movements behind them. At the close of the Governor's speech the chil- dren sang " America," and the Governor carefully planted a linden tree on the campus. Then tak- ing a spade decorated with brown and white rib- i)on, the university colors, he filled in the hole with earth, stamping it with his foot. Harriskurg.— The principal observance of the day was at the handsome new Cameron Building, where thirty-eight trees— twenty-five Norway maples and thirteen Carolina poplars— were placed in position along the edge of the street pavements. The exercises were participated in by the eight schools in the building, and were interesting. They were in charge of Director Parthemore. Four of the trees were named after directors and the City Superintendent. Easton.— In the High School there were origi- nal orations, essays, an original poem, an original story and readings ; solo and piano selections. West Chester.— The observances were more elaborate and general than ever before, and teach- ers and pupils made a gladsome day of it. Tree culture was studied under skilled teachers, the uses of trees inquired into, drawings made of leaves, and the history of noted trees told to interested listeners. There were scores of trees planted on the lawns, and namc^ given them for some person conspicuous in history, local or general. Good music was a feature of the day, and all enjoyed the occasion very much. Stroudsburg.— In the school grounds maple trees were planted, the planting committee repre- senting the School Board. After the ceremony the scholars returned to their rooms, where an interesting programme was carried out. Newtown.— Interesting Arbor Day exercises were held at the High School here this afternoon. After a good programme, consisting of recitations, music, etc., by the pupils, a tree was planted and dedicated to Abraham Lincoln. Carbondale.— Arbor Day was generally ob- served at the schools, and appropriate exercises held. Allentown.— Arbor Day was observed by the public schools, and in most of the schools inter- esting exercises were rendered by the scholars. Huntingdon. — Arbor Day was celebrated by the public schools, trees being planted and flower- beds laid out, the citizens contributing a fund to defray the expenses. Lancaster.— The High School held their Arbor Day exercises on April 9th. Singing, recitations, readings and an address by F. R. Diffenderff*er, Esq., on *' Bird Days and Bird Ways," all con- tributed to make pleasant the twenty-fifth Arbor Day which the High School has celebrated since its first observance in 1885. Arbor Day was also observed in most of the other States of the Union, on the days set apart by their respective commonwealths. Mr. C. W. Radcliffe Cook, a member of the English Parliament, writing in the St. James Gazette, urges the establishment of Arbor Day in Great Britian, advocating its adoption as one means of celebrating the Queen's long reign. The Present Status of Our National Forestry Legislation. THE movement for a national forest policy has, at the very hour when it seemed al- most doomed, come out victorious. Al- though at present writing the bill, or part of the bill which has reference to the inauguration of a forest administration, is still in Congress unsigned, there is but little doubt that it will pass in its pres- ent form and receive the President's signature. It comes in the shape of an amendment to the sun- dry civil appropriation bill, in connection with appropriations for the U. S. Geological Survey. It is indeed a curious method by which such ini- portant legislative action comes about, and it may be worth while to relate its history. Under the auspices of the American Forestry Association the power to secure forest reservations by proclamation of the President was secured in 1 89 1, and a number of reservations were set aside, until it was found that without law permit- ting the use and proper management of the reser- vations the policy of reserving would not only create strong opposition, but render the objects of the reservations largely nugatory. Hence the Association did not urge further reservation, but 38 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 39 concentrated its efforts upon the passage of an administrative bill. The passage of such a bill was secured in both Houses of the Fifty-Third Congress, but it did not become law for lack of time. The same bill, known as the McRae bill, also passed the House of Representatives in the Fifty-Fourth Congress, a compromise measure, to be sure, yet acceptable as a first step towards something better. To bring further influence to bear upon the Senate in favor of the passage of this legislation, or of some similar measure, an expression from the National Academy of Sciences was solicited through the Secretary of the Interior, but the committee of that body, appointed to consider the question, recommended the making of further reservations before even an administration of the existing ones was organized. It is well known what a storm of opposition was created among the Senators, Representatives and citizens of the Western States by this sudden wholesale with- drawal of large areas from use and occupancy, and the Senate, in the last hours of the Fifty- Fourth Congress, promptly voted the restoration of these lands, revoking the proclamation order of President Cleveland without a dissenting voice. The House, however, did not propose to allow this radical return to the status (]uo ante, and sub- stituted an amendment, which in the main em- bodied the provisions of the administrative bill which it had passed (the McRae bill), although finally the conferees of the House yielded to the demands of the Senate. The bill failed to become law, the President refusing to sign, and hence the Fifty- Fifth Congress had to resume the settlement of the i)roblem. Time for consideration having thus been gained, a more conciliatory spirit made jirogress in the Senate, and the House amendment, some- what modified, was submitted to the Senate again, as an amendment to the sundry civil appropriation bill. The provisions of this amendment are briefly as follows : To keep the forest reservations pro- claimed intact at least for one year, until they can be surveyed and examined, to give the President authority to modify or annul reservations, to or- ganize a forestry service in the Department of the Interior, giving the Secretary the right to sell timber, grant privileges, etc., and provide for exchange of lands to settlers, included in reser- vations. On the floor of the Senate, however, the West- ern Senators succeeded in inserting a clause re- voking all the proclamations issued on February 2 2, upon the recommendation of the committee of the National Academy, and restoring these later reservations to the public lands open for entry. The House non-concurred by a vote of ICO to 39. The Conference Committee agreed to the above clause, provided **that the lands em- braced in such reservations not otherwise disposed of before March i, 1898, shall again become sub- ject to the operations of said orders and procla- mations as now existing or hereafter modified by the President." This report has been accepted by the Senate, and will undoubtedly be agreed to by the House. The following points will be gained : The forest reservations, originally made, will stand and as- sume an unquestioned legal status, which so far had been doubtful, and the beginning of a forestry service is at least made possible. To be sure, while $150,000 are appropriated to the Geological Survey to survey and classify the reservations, no provision is specifically made for the forestry service, unless the Secretary of the Interior shall construe the appropriation of $90,- 000 for so-called timber agents available for the purpose. Being in the form of an amendment to an ap- propriation bill, a method of securing legislation which was criticized both in the Senate and House as irregular, the provisions had necessarily to be of a very general character, leaving the detail to administrative action and construction. There are some undesirable features which will have to be eradicated by subsequent legislation, notably the provision under which the Secretary may permit, free of charge, the cutting of timber, not only by settlers and prospectors, but also by miners and every resident for his own use, a pro- vision which almost wholly annuls the clause, permitting the sale of timber. Meanwhile the full report of the committee of the National Academy has been submitted to the Secretary of the Interior and been forwarded to the Senate. It discusses at length European experiences with the consequences of forest devastation, and pro- poses in detail features of a forest administration similar to those which were first formulated by the American Forestry Association in the so-called Paddock bill in 1887. At that time the public mind, and that of the Representatives in Congress, were not yet sufficiently edm ated to the import- ance of the subject, and hence the contemplation of an elaborate new bureau, with an appropriation of $250,000, as proposed by the Committee, ap- peared premature and its establishment unattain- able. We fear that even now it will take considerable time and effort to secure the passage of such a bill, while the small beginnings secured by the McRae amendment may eventually evolutionize into the more elaborate and desirable bureau. B. E. Fernow. Resolutions of the West Chester, Pa., High School Forestry Association. THE Forestry Association of the West Chester High School, at its Arbor Day Meeting, passed the following Preamble and Reso- lutions: Whereas, The Legislature in session is so fa- vorably considering the protection of the forest- covered tracts of Pennsylvania's hills, and since the passage of the bills before the two Houses of the General Assembly, will make Pennsylvania's forest laws as complete and protective as those of any State in the Union, therefore be it Resolved, That we, members of the Forestry As- sociation of the West Chester High School, ex- press our appreciation of the wisdom of the mem- bers of the present Legislature in supporting measures which so nearly concern the well-being of every person in this great Commonwealth. Resolved, That since the pupils in the schools to-day will in a few years be the citizens of Penn- sylvania, and will then reap the incalculable bene- fits accruing to them from the provident action of the Legislature in these forestry bills, it is there- fore fitting that we give some expression of our appreciation of the considerate attention and wise action that the Legislature has taken relative to the protection of our forest lands. Resolved, That we believe the children in the schools of to-day will be more benefited by the passage of the forestry bills than by any other leg- islation which may be enacted, that the greater immunity from devastating floods and crop-de- stroying droughts will add much to the security of life and property, that the retention of the hill- side in its covering of native woods and the plant- ing of denuded tracts with suitable trees will greatly add to the health, prosperity and hap- piness of the people of this age and the ages to come. Resolved, That copies of this preamble and resolution be sent to the Governor, Hon. Daniel H. Hastings, to Senator W. P. Snyder, to Repre sentative Plummer E. Jefferis, and to Commis- sioner of Forestry, Dr. J. T. Rothrock. Southern States. Trees have been observed over five feet in diameter, and one had 5700 annual rings. In some instances, too, these huge trees have grown over the stumps of others equally large. — Popular Science Monthly, A Notable Silver Maple. THE objections to the planting of the silver maple (^Acer dasycarpuni) in the shallow pavements of city streets, as indicated in Forest Leaves for October, 1896, are well- founded, but elsewhere, where there is a good deep soil with plenty of room for root development, and above ground exposure to stimulate branch and leaf development, the most hopeful results may be looked for, and a tree of noble proportions confidently expected. A silver maple recently removed from the grounds of the late Lewis C. Baumann, at German- town, Pa., would seem to be worthy of record. This tree stood upon what was once the estate of Dr. l^homas Betton, a lover of trees, and who will be remembered as the friend of Rafinesque. The silver maple of which we write rose in har- monious proportion to an elevation of 138 feet. At half its height, the tree had a spread of 35 feet on every side of the main trunk. At i foot above the surface the trunk was 4 feet 4 inches in di- ameter. At 8 feet above the surface, it was 3 feet 3 inches in diameter. From 10 feet above the ground to the highest altitude, the tree was clothed with the healthiest verdure. When this tree was felled, its trunk was solid to the core, and there was not a dead branch upon it. This truly magnificent specimen was sacrificed to the insatiable progress of so-called *' modern improvement." E. C J. —Pavements made of granulated cork, mixed with asphalt, have stood a test of two years in London and Vienna, and are still good. Submerged Forest Growth. AN examination of the Delta of the Missis- sippi shows that, for the distance of about three hundred feet in this deposit, there are buried forests of large trees, one over the other, with interspaces of sand. Ten distinct growths of this nature have been observed, which have succeeded one another. These forests are composed of the bald cypress, common in the —Thin-cut lumber has, to a considerable extent, taken the place of sawed lumber for the making of boxes for shipping purposes. ^HCI^^fA —Red oak makes a good syrup barrel, but it is too porous to hold oil or any product containing even a small per cent, of alcohol. —The oldest tree in England is a yew, at Bra- burn, in Kent, which is said to be 3000 years old. 40 FOREST LEAVES. Iron-Wood, Hop-Hornbeam. (Ostrya Virginica, Will'd.) (Sargent, Silva N. A., vol. ix., p. 34, t. 445.) IRON-wood is a sort of generic name among English-speaking people for a wood of un- usual hardness. In its general use it some- what resembles the name *^ bully- wood/' as ap- plied to several kinds of their trees, by the natives of Jamaica. In Pennsylvania there is but one kind of tree with which the species under consideration could be confounded, that is, with the tree appropriately designated '* water-beech " {Carpinus Caroliniana, Walter, of the botanists). The latter tree is usu- ally found in damp ground, by some stream side, and has a smooth, blue-gray bark. The trunk of the tree, too, is apt to be ridged or fluted more or less conspicuously. With us the iron-wood, of which this sketch treats, grows most commonly on dry ridges, and its bark fs brown or dark brown, and split exter- nally into numerous thin, narrow shreds. In fact, there is no other tree of our forests whose bark at all resembles it. It is distinctive, as the illustra- tion of the trunk will show. The tree, in the northern parts of the State, at- tains a fair size— probably fifty feet high and a foot or fifteen inches in diameter. The trunk there is straight, and suggests good lumber. In the southern and central parts of the State, so far as my observation goes, it is a smaller tree, having a less tempting boll. When dry, the wood is not only hard and strong, but is very elastic as well. This most country boys discover before they pass the bow and arrow period of their growth. The leaves are from two to four inches long, rounded at base, on very short footstalks, acute at apex, margin very sharply and irregularly toothed, lower surface often brown in autumn, upper sur- face green. The male flowers appear toward the end of April or early in May— about the time that the leaves first shoot forth. Indeed, the develop- ment of the male flowers and leaves seems to go on together. These flowers hang from the ends of the branchlets of the previous season, in brown, scaly clusters, which are two inches long. The fe- male flowers are also on the ends of the branches, at first in small, scaly masses, soon becoming half an inch or more long, and containing small, coni- cal sacks, with a seed in each one. These sacks enlarge until in August or September, when they mature a brown seed, which is about an eighth of an inch long. From the resemblance of this ma- tured fruit cluster to a head of hops comes one common name — hop-hornbeam. It is an appro- priately suggestive name. This head, at first erect, droops as autumn approaches, when it is from two to three inches in length. Iron-wood is nowhere in this State one of our commonest trees. It simply lends variety with- out imparting character to the forest. Neither does the wood figure conspicuously in any of our industries, though it is utilized in a small way for cogs, levers and tool handles. Its chief limitation is the small size of the trunk. This species of tree grows naturally from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida, and is found as far west as Kansas and Texas. Its physical properties may be thus stated : Spe- cific gravity, 0.8284; percentage of ash, 0.50; relative approximate fuel value, 0.8243 ; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 51.63; relative strength, 25. Forest Conditions in California. THE Forest Reservations of California and Oregon include a greater area than all other similar reservations in the United States put together, and yet they are far from cov- ering the territory that a rational forest system would demand. The forests of California are practically confined to the mountain ranges. Those at the Northern portion of the State correspond to a forestal con- fluence of the Sierra and Coast Ranges. As these mountains divide and encircle the great interior valley of California, so also do the forests. As far south as Chico the valley and foothill condi- tions are favorable to forest growth, especially to oaks, and where, as in some of the enclosures of General Bidwell's at Chico, nature has had full sway, a growth of oak has taken possession, which may properly be called *' forest.'* Throughout the northern part of the State there are several Indian Reservations, viz., Klamath, Hoopa and Round Valley, but there are no forest reservations, nor any forest managernent. The Government land system is so defective in rela- tion to the needs of modern lumbering, that fraud is invited, and has been generally practiced. The great lumbering interests of California are largely confined to this section. The forest growth of the Coast Range is, in the north, mainly pine and Douglas spruce {Pseudo-tsuga taxifolid). On the interior, or valley side, the oaks predominate and take more and more a grove-like growth. About Humboldt the Red-wood {Sequoia sent- pcrvirens) takes entire possession of the coast front of the mountains. This district extends south to Santa Cruz and divides with the Douglas Spruce section of Oregon, the honor of being the greatest producer of merchantable timber to the acre in «» Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 3. 1 Forest Leaves, Vol. vi. No. 3. TRUNK OF IRONWOOD OR HOP HORNBEAM. OSTRYA VIRGINICA WILL'D, MIFFLIN COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA. IRONWOOD OR HOP HORNBEAM. OSTRYA VIRGINICA WILL'D. MIFFLIN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. i Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 3. 1 Forest Leaves, Vol. vi. No. 3. ( i TRUNK OF IRONWOOD OR HOP HORNBEAM. OSTRYA VIRGINICA WILL'D, MIFFLIN COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA. IRONWOOD OR HOP HORNBEAM. OSTRYA VIRGINICA WILL'D. MIFFLIN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE I ! FOREST LEAVES. 41 < 0 the world. The tan-bark oak, rapidly being ex- terminated {Q. densiflord), and the beautiful ma- droiia {^Arbutus menzesi) are confined to the coast ranges. There is no forest reservation on the coast range, except the insignificant Trabuco, in Orange County, far to the south. After passing Santa Cruz no forests of commercial importance exist on the coast range. The mountains are mainly covered with dense brush or chapparal. On the higher ranges there are pines and spruce, and toward the interior oaks again assume posses- sion. The entire coast range from San Francisco north, was gone over by the extinct State Board of Forestry, and the forests platted by sections. The maps of this work are accurate, and may be found in the First and Second Forest Reports of . that Board. At the same time the forests of Southern Cali- fornia were platted. These are the only accurate maps of any portion of the California forests. Other maps, however, exist. The great Sierra backbone of the State has a grand forestal growth as far south as the Tehachepi, with extension by the arboreal islands in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto ranges. The principal commercial growths are yellow pine (^Pinus ponderosa), sugar pine {Ftnus Lamber- tiana), incense cedar {Libocedrus decurrens), and Douglas spruce and fir. There are several species of tamaracks, pines, firs and cedars in the range, a full popular and botanical description of which was made by Prof. Lemmon, and which can be found in the second and third reports of the board. The big trees (^Sequoia giganted) are scattered through the central and southern portion of the Sierra in island-like groves. The original Cala- veras and Mariposa groves are small. Those in Fresno and Tulare county are large. Commencing at the northern line of the Yose- mite the whole block of the Sierra Forest to the south, as far as Walker's Pass, is now a splendid forest reserve. It comprises the Yosemite, the Sequoia National Park, the General Grant and the Mt. Whitney Military Reservation. There are also two Indian reservations, the lines of which touch the forest reserve. The irrigation waters of Central California flow from this Sierra forest reserve. A considerable portion of it is patrolled by Federal cavalry, and thus far the former destructive forest fires have not recurred. There is no district in this country better adapted to an educational establishment for all forest questions. Timber exploitation, forest fires pasturage of both sheep and cattle, torrent action mining and irrigation reservoirs and the preservation of springs, together with tree treat- ment under widely varying conditions, from sum- mits of 14,000 feet to low alluvial plains, and with a rainfall from 60 inches or more in some parts, to an uncertain precipitation of 3 or 4 to 10 inches in others. The two official forest reserves of San Gabriel and San Bernardino form one national reserve, taking in the Sierra Madre range, from which nearly all the flood and irrigation waters of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura and Orange counties have their source. The present main producing areas of Southern California look to this range for both dangerous flood and for summer water. Most of the range is rugged and very difficult of access, and so has found a protection in its topography. A little mining is done here and there, and in the San Bernardino section considerable timber has been taken out, as is also the case in the adjacent un- reserved San Jacinto Mountains. The Sierra Madre rise sheer and sudden from the rich valleys of the south, and are more easily penetrated from the Mojave Desert to the north, so much the more desolate by contrast with the southern valleys. The San Jacinto Mountain, like Mt. Whitney in the main Sierra, has its tremendous precipitous rise from the Eastern Desert. I know of no more impressive mountains than these as seen from the arid plains at their eastern l)ase, hundreds of feet below sea level. • There is in this southern reservation absolutely no guardianship or attempt at protection of any kind. A company or two of troops, pending the establishment of some permanent forest system, could do great good here. The experience of the officers of the cavalry patrol of the Yosemite in- dicates that the soldiers were improved not only as soldiers, but as men, both physically and mor- ally, by their forest duty. The State Board of Forestry was abolished, and the Sierra Club, since formed, in some measure takes its place. The people of the State are very generally in favor of a forest policy, and of the forest reserves and their extension. This feeling is strong and universal amongst the irrigators and the business towns supported by them. The miners are all favorable except where they fear exclusion from the reserves. The great timber firms now favor the forest policy, but the sheep men do not wish it. This latter interest is the only one that cannot be rendered unanimous for a rational fotest system in California. Abbot Kinney. Los Angeles, Cal. Since the above was written President Cleveland added to the California Forest Reserves the Stan- islaus Reservations in the Central Sierra Nevada and the San Jacinto Reservation in Southern California. 42 FOREST LEAVES. Forest Fires in Minnesota, 1896. TV PRELIMINARY report of the Chief Fire A Warden, Gen. C. C. Andrews states that ^ last suTOOier in almost the entire Lake Su- Derior region there was dry and dangerous wea her for sever! weeks, and invites particular attention o the contrast between the situation m Minnesota and in Michigan, which has no fire-warden law. '"Cneral Andrews says: " On the twenty-fifth of A ^ iU^ vilHffe of Ontonagon, Mich., witn nrSty to the amount of severll million dollars, SelWyed by a forest fire which had been pre- r^^uslv bSg^n the woods southwest of the v.l- C or two wieks. The weather was just as dry S dangerous in Minnesota as in Michigan and, auJoughCest fires occurred in this State, nothing fii^r^n ^wPo^l^rirff course, -ouj E;\e-eran7re;S!:m'^^^^^^ SovSangerous. it is the business of fire war- E to look after such fires, as well as others, and have them extinguished. . ,:. « No one should claim for this law all the credit for preventing and extinguishing forest fires in Minnesota the past season, but to deny that it J'roved of very Considerable public benefit -ud be unjust to many fire wardens and the r helpers, thosi activity ^as effective -^ Pra'seworth With further experience on the part ot those charged with the execution of the law it ought to nrove Still more effective." ^ We quote the following from correspondence accompanying Mr. Andrews' report : Mr E O. Brown, of Kimberly : ' "The 'closest watch is kept and everyone is as careful as possible, but the g-i^atest ^^^ger is from bird hunters and railroad engines. The first-named are travelling all over the woods this fall. Mr H I Redmeyer, of Lutsen : ^ .. . "On thi 'twenty-third of July a forest fire burnt over twenty-five acres of spru< e and cedar, de- stroying the wood entirely and doing damage to he 'amount of |t.oo. A party had bee., taking out cedar posts some years ago and left all the Ssh and limbs ; the lightning had struck a cedar tree and the fire spread into the dry brush It took me one day before I got control o it, and fully six days before it was extinguished. From the above it would seem that the fire- warden system of Minnesota has been very suc- cessful in preventing and extinguishing forest firS, and the plan for fire wardens in Pennsylvania as provided for in House Bill 28, just adopted, should be of signal service here. Profit in Trees. T N the whole country there is now but very little T woods worthy that name. Bush-lots would -T come nearer the proper term to designate Fvervbody, it would seem, who has a tree large enough uf make a railroad tie or telegraph pole, is fn grit haste to cut it down. It is high time to call a halt. . , , lonrl- There is nothing, in my opinion, t' at Jhe land holders of the county— and I might say of the whole S^ate of PennsVWania, the farmers in pa - dcular-can do that will pay them as well as preserving what timber or woods is -w standing Lumber in the near future will, in all proDa bility very much appreciate, as three-fourths of tie timber of this State, as well as the great wooded §!atesof Michigan and W-consin is gone and there must soon be a large falling off in the pro '''Yn'^he 1-ist ten years railroads like the Harvey's La£ br:nrh of ^e Lehigh Valley have been bu,^ onenine up large tracts of primitive forest, and :Ss"ve opera'tors have been, and are now cutting them, and - a v ^ f^ ^ ' J„lly mostlv cone, and a rise in pruc^ wn j be he result. As there is but litt e prof^ in • he riisinc of any kind of grain, and but little n osnec in tl at line in this section of country for prospect in inai farmers here cannot a long time to come, as the larmers iic ^omnete with the western country in the cereals it is'Serefore policy to cultivate something that they would not think of competing with. XU rough and stony or steep side-hi land ought to be planted with timber trees, '.b's c'earmg o and of any kind at present is a mistake. All o^ .S"y kind of land will pay l^etter in woods^^ I am .practicing what I preach. At present I am inter ™'o?:."g."dtrfiS'st?.Vb;'»,.. .and., », malicious person. . ^, ... „ hnlf-grown a half feet through. ^vm. i>. j Nnu A,^e, Tunkliannock. It is said that the match factories of Europe turTourjs'.ooo.ooo worth of matches yearly. FOREST LEAVES. 43 Forest Tree-Planting Experiments at State College, Pa. ANY experimenting in forestry means some years of careful attention and observation, for mistake or neglect anywhere within that period is fatal. My experimental planting consisted in taking pine and chestnut seedlings and dividing them into two lots. One lot was planted here on our farm adjacent to a natural woodland ; the other over upon a mountain at a place which I thought would prove a good one. The first-named have devel- oped quite well, are now fully established and almost taking care of themselves — that is the white pines ; the chestnuts are very poor, but that is not surprising, as the soil is totally unfit for chestnuts, and they should have had more care. They seem unable to get a foothold unless the weeds and shrubbery about them be kept down ; pines, on the other hand, will fight it out slowly with but little outside help. The pines grow very slowly for the first few years, the pine weevil, which destroys the leading shoot, thus putting the tree back, giving trouble for at least two or three years, these insects being much more abundant some years than others. For the last two years the growth has been quite good, averaging fully 15 to 18 inches; and in 1896 some made nearly twice that amount. Planted 5 to 6 feet apart in 1888, they now cover the ground and begin to crowd each other. We have removed some trees for ornamental planting, taking care not to interfere with the primary ob- ject of forest planting. Aside from the trouble with insects there has been injury from the thoughtless- ness of children, sassafras diggers and people after chestnuts, who are often oblivious to anything except what is in their minds, and are quite sur- prised to find that the trees are not common prop- erty. The mountain planting, however, has made a poor showing, but I think I know where the trouble lies, and that is worth something. A par- ticular place was chosen because it was the only one available, and planting attempted without any previous work, excepting to cut off roughly the sprouts and bushes. The rapidity with which this growth would reappear was not counted on, nor the difficulty of giving subsequent care and help. The result was that the chestnut trees soon entirely succumbed, and the pines are for the most part still struggling for foothold. The remoteness of the place and the dangers from fire and trespass led to the conclusion that we could not maintain the work satisfactorily. In this matter, as in many others, it is more a question of work done at the right time and in the right way than of the amount of work, and if the planting had been near at hand it could have probably been maintained and brought to a more satisfactory condition. The ex- pense, however, is too great for practical following. From all that I now know I feel that we must de- pend on natural reproduction, aided here and there as occasion offers, particularly by thinning out and by fire protection. We have unfortunately no available woodland even for such simple practice as this. Following the prevailing ideas of the time, the College authorities had no thought whatever of providing anything except farming-land when they estab- lished the institution. My thought has been that a more precise and feasible fire-law could be de- vised, and that it would slowly grow in efficiency. W. A. BUCKHOUT. Necessity of Appropriations for Forest Protection and Restoration. THE Committees on Appropriations must soon present their bills to the consideration of the General Assembly. No committee , requires a higher order of integrity and judicial spirit than one on appropriations. It is a credit to the State that the apportionment of public funds made by these committees is seldom seri- ously criticized or often greatly changed. It goes without saying that the demands made upon the State Treasury are in excess of the funds there for disbursement. It is in periods of the greatest financial strain and business depression that this condition of affairs is most marked. There must be discrimination. This the Constitution of the State has expressly declared in requiring that spe- cial classes of objects must receive a two-thirds vote of all the members elected. Clearly, such bills as have already passed the General Assembly and received the sanction of the Governor should have right of way, as their enactment proves, it may be supposed, their importance to the Com- monwealth, and all laws should be rendered oper- ative. Then, too, legislation, which concerns the soil and products of the State is imperative. No prin- ciple can be more fundamental than this, for out of these grow the prosperity and perpetuity of the Commonwealth. The very first duty of a State is self-protection. And in proportion as this is ac- complished, in the same degree is the permanent prosperitv of its citizens assured. We feel that in this view' of the case the General Assembly will not fail to consider the measures favorable to for- est protection and restoration as of paramount importance. Fairly and squarely judged on merit, there is no interest at present before the people of this State which is of more importance to them. 44 FOREST LEAVES. The recently published report of the Forestry Commission shows a condition of affairs which is simply appalling. Lumbering industries, which have been worth many millions of dollars annually to our people are about to disappear, and the very ground upon which these vast commercial interests flourished has been impoverished until it is non-productive, and has become the gathering- place of floods which plague the rest of the Com- monwealth. It is entirely safe to say that not less than two millions of acres within our State limits have been rendered so unproductive that they are now of no more use to us than if they belonged to a foreign government. Public sentiment has culminated in favor of legislation which may avert greater danger in the future. It is calm, but not the less general or in- tense. And the Appropriation Committees may count upon the support of the solid sense of the State in providing the means to carry into effect the forestry measures already passed. If protection against forest fires can be assured, or even if they can be rendered less destructive by the State assuming half the expense of their suppression, as has been done, then it is about as wise an expenditure of public funds as could be made. This system has acted so satisfactorily in New York State that the annual woodland burn- ings there have been reduced to one acre out of 347, whereas in Pennsylvania we continue each year, in the absence of fire-wardens, to burn over one acre out of 51 of our forests. This disparity is too great to be tolerated. It means that year after year we are burning up the productive ca- pacity of the State. It has required a long time for the public mind to be educated to the point of forest protection, but it has at last crystallized, and it would be unfair and unwise to ignore it. The easy passage of forestry legislation this session shows how firmly our people have decided that an end must be made of forest fires. Let there be no failure, then, to make the appropriations requisite to render our new laws operative.— Phila, Press. Minnesota's Timber Resources. ¥INNESOTA furnishes to all citizens of the State, who apply for it. Bulletin Number 49 of the Horticultural Division. This treats of the rate of increase of timber on the cut- over timber lands of that commonwealth. It is prepared by Samuel B. Green, Horticulturist of the Station, assisted by H. B. Ayres. Briefly stated, the reason for the publication is, that the citizens there having the facts before them may be able to decide whether or not it will pay them to enter upon the work of producing forest trees as a crop. This certainly is a step in the right direction, and must help to a solution of the ** for- estry problem '* there. *' The total area of natural forest, excluding brush land and open swamp, is es- timated at 11,890,000 acres.'* That is almost 40 per cent, of the entire area of Pennsylvania. The following tables are of general interest : Table IX. Marketable Forest Timber in Minne- sota^ i8g^y standing. Kind of timber. Feet, board measure. Wh ite pine 1 4,424,000,000 Norway pine , 3,412,475,000 Jack pine 640,000,000 Spruce 1 ,050,000,000 Cedar 1,010,500,000 Tamarack 450,000,000 Hard wood 3,803,600,000 Cords. Fuel 106,930,000 Table X., which follows, shows the importance of the Lumber and Wood-working Industries to Minnesota for 1890. Value of products of mills and factories 525,075,132 Capital invested $39,837,000 Average number of employees 25,715 Wages paid 56,166,266 These estimates are exclusive of wood used as fuel or railway ties, piles, poles, posts, fencing, mine timber, house logs, charcoal, medicinal prod- ucts, for the products of distillation. " The log cut in the State during the past five years probably averaged over 1,000,000,000 feet board measure.*' The following sentence is full of meaning : * ' The fnaintenance of the lumber industry is not hoped for by the men engaged in it.^* We commend the next paragraph to the serious consideration of our legislators. The same con- dition exists in Pennsylvania : ** The lumberman' s interest^ as a rule, ceases when the original timber is cut off. The interest of the taxpayer and the community continues , and the in- terest of the State is perpetual. The taxpayers, in what were formerly timbered counties, arc seriously affected by the increasing areas of unproductive land., and their taxes are fast becoming a burden^ since large areas, once well timbered, are no7v considered not worth the taxes levied upon them, and conse- quently the amount of taxable property is much re- duced.'' There is now in Minnesota ** a total of not far from 2,000,000 acres of cut-over timber land re- maining unredeemed and practically abandoned by the owners." It is remarkable that this also closely corresponds with the condition of affairs in Pennsylvania. Prior to 1880 few logs were taken in Minne- sota less than ten inches in diameter. '* At pres- ent, when lumbermen are cutting on their own land, nothing is left that would make a log five inches in diameter at the small end and twelve feet long." This leaves but few seeding trees, " and these are the defective ones." Commenting on the capacity of land there to produce a valuable crop of white pine, the writer proceeds to say : ** There seems to be something incongruous in the fact that while this stock is worth nothing to-day in the market, it would, in twenty years, yield 34,000 feet of lumber, Scrib- ner's rule, worth, say, $3 per 1000 feet on the stump, or $92 for the acre. This discrepancy in the supposed present value of this stock is attrib- uted to the danger of fire." It is claimed that the annual increment in white pine trees, 120 years old, in Minnesota, is about 100 cubic feet per acre, whereas, according to the tables of Messrs. Graves and Pinchot, it is only about 60 cubic feet in Pennsylvania. It would be interesting to consider this impor- tant paper more fully, if space allowed. New Members of Pennsylvania Forestry Association. SINCE the last issue of Forest Leaves the following persons have become members of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. Life members are in italics. Miss Carrie 15. Aaron, 702 N. 43d St., Phila. John Ashhurst, Jr., M.D., 2000 W. De Lancey Place, Phda. Joshua L. Baily, I5 ^^ank St., Phila. Henry Beates, Jr., M.D., 1504 Walnut St., Phda. Homer C. Bloom^ M.D., 1427 Walnut St., Phila. //. M. Bous 530 Clay St., Scranton, Pa. John Y. l^oyd, 222 Market St., Harrisburg, Pa. William Hurnham, 1103-I108 Harrison Bld'g, F»hila. Chas. E. Cadwalader, M.D., 240 S. 4th St., Phda. Henry S. Cattell, 635 Walnut St., Phda. Major W. W. Chew, 7>2 Chestnut St., Phda. Miss Fanny B. Coleman, Lebanon, Pa. Samuel A. Crozer, Upland, Pa. Morgan Davis, Jr., 'I h»"oop Pa. W. A. Newman Dorland, 120 S. 17th vSt., Phda. Bernard L. Douredonre, 2203 Spring Garden St., Phila. Dr. Thomas M. Drown, Pres't Lehigh University, South Bethlehem, Pa. E. C. FeUt)n, Steelton, Pa. Marie K. Formad, M.D , 1008 N. 6th St., Phda. George Rhyfedd Foulke, Bala Farm, W. Chester, Pa. Charles W. Fox, 1 822 S. Rittenhouse S'km^' lohn H. Webster, Jr., ^'^30 Penn St., l^rankford, I hila. Calvin Wells, 2? Lincoln Ave., Allegheny Cily la. P Fraley Wells, M.D., 4023 Brown St., Phda. llartley C. Wolle, Bethlehem, a. Charles Wood, ^ ^ , ^ ^^a pI l""' Wm. H. Ziegler, M.D. 3028 Frankford Ave., Phda. M W. Zimmerman, M.D., 1633 Chestnut St.. Phila. 46 FOREST LEAVES. Utah for Forest Reservations. THAT Utah is agitating the subject of forest reservation is evident in Governor Wells' message from which we quote : '* Our native forests have never yet received the attention and care their importance demands. The intimate relation between extensive forests in the mountain canyons and plateaus and a bounte- ous supply of water for irrigation in the valley below, has been demonstrated so often and with such emphasis that the fact should be current in every part of the State, while the amount of native timber has become so limited that its preparation for market has ceased to be a legitimate and rec- ognized industry. These are facts which should awaken a concern for the condition, preservation and production of timber in the State. Recog- nizing, as you must, the close dependence the water supply for farming and other essential in- dustries of the State has upon the existence of mountain forests, your attention should be di- rected first, perhaps, to what seems at present an imperative precaution, a timber reservation in the Uintah Mountains, above the head waters of the four largest rivers of the State, the Bear, the Weber, the Provo and the Duchesne. Should the Uintah reservation be thrown open to settle- ment without any restrictive provisions against the lavish and wanton destruction of the forests in those mountains, the prosperous farms and vil- lages that border at least three of these main rivers of the State must suffer and perhaps go into decay. As these mountains, with tlieir extensive bodies of timber, lie chiefly within the domain of lands belonging to the general Government, the first and most feasible, and it may be the only step that can now be taken to secure the preservation of this timber, is that the Legislature memorialize Con- gress to survey and set aside this region as a tim- ber reservation, or at least such portion of the mountain lands in this region lying over 8000 feet above sea level. Much of the denuded tracts of mountain land in other parts of the State is rapidly being covered with a new growth of trees, which already, to a considerable extent, shades the ground and preserves its porous character, and which will, in a few years, if left unmolested, largely restore the benefits of the original forests. This condition exists about the sources of nearly all the canyons. Many of these young and thrifty trees, especially in side canyons in proximity to the cities and villages, are cut down and sold in the market. Among the most distinctive agencies in forest spoliation is the fire fiend. It is believed its potency for evil can be greatly lessened by proper legislation. Forest legislation in a State like ours should not only be directed to the pres- ervation of forests and timber, but to the planting of trees and the covering of much of or most of the valley lands now lying unused with forest growths. This, it is believed, can be done with an economical use of waste water without much expense and with ultimate profit. To encourage efforts to this end, exemption or partial exemption from taxation would probably be an immediate incentive to secure such an important consumma- tion. Forests as Conservators of Moisture. Prof J. R. Sage, Chief of the Iowa Weather and Crop Service, read a paper before the late meet- ing of the Iowa Stale Horticultural Society, in which, after declaring the fallacy of the prevalent notion that forests affected rainfall, stated that the converse of this idea was undoubtedly true. North America, he said, is the best-watered of all the grand divisions of the globe, and this was the cause of the immense forests with which the pion- eers in settlement found much of the country covered. This entire area, he said, has not been, and never can be, stricken by general drouth and famine. There never will be a season when the United States shall fail to produce sufficient food for the people. Yet he advises the preservation of the remnant of the forests with religious care, and the continuance of tree-planting persistently. Forests, he explains, while they do not bring down the rain, are yet great conservators of moist- ure when it has once fallen. They cause an even distribution of the flowage, preventing the drying up of springs, wells and streams, and checking injurious floods. Groves of trees, moreover, form belts which mitigate hot, dry winds, and prevent rapid evaporation. He holds that if one-fifth of the land were devoted to timber growth there would be a greater yield of crops on the remain- ing four-fifths, and prophesies that in the coming era of intensive farming, forests and woodlands will be important factors. — Northwestern Lumber- inan. — Amboy, the most curious of rare woods, comes from Africa. It is reddish-brown, and is used principally for inlaying. — Wood frames for bicycles are now being placed on the market. It is claimed that they are lighter and stronger than those made of steel. FOREST LEAVES. 47 THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES IN THIS PAPER ARE MADE BY THE NEW Autoglyphic Process FOREpT LEI^VEp. OF - , .HIlrADBUEH* "■Oi^'-SHED IN HIGHEST ft&O'' o<|I>o THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SEND FOR CIRCULAR. LEWIS' LEAF CHART. JPABT 1, NOW ItEADY, No. 1. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. P"ce 50 c No. 2. Annual -fruited Oaks : White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3. Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c No. 4. The (.'hestn'uts and Beeches. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of ca.sh price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered in large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. AND THE Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, «6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 "West ^VashingtoIl Street, Media, Pennsylvania. AMicaii Forestry Association. .^^p The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, 1012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. ON'T BUY The Win.H. MOON Companj, MORRISVII^I'K* PA. f For their new descrip- Cm aa tive Catalogue for 18«J— ■ ■••■ ^6^^^ I inch, 'A page* I n (( RATES ■ 1 6 insertion. insertions. $1.00 $4.00 la insertions. $8.00 4.00 17.00 34.00 7.00 30.00 60.00 12.00 50.00 100.00 48 FOREST LEAVES. ORIENTAL PLANE, THE BEST TREE FOR STREET AND AVENUE PLANTING. At the present time tree-loving people are endeavoring to secure the best tree for plant- ing on the avenues and streets of our cities, and after a careful study of the matter we have reached the conclusion that the Oriental Plane is in every respect the most satisfactory. It is long lived, a rapid grower, and very clean, as it is never troubled with worms or insects. PLANE T«EES ON VICTORIA EMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES RIVER. LONDON. Five years ago, while in Europe for horticultural research, we found that for a num- ber of years, in London, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and other cities, this tree had been used with most successful results. It was found to be the only tree which would grow satisfactorily on the Victoria Embankment of the Thames River, London. The parks and cemeteries in many of our cities and a number of our leading land- scape gardeners have recently been using the Oriental Plane very extensively for avenue planting. Can furnish many testimonials concerning the merits of this tree. Trees of good size 75 cents, $1.00, and $1.50 each. Special rates in quantity. ANDORRA NURSERIES, WILLIAM WARNER HARPER, Manager, SPECIALTIES : CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA. f Specimen Ornamental Trees, Large | Hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas. ^^fefe-L ^^^ Vol. VI. Philadelphia, August, 1897. No. 4. Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 25 North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second class matter. CONTENTS. Editorials ;••••,•■ American Forestry Association's Excursion to Nashville The White Mountain Forests.... Meeting of the Appalachian Mountain Club A Wail from Australia • Forestry in Pennsylvania Defense of Forestry Reserves Correspondence Forest Reserve Rules • Pennsylvania Senate Bill No. 243 Tree Form and Tree Photography Report of the Forestry Committee New Books. .... Tree Lifting ■•••••*•• 65 66 67 67 68 69 69 70 70 71 7- 73-78 78 78 Subscription, $1.00 per Year. The attention 0/ Nurserymen and others is called to the advantages 0/ Forest Lbavks as an advertising medium. Rates will be fur- nished on application. Committee on Publication. John Birkinbink, Chairman, 25 North Juniper Street. F. L, BiTLER, 1820 Master Street. Prof. Wm. P. Wilson, 640 N. 32d Street. B. WiTMAN Dambly, Skippack, Pa. Charles A. Kbffer, Dept. Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enact- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both State and National. Annual membership fee. One dollar. Life membership. Fifteen dollars. Neither the membership nor the work of this Association is intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names \.oA.B. Weimer, Chairman Member- ship Committee, 512 Walnut street, Phila. President. John Birkinbine. Vice-Presidents, Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins, James C. Haydon, Prof. Wm. P. Wilson. General Secretary, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. Treasurer, Cnarles E. Pancoast. CouHcil-at- Large, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn, W. S. Harvey. Council from Philadelphia County, J.Rodman Paul, A. B Weimer, Richard Wood, Eli Kirk Price, Henry Budd, Henry Howson, Mrs. George W. Carpenter. Council from Chester County, Mrs. H. J. Biddle, Wm. S. Kirk, Samuel Marshall. »,. ^ * t • ^i. 1 Council from Delaware County, Miss Grace Anna Lewis, Charles Council from Montgomery County, Dr. H. M. Fisher, Dr. Alice Bennett, Dr. J. M. Anders^ Hon. B. Witman Dambly, Dr. J. Newton Hunsberger, Dr. ' Samuel Wolfe. Office of -^hb Association, 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia. EDITORIALS. IT was our purpose to present to the readers of Forest Leaves in this issue a resume of the laws now on the statute-books of the State of Pennsylvania which in any way related to forest growth or forest protection, but the interval be- tween the adjournment of the Legislature and the demands of the printer for copy has been insuffi- cient to secure this data and present it in a form which would be satisfactory to ourselves. We shall, therefore, postpone the publication of the resume, but would say that the status of forestry legislation is practically the same as reported in our last issue^ except the passage of Senate Bill 243, which is given in full on another page. An attempt was made to reconsider the forest reserva- tion bill, on the plea that it was not limited as to expenditures, and that a commission could involve the State in enormous outlay. The reconsidera- tion, however, did not mature, and we presume that as soon as the Governor has had time to con- sider the subject properly, he will name the parties to form the commission which is authorized to se- lect forest reservations. J. B. :ic 41 ♦ ♦ ♦ The readers of Forest Leaves will not expect an apology from the editors for devoting a liberal proportion of space to a review of the valuable report made to the Secretary of the Interior by the Committee of the National Academy of Sci- ences, and to a summary of the proposed regula- tions for the temporary care of the established reserves. Forestry is not a local consideration, but a subject of widespread national interest. The forests which conserve the waters falling on the ! upper portions of minor streams not only influ- ! ence the tributaries, but also the larger rivers, and I the maintenance of a forest growth or its denuda- tion may seriously affect points hundreds, and even a thousand miles and more away. In a great coun- try like this an unproductive portion affects the whole nation, and hence the subject of forestry may 66 FOREST LEAVES. well receive attention not only from the State gov- ernments, but also from the national administration. The injury done to forests by herding, by taking timber without leave or compensation, and the still greater injury by devastating fires, is an evi- dence of a few profiting at the expense of the many, and in case of most of the fires is practi- cally placing a premium upon carelessness or van- dalism. We sincerely trust that the investigations and recommendations of this committee will result in some permanent improvement and awaken pub- lic interest to the necessity of preserving our re- maining forests and of propagating new growth. J. B. ***** Forest Leaves, as the organ of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, acknowledges the compli- mentary reference to the progress made in Penn- sylvania, which is copied from Garden and Forest, and appears on another page. While we realize that the friends of forestry are entitled to all the kind words of our contemporary, we are none the less appreciative of the courtesy of such mention. J. B. ***** The warm rays of the sun, accompanied by suc- cessive days when no rain falls, make our forests liable to damage from fire in the summer months. We trust that the year 1897 may show a decrease in the number of forest fires and in amount of damage done by them. We are confident that the lively agitation of the forestry movement, and the legislation which has been secured, will go far toward making persons more careful about setting fire to woodland, and in securing assistance in checking fires which are started. The best results, however, would follow punishment of those who are responsible for such damage, and we trust \ every friend of forestry will make it his or her | business to point out the injury which forest fires | cause, to encourage the prompt extinguishment of such fires as may be brought to their notice, and to assist in every way possible in securing the pun- ishment of those who are responsible for such damage. We have been endeavoring to educate public sentiment for more than a decade to an .appreciation of the value of our forests and the injury done to them by fire, and in this we have been ably supported by the press of this State and of the nation ; so that a strong sentiment favormg forest protection now exists, and advantage should be taken of this fact wherever practicable. Fa- miliarity with and a rigid enforcement of our forest laws are urgently needed. J. B. ***** Thursday, August 19th, will be celebrated as Forestry Day at the Eaglesmere, Pa., Chautauqua. Addresses are to be made by Dr. J. T, Rothrock, Forestry Commissioner of Pennsylvania, the Hon. J. Henry Cochran, member of the State Senate, Mr. Wm. A. McCormick, and others. ***** We are glad to say that Mr. B. E. Fernow, Chief of the Forestry Division, Department of Agriculture, has been honored by the Wisconsin State University conferring the degree of LL.D. Dr. Fernow will spend the summer in the West, looking after the forestry interests of the Depart- ment of Agriculture. American Forestry Association's Excursion to Nashville. THE autumn meeting of the American For- estry Association will be held at Nashville, Tenn., on September 2 2d. The officials of the Exposition have offered the use of the hand- some auditorium for this purpose. The main topics of the meeting will be '' Forestry at the South " and " The Relation of Stream-Flow to For- ests." It is also expected to give some attention to the recent action of the Government with refer- ence to national forest reservations. Papers will be read by Mr. Rafter, of Rochester ; Mr. Sudworth, of the Agricultural Department ; Mr Newell, of the Geological Survey ; Prof. Ha- zen, of the Weather Bureau ; Mr. Band, Editor of \\i^ Southern Lumberman ; Col. G. B. KiUebrew, formerly State Commissioner of Agriculture of Tennessee, and others. Mr. M. V. Richards, of the Southern Railway, will give a short talk, and Dr. Schenck, of Biltmore, will be heard from. An excursion has been planned to leave Wash- ington, D. C, on the evening of Thursday, Sep- tember 1 6th, over the Southern Railway. A stop of twenty-four hours will be made at AsheviUe, N. C, the party being quartered at the Battery Park Hotel. Two visits will be made to Biltmore, Mr. Vanderbilt's famous estate, where Dr Schenck will fully explain the system of forestry there in use, and will aff"ord opportunity to see everything of interest. . ^-.u *.* The party will stop over Sunday at Chatta- nooga, probably at the Lookout Mountain Inn, on top of the mountain, and will arrive at Nash- ville either Sunday night or Monday morning. Arrangements are being made for special rates at some hotel at Nashville. . 1 • • The Southern Railway has granted special privi- leges, and low rates will be obtained from the hotels and livery men. It is estimated that the entire trip— occupying nine days, including four days at Nashville—can be made for less than $50. A circular giving full details of the excursion, including all expenses and itinerary, will be issued to members of the American Forestry Association within a few weeks. G. P. W. FOREST LEAVES. 67 The ^Vhite Mountain Forests. THE Bartlett Lumber Company, of Boston, Mass., has secured large tracts of land in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, and, according to the Northwestern Lumberman, the purchasing company has a higher aim than to merely skin the forests off" New England's grand old peak, and proposes to conserve instead of denude. It has purchased in all an area including not only Mount Washington, but the entire Presi- dential range and 30 lesser eminences of the White Mountain group, and, besides, 60,000 acres of timber land in the northern part of the State. The primary object of the purchase is to cut tim- ber for lumber and pulp, but there are secondary objects which may possibly console the lovers of the grand and aesthetic. The company proposes to cut the timber growing in the ravines and val- leys, but intends to use judgment and discrimina- tion, so as to preserve the scenic eff"ects of the whole. No wholesale destruction of the tree- growth is contemplated, and the result will be to promote, rather than destroy, the forests. The company has an option on 40,000 to 50,000 acres more of forest land in the White Mountain region. The entire territory is to be maintained as a re- serve, with a careful eye to saving the scenery from defacement. It is also the company's idea to stock the forests with game and the lakes and streams with fish, and prevent poaching until the process has been well advanced. The property of the hotel and railroad on Mount Washington is not included in the purchase. The lands in the White Mountain region have probably been for sale many years, and if the State, or any association, had so determined. Mount Washington and its surroundings could have been purchased and reserved for a park. But neither State nor association came to the res- cue. Like George Vanderbilt, in North Carolina, the' Bartlett Lumber Company has evolved a scheme— and put money into it, too — whereby there can be a degree of utilization of the mer- chantable timber, and at the same time a promo- tion of sufficient growth to preserve the pictur- esqueness of the landscape as a perpetual joy to those who visit the locality. When utility and beauty can thus be combined through private means and enterprise, who shall reasonably say anything against it ? The Northeastern Lumberman, commenting on the Bartlett Lumber Company's purchase, says that the former owners of the 30,000 acres of spruce land on the southerly slope of Mount Washington, included in the late transfer, had held the land for two years or more, under off'er to the New Hampshire Forestry Commission, at a price no greater than was represented in the recent sale. The Forestry Commission had to relinquish its option with much regret, as the New Hamp- shire Legislature could not be depended on for any appropriation to purchase lands for a State park. We are pleased to be assured by our contempo- rary of the laudable purpose of the timber com- pany, but doubt very much if the preservation of scenic effects will be sufficient inducement, from a commercial point of view, to maintain a good part of the forest. If the purchasers adopt practical forest methods — cutting only what is mature, while protecting the growing timber and propagating new growths — the scenic beauty can be maintained and the lumber interests of the future conserved. — C2>c:*»^ Meeting of the Appalachian Mountain Club. THE field meeting of the Appalachian Moun- tain Club was held at the Profile House, N. H., during the week commencing July 5th. The owner of the Profile House, a member of the State Legislature, made, during the year, the only really strong speech in favor of preservation of the forests, and he said that in the event of a lack of ability on the part of the State to establish the needed reservations, he would gladly be one of fifty men to contribute $500,000 to a fund to begin the work. This offer is still open, for the Legislature did not see fit to secure any reserva- tions. . The General Assembly, however, ordered its Forestry Commission to consider the feasibility of a great forest reserve which shall be in the White Mountain district. Mr. Moses, Secretary, said : ** So far as the de- nudation of the Mount Washington range is con- cerned, I do not share the alarm so recently ex- cited by the transfer to the Bartlett Lumber Com- pany of a large tract of country. This firm has holdings of about 140,000 acres, and are not dis- posed to despoil their own property. They have conducted large operations for seven years, and have shown that they appreciate the principles of scientific forestry." The Appalachian Mountain Club for nearly twenty-five years has been teaching its members and others to appreciate nature, this field has broadened, it has been in the van in forestry movements, it has acquired in New Hampshire certain smaller tracts, true beauty spots, which it proposes to hold, giving to everyone the benefits of its reservations openly and freely, whether [ they are members of the club or not. 68 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 69 A V/siil from Australia. PELOW are some quotations from the Afel- bourne Age (Australia), of May ii, 1897 : *'A demand, which promises to become unlimited, has sprung up for Australian hardwoods for street-paving purposes in England and else- where. The announcement of this fact was hailed with great pleasure, and it was thought by most people in the colony that Victoria was in a posi- tion to obtain a substantial share of the trade, but the appalling statement has been officially Made that there is no available timber to send. For years and years we have been assured by responsi- ble and irresponsible persons that the colony was possessed of untold wealth in its timbers, that our forests were practically inexhaustible, and that we had the largest trees and more of them to the acre than any other part of the world, and now it turns out that all the matured timber suitable for paving- blocks in our accessible forests has been cut out, and no provision whatever has been made for get- ting at the timber that is going to waste in such places as the Beech and Otway forests, in Gipps- land, in the wateished of the Yarra River, in the mountain country of the nortlieast, and in. the Grampians. This news has come as a shock to the whole community, and on all sides the ques- tion is being asked : Why have not our accessi- ble forests been worked on scientific forestry lines so as to indefinitely maintain the supply? '' This state of things, it must be clearly under- stood, is in no way owing to lack of knowledge or want of energy on the part of the officials or employes comprising the forest branch ; it is en- tirely traceable to political influence. Nine years ago a conservator of forests was appointed, and had he since that time been allowed anything like a free hand, forestry to-day would be in a very different position to what it occupies. *' Political influence of an objectionable charac- ter has been rampant in connection with the aliena- tion and treatment of forest lands; saw-millers have been given concessions they had no right to ; miners have been allowed a free hand in the waste- ful destruction of the finest timber ; splitters and sleeper-hewers have done almost as they pleased, prosecutions for breaches of the law being ren- dered nugatory by back-door influence ; and the finest forests have been thrown open to the selec- tor and the village settler, the splitter and sleeper- hewer, and timber worth in the aggregate millions of pounds sterling has been ruthlessly destroyed. " As an instance of how an act of Parliament may be overridden by a simple regulation emanat- ing from a minister of the Crown, the following circular is deserving of special mention. It states that * by direction of the Hon. the Minister of Lands bona fide miners actually engaged in mining are now to be allowed to cut timber for their claims, such timber to be of any size required by them. If holders of miners' rights, also to cut and use crooked saplings and dead timber for domes- tic use and for camp purposes; and residents within the forest boundaries for household use.' Fortified by this circular, miners have cut timber at their own sweet will, regardless of its age or quality ; and the foresters have been deprived of the power to interfere or in any way take steps to stop the destruction. " The saw-miller, the miner, the wood-carter, the sleeper-hewer, the splitter, and the village set- tler have wrought incalculable damage in the for- ests because they have not been under proper con- trol ; but for wanton and wholly unjustifiable de- struction of forest trees the grazier ' takes the cake.' Under a section of the existing land act, a man is allowed to take up 1000 acres of timbered country under a grazing license, which gives him the right to the grass alone. He almost invariably asks for permission to fell useless timber and scrub, and on this being accorded, he straightaway proceeds to ring the whole of the timber, no matter what its character may be, on his leasehold. The trees are useless to him, therefore they are destroyed, and the authorities of the lands department, under whose control the licensee is, apparently look on with approval. At all events there is no record of any prosecution having been instituted, and in no single instance has the lease ever been cancelled, timber destruction being, apparently, not consid- ered an offense. In fact there appears to be no sympathy in the lands department with anyone or anything connected with forests, and to this may be'traced all the mischief that has resulted from the alienation of lands that ought never to have been parted with, and the sad want of judgment that has been displayed in all matters pertaining to the management of the forest lands of the col- ony." It is hardly worth while to moralize upon the above except to say that it is simply a case of his- tory repeating itself, and then to add that it is use- less to hope that political wisdom can be gained— or rather will be gained— \}ciXoyig\i any other school than the usual one, of hard experience. '' Hind- sight " is not only more keen than foresight, but it is also much more common and convincing. J. T. R. — Russia has 503,000,000 acres of forest ; Swe- den and Norway, 62,000,000 acres; Austria, 45,- 000,000 acres ; Germany, 34,000,000 acres ; Tur- key, 25,000,000 acres; Italy, 14,000,000 acres; France, 22,000,000 acres; Switzerland, 1,700,000 acres; Spain, 8,000,000 acres ; Great Britain, 3,- 000,000 acres. — Tradesman, Forestry in Pennsylvania. #• i WHAT PROFESSOR SARGENT THINKS OF THE ADVANCE MADE IN THIS STATE. "TT ALF a dozen years ago no sane man would ^\_ have hoped that any one of the forest ^ laws enacted by the last Pennsylvania Legislature would pass. But many earnest men and women have been writing and talking and memorializing until a public opinion has been dev.eloped which makes almost any good legisla- tion in this direction possible. It is very plain, too, that the report of the Forestry Commission which was published last year has done much edu- cational work in that State, while the influence of its Forestry Bureau, created the year before, has been constantly exercised for good. The act which will probably give delight to the greatest number of intelligent people in the coun- try is one which creates a great reservation at the head of each of the important rivers of the State, the Delaware, Susquehanna and the Ohio. Each of these reservations contains 40,000 acres or more, and since the bill passed the Senatg with only one negative vote, it is more than probable that they will be greatly extended hereafter, and that this measure is the beginning not only of systematic protection of forests, but of a conserva- tive practice which will provide increasing forest supplies for the future. It is a significant fact that this bill was introduced into the House of Representatives by an active lumberman, and was supported by others who have made fortunes in the same industry. The Governor of the State, who has shown before this that he is alive to the necessity of forest reform, signed the bill with promptness, and has expressed himself as desirous to be an active promoter of the scheme which the law makes possible. Another act, of equal importance, perhaps, en- courages private owners to preserve their growing forests by remitting taxes on such property. Be- sides these, there are other laws for the suppression of forest fires and for the protection of timber land from depredation, which are not only good in themselves, but which are particularly significant as indicating the temper of mind which has made such legislation possible. This action of the Pennsylvania Legislature is certainly most encouraging. It means that the people of that State have learned a good deal in the last ten years on this subject, and the fact that there are now in both houses of the Legislature standing committees on forestry shows that the will of the people is making ready to express itself in law. It has not been in vain that such an offi- cer as the Commissioner of Forestry was appointed, and that a report on the condition of the wood- lands of the State has been published and dissemi- nated. This means education, and it is more than gratifying to know that the Legislature has pro- vided for publishing 17,000 copies of this instruct- ive report to replace those which were lost in the fire which ruined the State Capitol. The State has begun to frame good laws for the protection, the preservation and the enlargement of its for- ests. The educational work should be kept up with vigor until an intelligent public sentiment is developed which will enforce all these acts up to the full spirit which inspired them. — Excerpt from Garden and Forest in Phila. Press. Defense of Forestry Reserves. IN defending the action of the Forestry Com- mission, appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Gifford Pinchot, Secretary of the Commission, gives expression to very com- mendable views concerning the purpose of forest reserves and the desires of true friends of forestry as follows : ** Forest reserves permanently withdrawn from use would be wholly unworthy of being main- tained. The only reason for maintaining any area must be that it will be more useful to the people as a reserve than as part of the public domain. **The commission had no desire to protect these forests against use, but against destruction. It must not be forgotten that the judicious cutting of the timber is essential to right forest manage- ment, and that the best of all ways to insure the protection and preservation of a forest is by use. '' In view of these examples of the real value of reserves in the opinion of the people, east and west, and with the knowledge that there is no de- sire to blockade the resources of the reserves, of whatever kind, the greater part of the irritation which has followed the proclamation will, I hope, gradually disappear. Great corporations which have been in the habit of taking vast amounts of government timber free, under the permit sys- tem or otherwise, will undoubtedly continue to complain, but in this case it is not the infringe- ment of any right which makes the difficulty, but merely the discontinuance of a gift.*' — Toothpicks of orangewood, whittled by the peasants of Spain and Portugal, are brought to our shores in large numbers by steamship offi- cers. They are strong and flexible, and instead of breaking they tear, so that there is no danger of the end suddenly snapping between the teeth— a characteristic of the soft-wood toothpicks. — Tradesman, *»- 70 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 71 Correspondence. Editors Forest Leaves : Dear Sirs: — There stands a white oak-tree at the side of the Mud Pike, near the home of W. R. King, in Middlecreek township, Somerset county, Pa. , which has a spread of top worthy of note. The trunk measures ii feet and 9 inches in circumfer- ence two feet from the ground. The extent of its top from tip to tip in its longest diameter is 90 feet. Its shortest diameter was not measured, but is estimated at 75 feet. The tree is about 75 feet in height, the top rounded like a half-globe, and the lower branches start from the trunk about 9 feet from the ground, extending out horizontally. About half a mile farther west, on the same road, stands a red-oak-tree which measures 8 feet 9 inches in circumference, and its greatest spread of top is 78 feet 8 inches. Both of these trees have been growing in open ground for from seventy-five to eighty years, the timber being cleared away from around them at that time. Truly yours. New Lexington, Pa. H. D. Moore. We have just received and read "Notes Col- lected During a Visit to the Forests of Holland, Germany, Switzerland and France," by John Gif- ford, from the annual report of the New Jersey State Geologist. This is the best, most directing and most stimu- lating report of the kind it has been our fortune to read. The outlines of forestry in Europe are presented in clear, elegant English. The wonder is that the author was able to see and digest so much in so short a time. Mr. Gifford should be kept in active forestry work. Our country cannot afford to have his special tastes and talents diverted into any other channel. His genius here is of the productive kind. The similarity he points out between the dunes and landes of Gascony and the existing con- ditions on the shores of New Jersey, and the re- gions adjacent thereto, is most suggestive of what should be at once adopted for the protection of the surface of New Jersey. His account of the Black Forest destroys the illusions of gnomes, dwarfs and spectres, and sub- stitutes, instead, a picture of well-kept forests, peace, prosperity, and well-tilled fields. The pamphlet is wholesome and inspiring, because it is so true a picture of what we desire to attain here in a future, which, let us hope, is not too far away. J. T. R. — Rough salt barrel staves are now being made from pine slabs. — Tradesman. Forest Reserve Rules. /COMMISSIONER HERMANN, of the Gene- \^ ral Land Office, has formulated rules and regulations applicable to the government of all the various forest reservations of the United States for the approval of the Secretary of the In- terior. Attention is called to the matter of forest fires which annually destroy so much timber through carelessness, and the law is specially referred to which imposes a penalty for wilfully setting fire to any timber upon the public domain, or carelessly to suffer fire to burn unattended near any timber. Prospecting, locating and developing the min- eral resources of forest reserves are permitted. Lands for school-houses and churches are pro- vided ; and the waters for domestic, mining and milling and irrigation purposes are also allowed. The construction of wagon-roads is authorized, and the right of way across the reserves for irriga- ting-canals, ditches, flumes and reservoirs is per- mitted. The pasturing of live stock on the re- serves is permitted, except as to sheep, which, in view of their injuries to the forest cover, are prohibited in regions where the rainfall is lim- ited. The mineral lands of the forest reserves are sub- ject to location and entry under the mining laws in the usual manner. The free use of timber is allowed to bona fide settlers, miners, residents and prospectors for minerals, for firewood, fencing and domestic purposes. The sale of timber from the reserves will be permitted in limited quantities, and this is done for the purpose of preserving the living and grow- ing timber. In order to avoid a monopoly, the department may, in sales in excess of $500, make allotments of quantity to the several bidders. The law further provides that in the case of lands more applicable for mining and agriculture than for forestry purposes, upon a proper showing made, the same may be eliminated entirely from the forest reserve and restored to the public do- main. As to the reserves which have lately been sus- pended by recent act of Congress, the Geological Survey is now busily engaged in examining them and in extending the exterior lines properly em- bracing such reserves. The estimated area of the existing forest re- serves is 18,993,280 acres. The estimated area of the suspended forest reserves is i9,95i>36o acres. The aggregate area of the existing and suspending reserves is 38,944,640 acres. This is 3,800,000 acres more than the combined area of the States of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Dela- ware and Maryland. # It is to be regretted that in very important par- ticulars there seems to be a disposition on the part of the authorities not only to refuse to avail them- selves of the opportunity which the law gives of restricting to the utmost the use of the reserves as pastures, and the free use of timber, but that they have rather taken the permission to give away as, at least in spirit, mandatory. The free use of tim- ber for domestic purposes may be defended, but to permit miners to use without charge whatever timber they need in their extensive operations, which may require millions of feet per year, is as indefensible as it would be for the miners of North- ern Minnesota to help themselves from the pine lands of that region ; and the idea that the tramp- ing of great herds of sheep in the reserves of Ore- gon and Washington will not harm the tiny seed- lings argues an ignorance of known facts that promises little protection to the reserves in gen eral. The provisions made for the sale of timber, no ' less than the regulations above cited, seem to indi- cate the intention to give away as much as can well be given, and to surround the matter of timber purchase with as many difficulties as can be de- vised. It may be that as a pioneer step in forest protection and management Mr. Hermann is tak- ing a wise course, for there is certainly little in his regulations to call for the opposition of those whose habit it has been to consider government property anybody's property. But one is tempted to speculate whether there will be anything left to administer after these pioneer methods have been in force a few years. K. Pennsylvania Senate Bill No. 243. TO amend the first section of an act entitled *' An act to protect timber lands from fire," approved the second day of June, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and seventy, providing for a penalty in case of the failure of County Commissioners to comply with the terms of said act after demand made upon them by the Commissioner of Forestry, and providing for the Commonwealth bearing part of the expenses in- curred under said act. Section i. Be it enacted that the first section of the act entitled " An act to protect timber lands from fire,*' approved the second day of June, An- no Domini one thousand eight hundred and seventy, which reads as follows : '' Sec. I. That it shall be the duty of the Com- missioners of the several counties of this Com- monwealth to appoint persons under oath whose duty it shall be to ferret out and bring to punish- ment all persons who either wilfully or otherwise cause the burning of timber lands, and to take measures to have such fires extinguished where it can be done, the expenses thereof to be paid out of the County Treasury, the unseated-land tax to be the first applied to such expenses," shall be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows : ** Sec. I. That it shall be the duty of the Com- missioners of the several counties of this Com- monwealth to appoint persons under oath whose duty it shall be to ferret out and bring to punish- ment all persons or corporations who either wil- fully or otherwise cause the burning of timber lands within their respective counties, and to take measures to have such fires extinguished where it can be done, and on failure of the Commissioners of any County, after demand made upon them by the Commissioner of Forestry of this Common- wealth, to comply with this ptoviSon, they shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor in office, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars or suffer an im- prisonment not exceeding two years, or both, at the discretion of the court. The expense incurred in the employment of the persons contemplated by this act, on and after the first day of January, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight, shall be paid one-half out of the treasury of the respective county and the remain- ing half of said expense shall be paid by the State Treasurer upon warrant from the Auditor General, but no such warrant shall be drawn until the Com- missioners of the proper county shall have first furnished under oath or affirmation to the Auditor General a written itemized statement of such ex- pense, and until the same is approved by the Au- ditor General. Provided, That in no case shall the expense to the Commonwealth growing out of this act exceed five hundred dollars for a single county in any one year. —Mr. Bucher Ayres, a member of the Penn- sylvania Forestry Association, in a letter says: ** A practice or custom in this city (Philadelphia) of hitching horses to trees is ruinous to the tree, and to be abolished will have to be done by mu- nicipal authority. It not only disfigures the tree, but is the beginning of decay. Tree-boxes are not always a protection. To my knowledge the City of Memphis has a prohibitory law, and Southern cities generally protect their trees." —The most beautiful trays and cabinets which come from Japan are made of the dark, irregularly- grained and wavy-lined wood of the Kiaki tree {Zelksva ^/a/^/), closely allied to the ^Xva.'-Trades' man. ■B—n 72 FOREST LEAVES. Tree Form and Tree Photography. IN an earlier issue an unsatisfactory illustration of the tulip poplar was given. We furnish another illustration in this number, because it is somewhat better than the one already pub- lished, and because it is accompanied by a satis- factory companion illustration of the trunk, and also, and chiefly^ because it will serve to point a homily upon tree form. A photograph of these two trees was forwarded to an accomplished friend, at his own request, for publication. He declined to use it because he thought it was not characteristic of the normal form of the tree. Another friend, in whose judg- ment I place great reliance, would have decided with me that it was thoroughly characteristic. Between these two judges there lay a great ideal gulf in the matter of tree form. The one was ac- customed to the open ground, branching form of tree, and, more than he knew, perhaps, formed his idea of normal form from them. The other was accustomed to estimate the worth of a tree by the number of feet of clean, clear lumber it would produce in its long, straight stem, as he found it in the forest. Each had his ideal. Each was right. Each form of tree was the product of special sur- roundings. Each was wrong when he concluded that there was any characteristic form indepen- dent of circumstances. Conditioned as we now are, either the tall, unbranched, or the low, much- branched form, is characteristic— of the place where it grew. The characteristic oak (in popular idea) of England has a sturdy, short stem, which supports a mass of heavy, more or less gnarled, limbs. But does any one suppose this was the aver- age form of the tree as it grew in the forests on that island two thousand years ago ? All that one may safely say is that it is characteristic of each species of tree to shape its form to its surroundings. In some this is more marked than in others, but the tendency probably exists in all, not excepting a Lombardy poplar or a weeping willow. This is specially clear in even our white pine, which tow- ers above all its associates when in the forest. I have in mind two specimens, which, growing in the open, have become quite broad-branched with- out acquiring much stem. It is probable that, taking our trees in general, the artist prefers the shorter, more branched form. The large size of these poplar trees made it im- possible to take them from a near standpoint. Hence distance caused some loss of sharpness in minute details. The blurred appearance on the right-hand side of the trunk picture comes from a mass of neiitral-colored gray lichens in which there was evident lack of sharp lines. We have not given sufficient attention to the shape and the direction of the branches in our trees. One can hardly go to the length of saying that this is diagnostic in value, though it certainly might be called characteristic. In other words, we expect to find certain of these features fairly well marked ; and not only so, but each tree possess- ing certain characters of limb at a given age. No one expects to find in an old branch, which has passed its prime, the supple grace it possessed in earlier years. It is as characteristic of trees as of other living things that they are aspiring in youth, and that the branchlet is apt to turn upward, whereas the old limb droops more or less. Take either a sassafras or a white-pine-tree, and this law is so marked that if you stand on a level with the branches and look through the tree you will find the branchlets bent upward from the limb to such an extent that the latter appears almost as a base from which they spring. In most trees branches have an upward direction where they rise from the trunk, but become more drooping as they go out. It is to be observed that the curves in tree- branches are not all curves. Some are kinks. The kinky ones are especially apt to be associated with rough bark. This, of course, is a relative statement ; but any one will note the rough, deep- cut character of the bark in a gum and a persim- mon-tree, and he will also note in these trees that the curve has passed into that angular change of direction which I have called kinky. Possibly this angular turn often comes from a suppressed bud on the other side. Foliage seems to alter form in some trees. At least it changes the expression of form. For ex- ample, the common white-willow-tree, when the leaves are moved by the wind, produces in a pho- tograph a mass of foliage in well-rounded fornis — having much the same effect that would be given by the rounded backs of a herd of sheep. This is a crude comparison, but I know of nothing else which expresses the idea so well. Just here a word in regard to photography of trees may be allowed. If one judges by prints made from photographs, the art is not usually well applied in this field. For scientific purposes, ab- solute sharpness in detail is the most essential feat- ure. Yet it is a rare thing to find detail brought out in both the trunk and the tips of the branches. Of course one must count on the wind causing a quivering of the leaves. But this may be obviated by using quick plates and making an instantane- ous exposure, providing a proper focus has been previously obtained. To do this one must fre- quently violate the rule, so often given, to keep the plate in a perpendicular position. My cus- tom is to incline the swing back to any angle re- quired to obtain sharpness on both top and bot- tom of the ground glass. Of course there is some shortening of the picture if the plate is much in- f > Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 4. i TULIP POPLAR. LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA. CHESTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA. w^ \4 Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 4. TRUNK OF TULIP POPLAR. LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. J Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 4. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 4. TULIP POPLAR. LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA. CHESTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA. I I TRUNK OF TULIP POPLAR. LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE FOREST LEAVES. 73 f 1 \ I clined, and it makes the tree appear a trifle more '* squat '* in appearance. But this is of small con- sequence compared with loss of sharpness. It of course is not necessary to urge that with most lenses, if not with all, it is well to do the work with as small an aperture in the diaphragm as is possible, under all the circumstances. For photographing tree-trunks, which, by the way, is now regarded as of scientific importance, one may use the smallest stop which is practicable under any conditions. Extreme accuracy of de- tail is here essential. It is well, in photographing tree-trunks, to avoid those, in fields, against which cattle have been rubbing, as this process very greatly removes or blurs the natural details of the bark, and even changes the color to such an ex- tent that there is a loss of harmony in the picture. Of course where simple artistic effect is sought, extreme sharpness is less essential, indeed often is not desirable, but for scientific purposes it is of the first importance. As an illustration of the value of photography in botanical work one may well cite the work of Tubeuf and Smith on the ''Diseases of Plants." Tubeuf has most effectively represented by pho- tography certain of the diseased conditions he has so well described. I am not sure, however, that he would not have done even more satisfactorily if he had *' thinned out" the leaves in some of his illustrations before photographing the speci- mens. The need also of a better management of light is also clearly apparent in some of his illus- trations. Still, the book is an example of the aid photography can render to botany. It would be hardly fair to name special lenses as suitable for the general work of the botanical photographer when so many good ones are on the market. I would simply say get a good, rapid rectilinear, or one of the anastigmats, which are readily obtainable. Owing to the necessity, some- times, of doing close work, a moderately *' wide- angle " lens (if you have but one lens) is import- ant, but certainlv an extremely ** wide angle " is not best. Sharp contrasts, however undesirable in a nega- tive for artistic effects, are, for scientific purposes, often very important ; hence the botanist may tolerate light and dark contrasts in his negatives which an artist would consider abominable. J. T. R. Report of the Forestry Committee of the National Academy of Sciences. IN the last issue of Forest Leaves we promised our readers a review of the report of the Committee appointed by the National Acad- emy of Sciences upon the inauguration of a forest policy for the forest land- of the United States, which was presented to the Secretary of the Inte- rior just as that issue of Forest Leaves was going to press. The report is worthy of more extended notice than can be given to it in this issue, and we wish that it could be printed in full, so that our readers could be thoroughly informed as to the conditions as they were found by the Committee, and its conclusions. We must, however, be con- tent with excerpts, and we suggest that those who desire to peruse the entire report should obtain a copy of the same through the Secretary of the In- terior at Washington. It will be remembered that in February, 1896, the Secretary of the Interior addressed a commu- nication to the President of the National Academy of Sciences, requesting an investigation and report concerning (i) the preservation of forests from fire, and a permanent maintenance of forested land ; (2) the influence of forest conservation upon climate, soil and water conditions ; (3) sug- gestions for legislation to remedy existing evils. The Academy appointed a Committee of seven gentlemen, of whom Prof. Charles A. Sargent was made chairman, and it is the report of this Com- mittee from which the following excerpts are made. We commend the work of the Committee and be- lieve the $25,000 appropriated by the Government for its investigation will be well invested if the report is carefully perused by members of Congress and heads of our National departments. The re- port, however, is open to one criticism, viz., the evidently studied purpose to ignore the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture. This bureau is a fixed and established portion of the National Government. Whether it should properly be attached to the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior is not our business to decide, nor do we desire to champion the cause of the Forestry Bureau. The investigations carried on by the present Forestry Bureau have undoubt- edly been valuable, and it must have collected data of importance which would have been of ser- vice to the Committee in its investigations. If such was not the case the country would have been well served had the Committee reported the inef- ficiency of such Bureau, and on the other hand the report would have been strengthened had it indicated that it had exhausted the sources of in- formation of the Department of Agriculture. We cannot, therefore, but feel that the Committee has weakened its recommendations by the omission to refer in any way to the work of a bureau in one of the Government departments, upon which a con- siderable amount of money has already been ex- pended, and which has undoubtedly done good ser- vice in advancing the interest in forest preserva- tion throughout the country. J.B. 74 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 75 li !*• The report of the Committee appointed by the National Academy of Sciences upon the inau- guration of a forest policy for the forested lands of the United States was made to the Secre- tary of the Interior, May i, 1897. After stating that the report is based on actual examinations of much of the reserved and unreserved forest lands of the public domain and on a general study of the topography and climate, and of the economic conditions of the Western States and Territories, the Committee discusses the conservation of for- ests using the elaborate statistical study of climatic changes undertaken in Europe by Gustav Wex, based on an analysis of all available water-gauge observations made on large European rivers during the last two centuries. Such records were collected for fifty-five stations on twelve rivers. Commenting on this data the Committee say : *< Whether a grand climatic change in Europe be in progress or not, it would seem that the observed facts can be more simply explained by the well- established change in regimen often following the destruction of forests, especially in mountain re- gions 1 V 1- f These valuable records confirm the beliet generally entertained by experts, and based on facts observed at many widely different localities, that forests exert a most important regulating in- fluence upon the flow of rivers, reducing floods and increasing the water supply in the low stages. The importance of their conservation on the mountain- ous watersheds which collect the scanty supply for the arid regions of North America can hardly be overstated. With the natural regimen of the streams replaced by destructive floods in the spring, and by dry beds in the months when the irrigating flow is most needed, the irrigation of wide areas now proposed will be impossible, and regions now supporting prosperous communities will become depopulated But a well-regulated water supply is not the only thing dependent on the preservation of forests. In civilized nations the demand for lumber and other forests products is continuous, and requires sys- tematic and intelligent forest reproduction. Nu- merous districts in our country have now no more timber than is needed for early use, and if forest reproduction is not encouraged local timber scar- city in the not distant future seems inevitable. The enormous waste from forest fires, incendiary or accidental, which prevail in nearly every part of the United States, the extravagant modes of lumbering, especially in the West, permitting valuable logs to rot in the brush on account of slight defects, and the universal neglect of all reproductive measures threaten the prosperity of the country and should receive early attention from the Government.'* . The Committee next recapitulates forest admin- istration in foreign countries, and asserts that it is desirable that Congress should appreciate that for- est administration is now regarded as an important Government duty throughout the civilized world, and that it has been wholly neglected by the United States : ** France is selected for fullest explanation, not only because it dates from the Middle Ages, but because it is applicable to an entire country with- out the confusing special conditions which in most European states are the result of local pro- vincial subdivisions The French forest administration embraces about 800 men in the superior forest service, and forest guards of all grades number 4170, so that the grand total of the service is about 5000 men. The areas in charge of the forest service include the property of the Government, of communities, and of public institutions. In addition, a certain oversight, varying in closeness with situation and character, is exercised over the forest holdings of private individuals All members of the forest service below the grade of officer must have served in the army and, as a rule, must have attained the grade of non- commissioned officer. Their appointment and promotion are regulated by merit. They live in or near the forest, and each guard is charged with the care of about 2 square miles There are two forest schools in France, one for officers at Nancy, established in 1824, and another at Barres, to facilitate the promotion of deserving subordinates deficient in education. The course covers two years, each comprising six and a half months of theoretical and two and a half months of practical instruction The annual revenue from the Government for- ests of France and Algiers exceeds $6,000,000, and the expenses for 1896 were estimated at $3,- 300,000 In Germany the destruction of forests which occurred in the seventeenth and eighteenth cen- turies has caused the advance of sand dunes from the shores of the Baltic, the washing away of sur- face soil in the western mountainous districts by torrential floods, and the overwhelming of fertile valleys with debris from mountain slopes. Forest- ry has thus been forced upon the attention of the Government. Bounties are granted to communes which undertake tree culture upon waste moun- tain slopes, seedlings and young trees are supplied at cost, and considerable sums are spent annually by the State in forest improvement, and especially in checking the advance of sand dunes In 1887 there were in Prussia 3390 foresters and 249 forest guards; previous service in the army is a condition of appointment to these grades. .... . There are two forest academies in Prussia, one at Eberswalde and the other at Miinden. The course of study covers two years, and is designed to fit the pupil for the higher grades of the forest service. There are also two classes of preparatory forest schools, for practical instruction in the duties of the lower grades. The forest administration of Prussia contributes a large sum to the revenue, the annual receipts being about $14,000,000 and the expenditures about $8,000,000 The total area of forest land under the control of the forest service in 1894-95 was 12 per cent, of the total surface of India, or 112,952 square miles, of which 74,271 miles were reserved forests, 7090 protected forests, and 31,591 unclassed state forests. The increase for the previous year ex- ceeded 9000 square miles, acquired by the settle- ment or extinction of prescriptive rights. The total length of boundaries demarcated up to June 30, 1895, in provinces under the government of India alone, was upward of 60,000 square miles. The cost of effective protection in India, where fires are at least as difficult to control as in the United States, is rather less than half a cent an acre per annum The gross revenue from the forests is given at 16,788,880 rupees, and the net at 7?4i5»59o> ^r about $3,000,000 The last annual report for the Province of Que- bec gives a total of 264 forest officials. The total revenue from lumberhig operations in this prov- vince collected during the year ending June 30, 1896, amounted to $951,098.92. . . . . Reports from 49 timber Hmits in Ontario dur- ing the summer of 1895 show that the value of the timber damaged by fire was only $41,600. . . . And the Canadian forest officers are convinced that forest areas which might well have amounted to hundreds of square miles would have been burnt over during that exceptionally dry summer with- out the presence at exposed points of this trained corps of Forest Rangers. This saving in Ontario has been effected by the employment of 114 men for a few months, at a total cost of $26, 253, shared between the public treasury and the owners of timber limits. The Ontario forest-fire system has now been tried for nine years and its compulsory extension is recommended by the Canadian Gov- ernment officers. In Quebec equally satisfactory results have followed the introduction of the for- est-patrol system, which can no longer be regarded as experimental in that Province The value of the system which has been adopted in Canada, under which the Government retains the fee of its forest lands, would have been ines- timable in large immediate revenue and in future crops of timber in such regions as those adjacent to Puget Sound or the coast of northern Califor- nia ; but the fee of nearly all the best timber land in the United States has now passed into the hands of individuals or corporations, and such a policy can now be applied only to comparatively small areas generally covered with inferior timber.*' Concerning the reserved forest lands of the public domain the Committee reported that ** the peculiar topographical and climatic conditions of western North America would appear to make the preservation of its forests essential to the profitable and permanent occupation of the country. . . . Irrigation systems have been undertaken in many localities under State or corporate control and have been prosecuted until their value has been amply demonstrated, although the one essen- tial condition of their permanent success, the pres- ervation of the forests on high mountain slopes, has been entirely neglected Beyond the limits of the natural parks, which are effectively and economically patroled by de- tachments of the United States army, the Com- mittee was unable to discover any evidence that serious attempts are made by the Government to protect the forests of the public domain from ille- gal timber cutting and pasturing, or to prevent the starting or check the spread of forest fires. . . . Fire and pasturage chiefly threaten the reserved forest lands of the public domain. In comparison with these the damage which is inflicted on them by illegal timber cutting is insignificant. . . . The climate, with its unequally distributed rain- fall and intensely hot and dry summers and the peculiarly inflammable character of the forests, make forest fires in the West numerous and par- ticularly destructive, and no other part of the country has suffered so seriously from this cause. The right of way of every railroad crossing the Rocky Mountains and the other interior ranges of the continent is marked by broad zones of devas- tation due to fires which have started from the camps of construction gangs or the sparks of loco- motives ; and thousands of acres of timber are de- stroyed annually by the spread of fires lighted by settlers to clear their farms. Prospectors in search of valuable mineral fre- quently set fires in wooded regions to uncover the rocks and facilitate their operations ; and the shepherds who drive their flocks to pasture during the summer months in the mountain forests of Oregon and California make fires in the autumn to clear the ground and improve the growth of forage plants the following year The Committee, travelling for six weeks through northern Montana, Idaho and Washington, and through western Washington and Oregon, were almost constantly enveloped in the smoke of for- est fires No human agency can stop a Western forest fire when it has once obtained real headway, and 76 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 77 I !!l the only hope of averting the enormous losses which the country suffers every year from this cause is in preventing fires from starting in the forests or in extinguishing them promptly. . . . Unrestricted pasturing of sheep in the Sierras and southern Cascade forests, by preventing their reproduction and increasing the number of fires, must inevitably so change the flow of streams heading in these mountains that they will become worthless for irrigation The public domain of which these reserves form a part belongs to the people of the whole country, and not to those of any one section. It is right,' therefore, that the forest reserves should be managed for the benefit of the people of the whole country, and not for any particular class or section. Steep and elevated mountain slopes should not be cleared of their forests for the sole benefit of the prospector or the miner, because this, by its influence on water-flow, might mean permanent injury to persons living hundreds of miles away. A few foreign sheep-owners should not be allowed to exterminate great forests at the expense of the whole country, and prospectors and miners should not be permitted to burn wil- fully or carelessly forests in which all classes of the community are equally interested It is evident that if the Government proposes to protect public property in the reserves, and to enforce any laws or regulations which may be en- acted for their administration, the assistance of the military must be called in until an organization can be developed for the protection, management and improvement of all reserved Government forest lands ; for without such assistance the expe- rience of the past clearly shows that it is idle to hope that fires can be restricted, pasturage abol- ished, and timber-cutting and mining regulated in the reserves, and if this cannot be done, their forests will sooner or later be ruined, and the ob- jects defeated for which they have been estab- lished The preservation and judicious management of the forests on those portions of the public domain which are unsuited for agriculture are of great importance for the flow of rivers needed for the irrigation of arid districts, and to furnish forest products for settlers on adjacent arable lands and for mining operations. The cheapness of forest products in the United States, and the length of time required to produce crops of timber in the West, will make the investment of the capital of individuals in sylvicultural operations, for the pres- ent at least, a doubtful enterprise in those States and Territories where the public domain is now principally situated ; and sylviculture in western North America will only be really successful under sustained government control and administration. Annual taxes on the land of individuals demand annual income, and to avoid or meet this burden of taxation land which should always remain cov- ered with forests is often denuded before the re- quirements of commerce justify it, or is devoted to uses for which it is ill adapted The fee of lands which are most valuable for the production of timber should remain vested in the General Government, and these lands, if they are managed wisely, can be made to supply forest material indefinitely to the agricultural and min- ing populations of adjacent districts and to im- prove in productiveness and value. Ultimate self-support of a Government forest administration is possible in the United States, and it may be expected to yield a permanent in- come if the national forests are managed with the intelligence, thrift and honesty which characterize the forest administration in Germany, France and other European countries Temporary Measures, — To inaugurate at once a complete system of forest administration would be to attempt more than is wise or feasible at this time, but the necessity of prompt action for the protection of the forest reserves from fire, illegal pasturage and other depredations is urgent, and efficient temporary police measures are needed immediately This danger is no less real than Indian massacre was formerly, and the citizens of the West can only look to the army for immediate and tempo- rary protection from it Each important forest reserve should be placed at once in charge of an officer of the army, de- tailed during the season when forest fires are to be dreaded, and he should be supported by sufficient details of soldiers. In or near each forest reserva- tion a United States commissioner should be sta- tioned to deal promptly with all cases rising from violations of forest laws or regulations, and per- form the duties of a police justice under a district attorney and the United States Court. The au- thority to make arrests should be conferred upon the forest guards The following limits are suggested for the four forest departments of a permanent forestry organi- zation ; First Department : To include the forest reserves comprised in California and Nevada. At present there are six such reserves, aggregating 6,867,200 acres. Second Department: To include the forest re- serves included in Oregon and Washington west of the one hundred and twentieth meridian. At present there are six such reserves, aggregating 12,671,360 acres. Third Department : To include the forest re- serves comprised in Arizona, New Mexico, Colo- rado and Utah. At present there are eight such reserves, aggregating 6,141,440 acres. Fourth Department : To include the forest re- serves comprised in Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana and Idaho, and Washington east of the one hundred and twentieth meridian. At present there are eight such reserves, containing 9,117,440 acres Such organization will require for salaries, in- cluding assistants and rangers, for each of the first five years an annual appropriation of ;J|25o,ooo. . . When it is remembered that several million dollars' worth of timber are taken every year from the public domain without the Government being able to obtain any payment for it, it would appear a wise and economical policy to spend an- nually a few hundred thousand dollars on an or- ganization which would p/event such unnecessary drains on the wealth of the nation. It must be remembered, also, that an efficient forest adminis- tration would be able to prevent many forest fires on the public domain, and that it is not an unu- sual occurrence for a single fire to destroy mate- rial in a few days worth more in actual money than this forest administration would cost in years, while the loss to the country in impaired water- flow through forest fires which might be easily prevented is incalculable The committee recommends that a board of forest lands be appointed, to consist of an officer of the Engineer Corps of the Army, a member of the Geological Survey, a member of the Coast Survey, and two persons not connected with the public service, to determine, with the aid of actual surveys and such other examinations as may be found necessary, the boundaries of those parts of the public domain which should be retained per- manently by the Government as forests The laws now in force under which the unre- served forest lands of the public domain are dis- posed of have proved inadequate and demoralizing in practice Inviting fraud and peculation, they have de- based the public conscience and deprived the Government of millions of dollars The United States has proved its inability to enforce the rules and regulations established from time to time, to protect its interests in its own timber-lands This is shown by a table compiled from the records in the General Land Office, and covering the last eleven years: That the total timber and lumber illegally taken from the public domain in that period was 11,420,607,202 feet B. M. ; that a total of $26,233,145.82 was sued for, $871,765.91 being recovered by suits and $278,406.63 by com- promise In this table amounts sued for and amounts re- covered do not represent the trespass cases re- ported in the same year, the damages being recov- ered from cases previously reported The stumpage value of timber trespass reported by special agents to the General Land Office during the fiscal years 1886 to 1896, inclusive, was $6,- 836,900.51, or an average yearly value of $621,- 536.41 Unless, therefore, the Government is prepared to abandon control of the water-supply of many streams needed for irrigation, and to see the whole of its unreserved territory west of the one hun- dredth meridian stripped of its valuable timber, and agricultural and mining interests crippled, it must contemplate the adoption of some policy like that which, after a fair trial, has proved suc- cessful and profitable in Canada, and under which all public lands in the Western States and Terri- tories more valuable for their forests than for agri- culture or the production of minerals can be reserved to protect the flow of rivers and to pro- duce timber to supply the needs of agriculture and mining and the demands of commerce A scheme for the withdrawal of the forest lands of the public domain from sale, for their survey, and for their administration in such a manner that actual settlers, prospectors, and the owners of min- ing claims may obtain free and abundant supplies of timber for their actual needs, and that com- merce may be supplied with forest products, will be found in the draft of the bill attached to this report.*' As additional national parks, the committee states "that Mount Rainier, in Washington, and the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, in Arizona, are each, in its particular way, unsurpassed in interest. Their natural wonders should be preserved without further defacement than is necessary to make them easily accessible to the people The committee is of the opinion that it is not only desirable, but essential to national welfare, to protect the forested lands of the public domain, for their influence on the flow of streams and to supply timber and other forest products ; and that it is practicable to reduce the number and restrict the ravages of forest fires in the Western States and Territories, provided details from the army of the United States are used for this purpose per- manently, or until a body of trained forest guards or rangers can be organized. It does not believe that it is practicable or possible to protect the for- ests on the public domain from fire and pillage with the present methods and machinery of the Government It is the opinion of the committee that, while forests probably do not increase the precipitation of moisture in any broad and general way, they are necessary to prevent destructive spring floods and corresponding periods of low water in summer and autumn, when the agriculture of a large part of Western North America is dependent upon irrigation." 78 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 79 The committee presents the following recom- mendations: *' (i) That the Secretary of War shall be authorized and directed to make the necessary details of troops to protect the forests, timber and undergrowth on the public reservations and in the national parks not otherwise protected under exist- ing laws, until a permanent forest bureau has been authorized and thoroughly organized. (2) That the Secretary of the Interior shall be authorized and directed to issue the necessary rules and regulations for ,the protection, growth and improvement of the forests on the forest reserves of the United States (3) That a bureau of public forests shall be established (4) That a board of forest lands shall be ap- pointed by the President, to determine, from actual topographical surveys to be made by the Director of the Geological Survey, what portions of the public domain should be reserved permanently as forest lands, and what portions, being more valu- able for agriculture or mining, should be open to sale and settlement. (5) That all public lands of the United States more valuable for the production of timber than for agriculture or mining shall be withdrawn from sale, settlement and other disposition, and held for the growth and sale of timber. (6) That certain portions of the Rainier Forest Reserve in Washington and of the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve in Arizona shall be set aside and governed as national parks." Accompanying the report are appendices em- bracing the correspondence in relation to the ap- pointment of the committee, and recommending the establishment of thirteen reserves, aggregating 21,379,840 acres. There are also drafts of five bills for the temporary protection of forest re- serves and national parks, for the permanent pro- tection and administration of forest reserves, for the management of tKe reserved timber-lands and sale of timber, and for the setting apart of a na- tional park upon Mount Rainier and the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. ■<♦♦♦■» — There are said to be more than thirty million fruit trees in the various counties of the State of California, and of these just about one-half are in bearing. The prune is the leading product in nine of the thirty-one counties. It also leads among the more newly-planted trees. Among the south- ern counties the orange is the leading fruit. The apricot is among the first three fruits in bearing in five of the seven counties, the peach in three, the prune in two. The orange leads, with a total of three-quarters of a million trees. There are 102,745 peach trees in bearing and 212,655 non- bearing. — N. K Lumber Trade Journal. New Books. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada, and the British Possessions^ Vol. II, by Nathaniel Lord Britton, Ph.D., and Hon. Addison Brown. 8vo, 643 pages, illustrated, bound in cloth. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York City. $3.00. The second volume of this comprehensive work, which has been prepared by Dr. Nathaniel Lord Britton, of Columbia Uni- versity, Director-in-Chief of the New York Bo- tanical Garden, and Hon. Addison Brown, Presi- dent of the Torrey Botanical Club, has just been issued, embracing the families Portulacacese to Menyanthaceae. The text is profusely illustrated, the cuts showing a representative branch or stalk of each species (or, if small, the entire plant); also a larger illustration of the flower and seed-pod or vesicle, the approximate relation between the size of the plant in the cut and natural size (usually ranging from >^ to ^ life-size) being indicated by figures. The technical and common name or names, as well as the description of the plant, leaves and fruit, as well as its habitat, together with the illustration, give a complete and minute treatise of each species, together forming a most compre- hensive reference-book for the student as well as others interested in botany, while the indices of both Latin and English names form a valuable aid to easy reference. Dr. Britton and Mr. Brown are to be congratulated on the success of the years of labor spent in the preparation of this botanical encyclopaedia. -«■••♦■>- —Tree Lifting. — Trees fifty feet high and with trunks eighteen inches in diameter have been lifted in the following way: A trench is dug around a tree so as to leave a ball of earth, and when down to the proper depth the earth is spaded from under the ball on one side and a block set under the roots as a fulcrum. Two guy ropes are then attached to the tree, one on the one side where the block is set and the other opposite it. When the rope toward the block is drawn the tree is tilted, and the mass of roots is lifted up on the opposite side. Earth is then packed under the elevated roots, and then the rope on the side is drawn. This lifts the roots on the block side, and more earth is placed there. By this tilting, the tree is elevated as many feet as is needed, and stands on firm earth without injury.— iV. Y. Lum- ber Trade Journal, — The mean annual surplus forest revenue of Burma amounts to forty-five per cent, of that pro- duced by the forests of the whole British Indian empire.— iV. K Lumber Trade Journal. THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES IN THIS PAPER ARE MADE BY THE NEW Autoglyphic Process FOREST LEi^VEp. o OF mm% .-^ rHUrADBUEHa SEND FOR CIRCULAR. THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE la AND THE LEl^IS' I.EAF CHART. PAJCT 1, NOW BEADT. No. 1. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. Price 50 c No. 2. Annual-fruited Oaks: White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3. Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c No. 4. The Chestnuts and Beeches. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of cash price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered in large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, «6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 "West 'Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. Amm Forestry Anlatiou. The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a ON'T BUY «8lS3FUNTIL'~t?"* TlieWin.H.MOONl! The noble forests which still existed in the times of the Moors were ruthlessly swept away, and it is not without good reason that learned historians ascribe the economic as well as the po- litical decadence of Spain in a great measure to the evils which the destruction of her forests brought with it. Examples of minor consequence may profitably be studied in some parts ot Italy and of southern France. Earnest efforts are being made in several States to preserve large stretches of forest, in most cases with a view to protecting against denudation the head-waters of the principal rivers. President Harrison set apart, by executive orders, about 13,000,000 acres of forest reserves in the far Western States and Territories, and President Cleveland in the same manner reserved various districts, aggregating about 27,000,000 acres, all for the same purpose. Thus a fair start has been made in a policy designed to avert the most dis- astrous consequences of our recklessness; and there is no doubt that these movements and meas- ures have the hearty sympathy of every intelligent man in the country whose judgment is not warped by private interest. But we must not indulge in the delusion that mere popular sympathy will be sufficient for the attainment of the object. When, during the administration of President Hayes, the Interior Department made the first earnest effort to stop the plundering and devasta- tion of the public timber-lands, a notion seemed to prevail that the public forests were everybody's property, to be taken or wasted as anybody pleased. When the first steps were taken to arrest this wholesale robbery and destruction, the Interior Department was flooded with telegrams and letters indignantly remonstrating against such tyrannical attempts, and Senators and members of the House of Representatives came rushing in, asking in angry tones how the Department could dare thus to interfere with the legitimate business of the country ! And when the Secretary applied to Congress for rational forestry legislation, he was contemptuously sneered at for his outlandish no- tions, that might do for a little German princi- pality, but were ridiculously out of place in a great country like this. It will not be difficult to protect the public timber-lands against robbery if proper means be granted. Especially will this be easy to the na- tional government. Indian wars are no longer to be apprehended. A large part of the army will be disposable for other objects. Why should not a few battalions be organized and specially in- structed as forest guards for such service ? There could hardly be a more useful employment for the soldier in time of peace. The next problem will be to keep the forests so saved from devastation in a state of constant and profitable renewal, so as to make them a source of public revenue. This is a matter of science and of administration. . The first requirement to be kept in mind is that this branch of the public service be kept severely out of politics, for scientific administration has no more dangerous enemy than the '' practical party politician. , It may sound like an exaggeration to say that, as to the future prosperity of this country, the matter of forest preservation and renewal is tar more important than the tariff" or the currency. But it is the sober truth. Nor is there any time to be lost. We have already sinned overmuch ; and unless we make haste to stop the progress ot ruin and to repair the injury done, our children will curse the wanton recklessness of their lathers. Carl Schurz, in Harper s Weekly, Philadelphia City Parks Association. THE annual report of the Philadelphia City Parks Association shows that although both the City Councils and the Managers of the City Parks Association have encountered greater difficulties than ever before, the movement for small parks and open spaces throughout the city has made progress during the past year. We offer the Association our hearty congratulations, and trust that its usefulness will receive proper recog- nition from the citizens of Philadelphia. Councils have selected and taken Hancock Park, in the Seventeenth Ward, and Edwin H. Fitler Park, in the Seventh Ward. The report states that Boston excels all other cities in the extent and beauty of its park reserva- tions and playgrounds, but Minneapolis promises to become a formidable rival. Playgrounds form a conspicuous feature of this work in these cities, both utilizing their valuable water frontage for sports of all kinds in summer and winter. Shaded pathways and avenues lead to these parks and play- grounds in both cities, and every facility of ap- proach is offered by electric cars. Philadelphia is larger than either of these cities, and its climate is such as to render open spaces even more necessary to it than either of them. ^ The City Parks Association urges the securing before too late of disused burial-grounds for open spaces, where people can go for fresh air ; and the Legislation Committee has prepared a bill to be introduced at the next session of the Legis- lature to prevent the erection of buildings upon them. Through the eff'orts of Dr. Henry M. Fisher, a fund has been started for the purchase of the old graveyard on the south side of Pine Street, east of Fifth Street. place, after the interview with the Elk-County man, completely refuted the latter's contention. In 1859 a tornado destroyed the timber on a strip of land half a mile wide and of great extent longitudinally, its path crossing the Du Bois tract in the northwest part of the county. A new growth of timber has sprung up in the path of the storm. On a part which has been protected from fire there is a vigorous stand of white pine, mixed with hardwoods. Seen from an adjoining hill, the pine seems the most plentiful species of the entire growth, but a careful study resulted in de- monstrating that the percentage of pine was small compared to the deciduous growth ; yet there was enough pine to explode the theory that it cannot be reproduced on old slashings of the same kind of trees. On an acre there were found 285 trees. The remaining growth included aspen, beech, sugar maple, silver maple, red maple, black oak, white oak, white ash, cucumber, black cherry, black birch, white birch, basswood, iron-wood, tulip, chestnut, willow and hemlock. The most of these varieties were well represented, showing that the entire growth was a dense coppice. By a judicious thinning-out the white pine could have been given a sufficient chance for vigorous growth and an abundant stand, while enough of the other trees could have been left to protect the pines and assure their prosperity. There were 1480 trees on the acre, 285, or one-fifth, of which were white pine. The percentage of pine was enough to show that when lands are protected from fire they will produce plenty of second-growth trees. Second-Growth Pine. THE following testimony to the reproducing tendency of pine is published in Garden and Forest: A writer states that during a recent trip through Elk, Forest, Jefferson and Clearfield Counties, Pennsylvania, he was told that white pine never succeeded the same kind of growth in forest renewal ; and that on lands from which timber had been removed a vigorous growth of hardwoods would appear, but that pine never came again on such areas, or at least until the hardwoods had prepared the land for a second growth of pine. Among others, a leading lum- berman of Elk County strenuously held to this doctrine, and this gave an added interest to the examination of the woods. His first stopping- The Big Trees. ON the farm of Miss Sue Gallagher, in Alle- gheny Township, Cambria County, Penn- sylvania, are growing what are claimed to be the two largest trees in the State. Both are white pine— the larger one being so large that a surveyor's short chain (33 feet) lacked six inches of girding it ten years ago. The trunk is oval- shaped, the longer diameter being over 11 feet and the shorter nearly 7 feet. About 20 feet from the ground the tree spreads out into more than a dozen branches, the main one of which is about 30 inches in diameter, and 90 feet high. The smaller tree is about 7 feet in diameter. Relic- hunters have carried off hundreds of pounds of the outer bark, which is about 4 inches thick. A fin- ger-board which used to stand on the road from Cresson to Loretto at a side-road 2 miles from Cresson, bore the legend, ^*This way to the Big Trees." J. M. McCormick. 88 FOREST LEAVES. Hickory— Black Hickory— Bull Nut— Big- Bud Hickory— White-Heart Hickory- King Nut— Switch-Top Hickory. (Carya tomentosa, Nutt.) (Sargent, Silva N. A., Vol. VII., Hicoria alba, p. i6i, t. 350, 35I-) __ PENNSYLVANIA has hickories and hick- ories—at least five well-defined kinds, or species, but the one of which we now write is here the special hickory. Its names, na- tive and botanical, given above, indicate room for choice as to how it can be designated and ought to satisfy the most liberal-minded person. The shell-bark hickory, it is alleged, produces a better wood, as it certainly does a better nut, but the hickory of the masses, the one which our Pennsylvania mountaineer knows, and loves, out of which he once made his rifle-ramrods and still makes his axe-handles, is the one, above-named, once yclept by botanists Carya tomentosa, but now Carya alba—iht latter being the name under which the shell-bark was once recognized. The pioneers, seeking farms, early learned that where the shell-bark and the bitter-nut grew vig- orously there was good soil at the roots. This hickory, however, flourishes high up on the hill or mountain-side, where the surface is usually rocky and often poor. It is a product of the waste ground, as the others are of the fertile. Its crooked trunks and limbs and its rough bark tell of a strug- | gle for life. The hickories of the rich low lands j have sweeping curves in their branches. Those of the mountain-side (our hickory, for example) have their curves shortened into angles. The one rep- resents the dimples of affluence, the other the fur- rows of poverty. Occasionally a tree of this species may grow in a soil richer than usual, and its top- most branches may elongate vigorously and re- tain, at the same time, their slenderness. This is the form known to our woodsmen as the switch- top hickory. The white-heart hickory is well characterized. Its bark furrows are deep, and the ridges pro- nounced and rugged. They curve into each other much more positively than those of any other spe- cies. The term white-heart hickory expresses clearly the characteristics of the wood. There is so little dark-heart wood that its presence is not regarded as giving color to the log. A handful of the young, bruised leaves emits an odor which is characteristic. It is at times pleasantly pungent and never disagreeable. It is somewhat the odor of the black walnut leaf, yet difl"ers from it. The one can no more be described than the other, for each is ''sui generis" and would be sufficient to identify the tree by in the dark. Dr. Britton says that it is sometimes called *^ Fragrant hickory.*' The name would certainly be most appropriate. All the youngest parts of the tree — /.^., leaves, ultimate branchlets, flowers and growing fruit-— -are more or less hairy. The young leaflets especially feel as if covered with a velvet down. The leaf is made up of from seven to nine leaflets (with us more frequently the former number). The termi- nal leaflet is usually somewhat the largest and is broadly lance-shaped, with a wedge-shaped taper- ing base. The leaflets, which are in pairs, decrease in size toward the insertion of the common foot- stalk of the leaf, and are somewhat unequal in shape — one-half being larger and more rounded than the other. All of these leaflets are taper- pointed, as a rule, and minutely, sharply toothed, except near their bases. On the under surface the leaf varies from slightly hairy to having a dis- tinctly velvety feeling. The midrib of the leaflet is usually conspicuously hairy. In the young leaf- let the upper surface also is soft with hairs. As it grows older this surface becomes smooth and hair- less. The male flowers (appearing first in May) seem to come in slender clusters of three, from one and one-half inches to four inches in length, and arise from inside of the circle of upper bud scales. A little later the female flowers (the future nuts) ap- pear, often in pairs, on the ends of the young branches. These, when matured in October, are in a thick, hard husk, which splits more than half- way to the base. The nut itself is oblong, or some- times almost round, in outline, more or less angled on the sides, and sometimes somewhat pointed on the ends. The flavor of the kernel is often pleas- ant, but never equals that of the shell-bark. In some nuts, where fertilization has prpbably failed, there is practically no kernel. The young branchlets are sometimes plentifully sprinkled with elongated light spots. The ter- minal winter buds are ovoid, with outer scales rather loose, which, falling away, leave the more hairy inside scales exposed. One reason why the white-heart hickory is more common than the other species is that it has been protected by grow- ing in the less accessible places. Formerly it was no more common than the other species, which have been mostly cut away. The white-heart hickory produces a considerable quantity of sweet sap, which can be utilized in the manufacture of sugar. The wood is good. Among the very best for fuel. It is strong and elastic, but not durable in exposed situations. It is also very likely, unless barked and protected, to suffer from attacks of insects and worms. It is a tree of wide range, growing from the St. Lawrence to Florida, and as far west as Kansas, Nebraska and Texas. It is a slow grower, but thrives better on poor soil than its related spe- cies do. Its physical properties are: specific gravity, ■■ yi rt •..?^ '<»i -; M Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 5. \ m ' L Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 5. WHITE-HEART HICKORY-HICKORV-MOCKER NUT. CARVA TOMENTOSA, NUTT. SARGENT. SILVA N. A , VOL. VII, HICORIA ALBA, P. 161, T. 350, 351. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. WHITE-HEART HICKORY-HICKORY-MOCKER NUT. CARYA TOMENTOSA, NUTT. SARGENT. SILVA N. A., VOL. VII, HICORIA ALBA, P. 161, T. 350, 351. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 5. WHITE-HEART HICKORY-HICKORY-MOCKER NUT. CARYA TOMENTOSA, NUTT. SARGENT. SILVA N. A., VOL. VII, HICORIA ALBA, P. 161, T. 350, 351. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 5. k L WHITE-HEART HICKORY-HICKORY-MOCKER NUT. CARYA TOMENTOSA, NUTT. SARGENT. SILVA N. A , VOL. VII, HICORIA ALBA, P. 161, T. 350, 351. CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE ' i 1 FOREST LEAVES. 89 0.8218; percentage of ash, 1.06 ; relative approxi- mate fuel value, 0.81 31 ; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 51.21 ; relative strength, 28. J. T. R. Profits in Chestnut Culture. THE New Jersey State Horticultural Society has issued the Proceedings of its Twentieth Annual Meeting, which, among other papers, contains one written by Mr. Charles Parry, of Parry, N. J., entitled " Is it Advisable to Plant Commercial Orchards of Chestnuts in New Jersey and the Best Varieties?'* and the query is also ap- plicable to Pennsylvania. This question is an- swered in the affirmative ; and Mr. Parry states that it seems strange a country as large as the United States cannot supply itself with chestnuts without drawing on Southern Europe, which sec- tion has but a small percentage of land suitable for the growth of this nut to what is found here. In Southern Europe the chestnut is used as a staple article of food. It is grown so cheaply that chestnut meal is less in price than flour, and is used by the poor in making cakes, puddings, meal and bread. When it is remembered that in this country chestnuts command from $4 to ;^io per bushel and can be grown cheaper than wheat, the profitable nature of the crop will be appreciated. One of the reasons why more chestnuts are not grown is the long time, judging from the common American chestnut, that would be required for an orchard to come into bearing; another is that comparatively few farmers are acquainted with the improved varieties of grafted chestnuts; still another reason is that many farms are rented and the tenants are not likely to plant orchards. These causes prevent chestnut planting and will be operative for some time to come. For many years this must remain a pursuit of large profit and little competition. Individual trees, standing alone, frequently yield J30 to $50 each, but an orchard could not be expected to average more than one-quarter of these amounts. Mr. Parry states that a planter can reasonably expect an average yield of over a bushel per tree or about $200 per acre. These prices, of course, will not always continue as high as at present, but even at one-half or one-third of the market rates, it would be a profitable occupation. Another attractive feature is its permanence, an orchard once planted needs but little attention, and a chestnut grove does not have to be coddled, fertilized, wormed, and cultivated annually like a peach orchard and then fail to realize our hopes. As to varieties, Mr. Parry recommends grafted trees, the important requisites being size, earli- ness and productiveness, and mentions the Alpha, Advance, Reliance, Giant, Paragon and Bartram's Late, Numbo, Scott, Ridgely, etc. The early va- rieties are likely to attract the worms, but Bar- tram's Late and Scott are remarkably free from these pests. There are two ways of obtaining a chestnut grove, either by grafting a natural grove or by planting arable land. In grafting the best time to commence is after the timber has been cut two years, when the sprouts are of proper size. In planting a chestnut orchard, care must be taken in regard to the site, wet land, even if underdrained, is not suitable, neither is dry land with a compact impervious clay sub-soil. The chestnut loves a loose soil with a deep, open porous subsoil, the deeper the better. The trees should be set 40 feet apart, and fruit trees can at first be put in between to obtain a larger return from the ground, and then cut away as the chestnuts need more room. An orchard thus planted will pay its way from the start, and in ten years should yield from $200 to ^300 annually per acre. What better in- heritance can be left to a family than such an orchard ? Forests and Insanity. JO. BARRETT, Secretary of the Minnesota State Forestry Association, sends us the following regarding the influence of a lack of trees on mental soundness : '' Not long since I heard a well-informed gen- tleman say, in a public meeting, that a less per- centage of insanity occurs among people en masse that live in the woodlands than among those who live in treeless regions. If this be true in actual count, creditable to the forest, its mentally regu- lating influences must be due, not alone to agree- able surroundings, affecting the sense of vision, but mainly to the electric, aromatic and ozonic in- fluences of the forest atmosphere. It is certain that the residents of the woodlands are less angular and less nervous than the residents of the unforested and monotonous prairies, that are scourged by hot and cold winds. The dreariness of such environment, where there is not a tree to break the ocean-like sky-line, inci- dentally breeds a melancholy that not infrequently drives a person mad, under the consciousness that there is no escape from the worrying gloom. *' It is said to be not uncommon for the lonely sheep-herders on the solitary plains of Australia, who have for months no society but their depend- ent flocks, to become insane in their unsocial and isolated life. [Certainly true in California.] ^* Wishing to obtain some authoritative state- ment respecting the matter in question, I addressed a letter of inquiry to Prof. H. A. Tomlinson, 90 FOREST LEAVES. Superintendent of the St. Peter's, Conn., State Hospital for the Insane, and received in answer : *' 'Trees and flowers undoubtedly have a good influence over our patients, although I do not think that I would be justified in saying that this influ- ence is specific ; it is just the same as that pro- duced by agreeeble surroundings on any one who is ill or disturbed. ** * I do not think that so far there has been any definite study with regard to the influence of cli- mate, and the presence or absence of verdure in the production of insanity, but a priori, I should be disposed to think that an individual with a pre- disposition toward insanity would be more liable to break down in a treeless, wind-swept country than under the opposite conditions.' ** The subject in hand is a very important one, and I hope that your observant readers will furnish for publication such facts respecting the sanitary influence of trees as they are familiar with, or have read of in reliable literature."— /o OF ', obQ] . HllrADBtEHl* THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE la AND THE SEND FOR CIRCULAR. i American tetrj Association. ^Q^P^ LEWIS' IrEAF CHART. JPABT 1, NOW BEADY, No.l. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 2. Annual-fruited Oaks : White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3.* Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c. No. 4. The Chestnuts and Beeches. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of cash price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered in large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, $6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 West Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, 1012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. ' '(r^(gv>^ RATES ■ I 6 insertion. insertions. la insertions. I inch, . $1.00 $4.00 $8.00 'A page, . 4.00 17.00 34.00 1/ ** 72 7.00 30.00 . 60.00 I ** . 12.00 50.00 100.00 96 FOREST LEAVES. ORIENTAL PLANE, THE BEST TREE FOR STREET AND AVENUE PLANTING. At the present time tree-loving people are endeavoring to secure the best tree for plant- ing on the avenues and streets of our cities, and after a careftil study of the matter we have reached the conclusion that the Oriental Plane is in every respect the most satisfactory. It is long lived, a rapid grower, and very clean, as it is never troubled with worms or insects. PLANE TREES ON VICTORIA EMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES RIVER, LONDON. Five years ago, while in Europe for horticultural research, we found that for a num- ber of years, in London, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and other cities, this tree had been used with most successful results. It was found to be the only tree which would grow satisfactorily on the Victoria Embankment of the Thames River, London. The parks and cemeteries in many of our cities and a number of our leading land- scape gardeners have recently been using the Oriental Plane very extensively for avenue planting. Can furnish many testimonials concerning the merits of this tree. Trees of good size 75 cents, $1.00, and $1.50 each. Special rates in quantity. ANDORRA NURSERIES, CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA. f y WILLIAM WARNER HARPER, Manager. SPECIALTIES: I f Specimen Ornamental Trees, Large j Hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Philadelphia, December, 1897. No. 6. Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 25 North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second class matter. CONTENTS. Editorials President's Address Treasurer's Report Address of the General Secretary Report of Council • Survey of the Government Forest Reservations Preservation of the Forests Railroad on Tree-Tops Fall Arbor Day — •• Forestry at the Convention of Women's Clubs Replanting of Forests in Switzerland A Big Timber-Land Sale ••••• Rock Oak, Rock Chestnut Oak. (Quercus Prinus, L.). What Any One May See Coal Mining and Practical Forestry The Forests of Tennessee Western Australia's Forests Books Received 97 98 99 100 lOI 102 102 102 103 103 103 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 Subscription, $i.oo per Year. The attention 0/ Nurserymen and others is called to the advantages 0/ Forest Lbaves as an advertising medium. Rates will be fur- nished on application. Committee on Publication. John Birkinbinb, Chairman, 25 North Juniper Street. F. L. BiTLER, 1820 Master Street. Prof. Wm. P. Wilson, 640 N. 32d Street. B. WiTMAN Dambly, Skippack, Pa. ,„ ,. ^^ Charles A. Keffer, Dept. Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enact- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both State and National. Annual membership fee. One dollar. Life membership. Fifteen dollars. Neither the membership nor the work of this Association is intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names \.oA.B. Weimer, Chairman Member- ship Committee. 512 Walnut street, Phila. President, John Birkinbine. Vice-Presiaents, Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins, James C. Haydon, Prof. Wm. P. Wilson. General Secretary, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. Treasurer, Cnarles E. Pancoast. Council-at- Large, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn, W. S. H.arvev Council/rom Philadelphia County, J. Rodman Paul, A. B Weimer, Richard Wood, Eli Kirk Price, Henry Budd, Henry Howson, Mrs. George W. Carpenter. Council from Chester County, Mrs. H. J. Biddle, Wm. S. Kirk, Samuel Marshall. ». ^ . t • ^ml 1 Council from Delaware County, Miss Grace Anna Lewis, Charles Council from Montgomery County, Dr. H. M. Fisher, Dr. Alice Bennett, Dr. J. M. Anders, Hon. B. Witman Dambly, Dr. J. Newton Hunsberger, Dr. Samuel Wolfe. Office of the Association, 1012 WALmrr St., Philadelphia. EDITORIALS. OVER four thousand school children cele- brated Arbor Day in the City of York, Pa., by a demonstration which was memor- able for its simplicity and impressiveness. Rain interfered with the celebration upon the day indi- cated by State Supermtendent Schaeffer, but as a number of trees had been provided, these were set out in the City Park, ahd the children's parade was postponed until the following Tuesday. It was our privilege to view the parade, which was admirably conceived and superbly marshalled. No effort at uniforming the children was attempted, no cheap sashes or decorations were supplied. Each school carried a banner indicating its loca- tion and **01d Glory" as a standard. The va- rious schools kept step to the drum-taps supplied by one or more of the scholars, and a band played in the square while the children countermarched in kaleidoscopic figures. Upon reaching the park the procession marched past the newly-planted trees and the children were massed while the band led the thousands of voices in '* America." City Superintendent Wanner and his colleagues are to be congratulated upon the arrangement of the demonstration, and also upon the good taste of omitting any addresses, which could be heard only by a limited portion of an audience which at best would be restless. The admirable discipline and excellent deport- ment of the scholars were tributes to the influence of our free-school system. There was no wild hilarity, only the natural chatter which would be expected from a gathering of 4000 scholars. The girls and boys, young women and young men, all seemed to realize that the demonstration was not merely a holiday celebration, but was the expres- sion of loyalty to forest protection. J. B. ***** A popular meeting under the auspices of the American Forestry Association will be held at Tampa, Florida, during the coming February, 98 FOREST LEAVES. when the principal address will be delivered by Dr. B. E. Fernow, Chief of the Division of For- estry. Dr. Fernow will discuss National Forest Reservations and their management. Hi Ht :)e :ic 4t The Executive Committee of the American Forestry Association has made arrangements for the publication of a monthly magazine. The I^or- ester ^ heretofore conducted by Mr. John Gifford, will be turned over to the Association the first of the year, and will be issued from Washington. ***** The regular annual Chrysanthemum Exhibition was held at Horticultural Hall, November 9th to 13th, inclusive. The display of potted chrysan- themums and cut-blooms was magnificent, the new Chrysanthemum *' Pennsylvania " being especially admired on account of its size, fine shape, and beautiful color. In addition to the chrysanthemums there were fine exhibits of the various vegetables, fruits, roses, violets, pansies, orchids, Norfolk Island pines, palms, and evergreen shrubs, etc. That the exhibition was appreciated was evi- denced by the throngs who flocked to the hall and listened to the concerts which were given every afternoon and evening, and the Horticultural So- ciety of Pennsylvania is to be congratulated upon the success which has attended its efforts. F. L. B. ***** The American Forestry Association invite competitive designs for a corporate seal. The drawings are not to be more than 4 inches in di- ameter, rendered in India ink on sheets 12 inches square, and are to be forwarded to the Secretary of the American Forestry Association, Washing- ton, D. C, so as to reach their destination not later than January 15, 1898. The designer of the seal, selected by the Committee, will be paid the sum of $100. President's Address. IN rounding out the eleventh year of continuous effort to advance public interest in arboricul- ^ ture and protection to trees, the members of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association have reason for mutual congratulation. The augmented mem- bership and the increased circulation of Forest Leaves are gratifying, and will rapidly increase if each one co-operates in extending the Association's representation. But our greatest cause for encour- agement is the position which the cause of forestry holds in the estimation of the community, and upon the statute-books of this Commonwealth, and of the nation. During the earlier life of the Association, its small membership, and the absence of information as to what was to be expected from the organiza- tion, caused but a ripple of interest in a limited portion of the State. To-day a strong, aggressive Association,composed of leading citizens of various counties of Pennsylvania, and numerous supporters in other States, rejoice that an appreciation of the necessity of forest protection has spread throughout the country, and words of commendation of our efforts are heard on every hand. The work in which we have enlisted has been splendidly supplemented by kindred organizations in other States; but, while this help is recognized and cordially appreciated, we may, at the annual meeting, take a somewhat selfish view of the situation. The position which the forestry movement holds in the estimation of the people of Pennsylvania is, undoubtedly, largely due to its having been kept free from partisan or factional politics, and the absence of any effort to advance individual interest. Whatever has been accomplished toward the ad- vancement of sentiment favorable to forest preser- vation has been accepted by the people at large with a realization that those who championed the reform did so from unselfish motives. With similar sentiments influencing future efforts we may anticipate a continuance of public confi- dence,'and remedial measures will receive the endorsement which they deserve. The radical advance represented by the legisla- tion now in force in Pennsylvania has been detailed in the report of the general Secretary, and this need not be referred to further than to state that much of the credit for the conception, preparation and explanation of the various forestry bills belongs to Dr. J. T. Rothrock, Forestry Commissioner. With the efficient laws adopted, the duty which this Association must assume is to urge the enforce- ment of these laws, and this can best be accom- plished by individual effort, supplemented by concert of action. The mere passage of bills by the Legislature and their approval by the Executive does not ensure forest reform. If these laws are permitted to be inoperative by lax administration of county officers, practically endorsed by dormant public sentiment, their passage may be a step backward. It must be the duty of each member of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association to watch the administration of the various acts, and to educate the public to demand that the various provisions for forest protection be enforced. It is expected that before the next annual meet- ing of this Association there will be a report ready for action by the Legislature, setting apart forest reservations, which will be the nucleus for a system of forest protection on a scale similar to that which promises so much for the future welfare of our neighboring State — New York. The small annual assessment of $1.00, levied f \ FOREST LEAVES. 99 upon the members of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, continues to be insufficient to meet the demands which the dissemination of forestry literature and the efforts to educate the public have made upon our resources. But friends have gener- ously come to the aid of the organization at every emergency, so that it has never been in default. While recognizing these contributions, and the good accomplished by them, the policy of depend- ing upon subscriptions does not appear to be the best to secure permanent prosperity. When the membership of the Association shall reach 5,000 it is believed that its publication could be made practically self-sustaining, and a liberal share of the dues would be available for other work which must now be left undone. Such a membership could be secured in one year, if to each one interested in the forestry of Pennsylvania the work of the Association was properly presented. A roll of 25,000 in the great State of Pennsylvania would not include all the true friends of forestry in the Commonwealth. The continued service rendered the cause which we represent by the press of the State deserves re- newed expressions of appreciation, and the valuable help given to the Association by the members of Council, who have made many sacrifices for its ad- vancement, should be recognized by all its mem- bers. John Birkinbine. Forestry in India. THE account of the Forestry Department of India, by Lieut.-Col. F. Bailey, in the *' Scottish Geographical Magazine" for November, is of interest. The area under control is 112,952 square miles, of which 74,271 have been set aside as permanent forest estates. The officials and rangers number about 500, the larger part of whom are natives who have been trained in the Imperial Forest School at Dehra Dun. One of their most important duties is the successful deal- ing with fires, which is accomplished by a system of cleared ''fire-lines" from 25 to 100 feet wide. By this means, during 1894-95," no less than 28,913 square miles were actually saved from burning," at an average cost of '* one-third of a penny an acre.*' circle, and goes gradually northward to the Mac- kenzie delta, where it attains its highest American latitude in about sixty-nine degrees. Its most southerly point is in fifty-seven degrees (fifty-two degrees) on the East Main River, from which it crosses Labrador, Greenland and Iceland in the direction of the North Cape. — American Paper Trade, Treasurer's Report. THE Treasurer's statement for the year shows the following receipts and disbursements : Treasurer's Account. Dr. To balance on hand December 5, 1 896, To cash, annual dues to December I, 1897, • . . . To cash, donations and subscriptions, . To cash, life membership fees, . To cash, sale Forest Leaves and ad- vertisements, To cash, rent and office expenses paid by City Parks Association, To cash, from county branches for dues, Interest on deposit, Northern Forest Limit. THE northern limit of true forest land has been found by Herr K. Roder, a German student, to reach its highest latitude, seventy-two and a half degrees, in the Taimyr peninsula, from which it runs eastward to the Tschuktschee peninsula, then bends rapidly south- ward. On the Alaska coast it is near the Arctic $123.98 $726.50 698.00 405.00 386.29 109.00 Cr. By cash, sundries, postage, office rent By publication of Forest Leaves, By Assistant Secretary's salary, By expenses Membership Committee, By lectures, hall rent, etc. , . . . 1350 4.67 $2342.96 $2466.94 $381.95 1073.90 600.00 120.90 65.72 $2242.47 Balance on hand December i, 1897, . $224.47 Charles E. Pancoast, Treasurer. Audited and found correct. Albert B. Weimer, Wm. S. Kirk. Tree Growth. FORESTERS report many odd and startling freaks in tree growth. A unique specimen of Adirondack forest growth has been re- ceived by the Fisheries, Game and Forest Com- mission, and is now on exhibition in the office of the commissioners in Albany, N. Y. It is a block of wood showing the perfect natural grafting of two white and yellow birch trees. The block shows two hearts, indicating two trees grown together, and Col. Fox says that it is one of the best speci- mens of natural grafting he has seen. He states that there is an old stump in Washington Park, in Albany, from which are growing three trees — an elm, a maple, and a white birch. 100 FOREST LEAVES. Annual Address of the General Secretary. THE Pennsylvania Forestry Association was formed to accomplish a distinct, clearly- outlined work. Turning neither to the right nor the left to dally with side issues, it has reached a point in its progress where it may fairly halt and call attention to the work already done, and then take up the line of march again toward the greater issues which have grown naturally out of Us first conquests. The session of our Legislature, recently closed, has, if laws are enforced, been a most memorable one for the forestry interests of the Comnionwealth. Our Association was the first organization within the limits of Pennsylvania to assume a crusade which involved an expenditure of many thousands of dollars in order that public sentiment might ask for and insist upon a change in our methods of dealing with such portions of this State as had neither agricultural nor mineral value, but which were, nevertheless, associated with the prosperity of our present and our future population. This money, spent in publishing our journal. Forest Leaves, and in hiring offices and paying for lec- tures upon the principles of forestry over the State, was generously contributed by the friends of the forestry movement. Your organization has from the first recognized that there was no hope of forest restoration so long as our annual forest fires were unchecked. It urged that the State should, with as little delay as possible, obtain and retain control of large por- tions of its area, which were to be the property of the people forever, and to be administered solely for the public good. It recognized that taxing timber lands meant placing a premium upon the destruc- tion of timber which was of more use to the Com- monwealth than it was to the citizen, and was not only essentially unjust in i)rinciple, but was under- mining the foundation of the State. It pointed out the urgent need of allowing summary arrest without the previous formality of a warrant when careless and evil-disposed persons were reasonably suspected of violating any law designed to protect timber land. Every principle above named has been recognized, and to-day our organization stands, without a shadow, in the enviable light of having actually accomplished all that it was or- dained to do. By our recent Legislature the following laws were passed, and were promptly signed by Gov- ernor Hastings : I St. Constables have been made responsible for the prompt suppression of forest fires, and are authorized to call out a posse to aid in the work— the State assuming half the cost up to $500 annu- ally for any one county. 2d. County Commissioners are now obliged, under heavy penalty for failure to act, to make an earnest effort to discover, apprehend and punish those who, by accident or design, create forest fires. The State here assumes a pecuniary respon- sibility of not more than J500 annually for each county. 3d. The Commissioner of Forestry is authorized to purchase at public sale land sold by the County Commissioners or County Treasurers, for non-pay- ment of taxes, providing, in his judgment, it is de- sirable property for the State, and can be had at a price not exceeding taxes due and cost of sale ; and providing, also, that the owner shall have the right to redeem it within two years by paying the price the State paid, and an additional sum of 25 per cent. 4th. The right of summary arrest of persons violating laws protecting forests has been granted to all peace officers. 5th. The Governor is authorized to appoint a commission to select and purchase forestry reser- vations of not less than forty thousand acres upon the head-waters of each of our three principal rivers. This is the one pet law of our Association. Our best thanks are due to the Hon. B. W. Jen- nings, of Sullivan county, for his care of this meas- ure in the House of Representatives,and to General J. P. S. Gobin, of Lebanon county, for similar service in the Senate. 6th. In addition, by the zeal and influence of the Hon. Ziba T. Moore, of this city, a law has been passed which grants to farmers a substantial rebate of tax (not to exceed forty-five cents per acre) for each and every acre of farm woodland (up to fifty acres) which has upon it fifty trees to the acre,' providing that the said trees have a diameter of at least eight inches at six feet above the ground. This, associated with an earlier law, which ac- : corded a similar protection to young, growing tim- ber up to thirty years of age, may be regarded as ! forming practically a forest protective policy to our uncut and growing timber. It is entirely fair : to say not only that the successful passage of these I laws gives us an established forestry system at I least equal to that of any other State in the Union, I but that our advances are beyond all the hopes of I the most sanguine friends of forestry at home or in other States. We must not forget, in this jubilee year of our Association, that other potent friends have given us unstinted and generous help, and that without them our day of victory might have been long postponed. From the very first the newspapers throughout the State have recognized the importance of this movement, and have never lost an opportunity of calling attention to the good work of the Associa- tion. There have been repeated editorials, in FOREST LEAVES. 101 } almost every leading newspaper of the State, which were urgent in their demands for the suppression of forest fires and for more direct protection to our remaining woodlands. The Governors of the Commonwealth have not only cordially co-operated with us, but have on many occasions taken the initiative in most im- portant advance steps. A notable example of this is found in the law which provides for State for- estry reservations by obtaining lands sold for taxes. This originated with His Excellency, Governor Hastings, who has lost no proper occa- sion for helping this movement. His ' cabinet officers have always extended a helping hand, and in the newly created Department of Agriculture both the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary have been constantly solicitous as to the best methods of rendering substantial aid. Forestry is now, through the kind assistance of these officers and of the Senate and House of Representatives, a recog- nized portion of the State government. It is one of those movements which will continue to go for- ward, though it may be through tribulation. With victory all along the line, the first portion of our work is done. But this simply places an increased responsibility upon us. If these laws are not executed we shall have not only encum- bered the statute-books with useless legislation, but the conclusion will naturally arise that for- estry legislation is impracticable, and so the pro- gress of wholesome reform in this direction may be indefinitely stayed. Every step thus far gained has been through public education. Even the en- forcement of these salutary laws must rest eventu- ally upon popular support, for no law here is stronger than the will of the peoi)le. We must agitate and organize and educate. If there ex- isted a single reason, hitherto, why our little jour- nal, Forest Leaves, should appear once every two months, there now exists a score of reasons why it should at once be made a monthly journal, to keep pace with and to direct the sentiment it has been so largely instrumental in creating. It is hoped that the change may be promptly made, and that it will be liberally supported. Your General Secretary has lectured more than fifty times during the past year in the interest of the forestry cause. He has everywhere been cor- dially received, and takes this method of thanking the friends into whose hands he has fallen. The University of Pennsylvania has wisely de- termined to increase its already vast usefulness by establishing popular free lectures over the State. Your General Secretary has frequently been in- vited to appear as one of its speakers, and thus another avenue has been opened to him for pro- ductive work. It is proper, in this connection, that the University should be thanked for its as- sistance and co-operation. Amid all the good work that the women's clubs are doing throughout the land for a higher, purer and more healthful civilization, they have found room and time for an active support of such measures as may lead to forest restoration and protection. We may assure ourselves that, with such co-operation, if we but do our part, the era of unwise and reckless waste of our timber re- sources is about to end, and that in its stead our national and individual energies will be devoted to repairing the damages we have so thought- lessly done. J. T. Rothrock. b:dc:j" Report of Council. PURING the past year the Council of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association has held seven regular and two special meet- ings, and the majority of the twenty-nine ladies and gentlemen composing the Council were pres- ent at one or more of the meetings. A well-attended illustrated lecture on *'Fire and Flood, the Scourge of Pennsylvania," under the auspices of the Association, was delivered at Horti- cultural Hall, Philadelphia, by Dr. J. T. Rothrock on January 19, 1897, and later was also presented on the floor of the House of Representatives. The forestry legislation secured during the past year has been especially gratifying, all of the laws endorsed by the Association being passed by the Legislature, and most of them will soon become operative. A resume of these acts will be found in the report of the General Secretary. Arbor Days, both those in the spring on April 9th and 23d, by proclamation of the Governor, and that in the fall, appointed principally for the schools by the Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion, were observed throughout the cities and State, the recognition being much more general than in previous years, especially so on the part of the chil- dren, who will in a few years become our law- makers and citizens, and will, we trust, be im- bued with a knowledge of the true principles of forestry, and will see that they are carried out. The continued increase in membership has been very gratifying. At our last annual meeting there were 979 names on our roll; since then 174 new members have joined, 17 have resigned, 5 have died and 4 were dropped, leaving on the list 11 27 names, a net gain of 148, or 15 per cent. We have, at present, members in sixteen States, be- sides Pennsylvania and two foreign countries. The record of achievements is certainly gratify- ing, but the Association should labor earnestly to see that the legislation secured and the sentiment awakened is properly directed and encouraged and the laws enforced, otherwise much of the advan- 102 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 103 li M in tage gained will be lost. The subject should be kept constantly before the public, and the interest already awakened not allowed to flag. F. L. BiTLER, Secretary of Council. Survey of the Government Forest Reservations. THE work of surveying and examining the forest reservations, which was provided for by an appropriation of 1^150,000 in the Sundry Civil Bill passed last spring, has been pro- gressing under the Geological Survey during the last season. The work is of two distinct classes, consisting, first, of a topographic survey and sub- division of the lands, with the segregation of those more valuable for agriculture than for timber; and, second, the examination of the forests with a view to obtaining an idea of their economic irn- portance and of gaining information for use in their administration. The work which has been done in the several reservations is as follows : In the Black Hills, maps of which had previ- ously been prepared, the surveying work has con- sisted in the addition to the topographic maps of the outlines of the timber regions and in the run- ning of township lines. Of the Big Horn Mount- ains, but a small portion has been mapped. The surveying work which has been done there during the season has consisted in the completion of the maps of that area, and in running of such of the township lines as has not already been located. It has been possible to do very little work in the Lewis and Clark and Flathead Reserves. That little has consisted in the extension of triangula- tion over them preparatory to the commencement of topographic mapping next season. Triangulation has been extended over the Bitter Root country, and the portion of this Reserve lying upon the east side of the continental divide has been mapped. Triangulation has also been extended over the Priest River country, but little topographic mapping has been possible this season. The maps of the Teton Reserve made by the old Hayden survey and those of the Uinta Reserve in northeast Utah made by the Powell and King surveys have been revised. In the Cascade Reserve, too, surveying parties have been at work, and considerable areas have been mapped, both upon the east and west sides of the divide of the Cascade Range. From this northern country the surveying parties have, at the present writing, been withdrawn, and many of them are now in the Reserve of Southern California engaged in similar work. Examinations have been made of the forest re- sources of the Black Hills, the Big Horn Mount- ains, the Priest River and Teton Reserves, the eastern portion of the Bitter Root country and the Cascade Reserve by experts especially chosen for this work. The information obtained by them may be summarized somewhat as follows: The amount, character and distribution of the timber, representing the latter, wherever practicable, upon maps; the character of the soil, litter and under- brush ; the extent to which the forests have suffered by fire and cutting ; the extent to which the region has been used as pasturage and the effect of such pasturage; the means of communication, extent of settlement and demands for lumber. The basis for an intelligent forest policy is, first and foremost, a knowledge of the property to be administered. Without such knowledge the ad- ministration could be but a succession of blunders. Henry Gannett. Preservation of the Forests. THE records of the Lumbermen's Exchange show that the subject of State forestry is receiving extended attention over the State. With the great forests that at one time were the pride and wealth of many of the central counties and northern border almost gone, the outlook for the future timber-reserves has become very serious. The forests are practically cut from the timber- belts with the exception of some virgin tracts still left in Potter, Lycoming, Clearfield, McKean, Clinton, Jefferson, Indiana and Venango counties, and the Exchange has been considering some means to second the efforts of Dr. J. T. Rothrock, the Commissioner of Forestry, to bring before the people the importance of a more general observ- ance of State Arbor Days and the preservation of what is left by protection of wooded tracts from fires. — Public Ledger, Railroad on Tree-Tops. IN the upper part of Sonoma County, Califor- nia, near the coast, may be seen a railroad- bed in the tree-tops. Between the Clipper mills and Stuart Point, where the railroad crosses a deep ravine, the trees are sawed off on a level with the surrounding hills and timbers and ties laid on the stumps. Near the centre of the ravine are two huge red-wood trees which form a sub- stantial support. These giants have been sawed off seventy-five feet above the level of the creek. This natural tree bridge is considered one of the wonders of the Golden State.— West Pniladelphia Press, f > Fall Arbor Day. ALTHOUGH the day appointed by Superin- tendent of Public Instruction Dr. N. C. Schaeffer, to be recognized as Fall Arbor Day, October 2 2d, was inclement, it did not dampen the ardor of the scholars of the public schools in celebrating the day. Under the auspices of the Forestry and Tree- Planting Committees of the Civic Club and Col- lege Settlement, thirty trees were planted on the sidewalks of the Starr Garden. The exercises, which consisted of short addresses and singing, were held in the George Street Memorial Church, which was crowded by the pupils from several of the nearby public schools. At the Taggart school six trees were planted, named for prominent persons, and other schools in the city also fittingly observed the day. Throughout the State the day was also celebrated as will be seen from the following excerpt selected from the daily press : Lancaster, October 22. — The twenty-seventh Arbor Day in Pennsylvania was observed here i with exercises by the High School and arranging ' for the planting of 200 trees on Monday, these : being distributed to the boys. An admirable musical programme was carried out. The Arbor I Day circular of Dr. N. C. Schaeffer, State Super- j intendent of Public Instruction, was read. The feature of the occasion was the address of Rev. Geo. F. Rosenmiller, whosesubject was, *' Thoughts for Arbor Day." visible, however, ari interest in the general wel- fare ; in each place some one at least was thinking of a better water supply, of village improvement, of the great waste of timber or the terrible loss from forest fires. No enactment of the last Legis- lature met with such wholesale approval as the one with regard to forest fires. The regret every- where was that it could not be enforced before the new year. The general opinion of the act creating State forestry reservations of 40,000 acres each at the headwaters of the Ohio, Susque- hanna and Delaware rivers was that this was not enough even for a beginning ; that these reserves were for the benefit of the whole State, to protect interests that now suffer great losses from floods, and that we must do more. The next day Mrs. Longstreth presented the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted : Resolved^ That in consideration of the importance of the preservation and cultivation of the forests of our State, both as a means of main- taining an adequate supply of water and securing a proper distribution of rainfall, thereby increas- ing the State*s productiveness and consequent wealth, the State Federation, through its clubs and its individual members, should use every effort to arouse interest in our forest conditions and re- sources, with a view to an intelligent understand- ing of the value of forest preserves, and the best means of protection and cultivation. Forestry at the Convention of Women's Clubs. I I ft A T the Second Annual Convention of the j^A State Federation of Pennsylvania Wo- ^ men's Clubs, held at Harrisburg October ' 26-28th, the subject of forestry occupied a promi- nent place on the programme. Miss Myra Lloyd Dock gave a lecture on ** Our Forests, their Utility and Beauty." She instanced a late trip taken through seven counties, passing from the rich farming country on our southern border to a mining district on the edge of our once great lumber country, the journey of several hundred miles ending at State College. The counties visited were selected because they presented aver- age and not extreme conditions. Two clear im- pressions stand out as the result of her observa- tion and investigation, i. The extreme scarcity of water. 2. The unkempt, slovenly condition of our hamlets, villages and towns. These two conditions have largely developed from the same cause, an apathetic indifference. There was now Replanting of Forests in Switzerland. /"CONSUL GERMAIN writes from Zurich \^ that during the year 1896 8,042,065 young trees were set out in the denuded Swiss forest districts, as against 7,906,189 during 1895 ; of these, 7,231,705 were pines and 810,360 decid- uous varieties. The canton of St. Gall leads, with 1,340,630 trees, while Zurich planted only 95,110 during the above-stated period. All of these plants were raised and supplied by the Swiss for- estry experimental station, and the total expense incurred amounted to $53,809, of which the Federal Government contributed $27,279. — Con- sular Report. A Big Timber-Land Sale. JOHNSTOWN, PA.— Negotiations have been pending for some time for the purchase of a tract of 5700 acres of timber-land near Scalp Level, and the deal is practically closed with a Pittsburg lumber company. — Philadelphia Press. 104 FOREST LEAVES. Rock Oak, Rock Chestnut Oak. (Quercus Prinus, L.) (Sargent, Silva N. A., vol. viii., p. 51, t. 375, 376.) THE rock oak is well named, not simply that it grows in the rockiest places — for it is often found on the fertile alluvial flats of the State— but because there is something about the tree which suggests hardiness. There are some trees, as there are some men, from whom you can never remove, by any change of location or association, certain striking, characteristic traits. The rock oak is one of them. Its ex- treme wildness and roughness of exterior may be somewhat subdued, but never wholly changed. The younger trees, growing in very favored loca- tions, may have a smooth bark and a tall, straight stem, but these conditions are soon hidden by the rough bark and the crooked limbs which form later, when the tree has assumed its real character. I have known the rock oak for almost half a cen- tury and seen it under almost every condition. I recognize that it is of such a variable habit that American botanists, from the earliest to the latest, have been sorely puzzled to know just what to do with its errant forms, but I have never seen a rep- resentative of the species that was of graceful figure. Yet it is by no means out of place on lawns or parks. If its branches do lack the grace of the elm, they possess in the largest measure the robust vigor and strength of the oak type. The tree seldom, on our mountains, attains a height of sixty feet or a diameter of three feet. Its bark, when young, may resemble that of the common chestnut in its greenish-gray color and in its smooth surface, with but a few shallow, longi- tudinal clefts. In mature years its bark is rougher and more deeply fissured than that of any other oak with which I am acquainted. It may become three or even four inches thick, and the numerous clefts may extend almost through the entire thick- ness. The illustration of the trunk should show how the foliaceous lichens gather on the bark. Of course many smaller ones, and fungi also, are hidden in the deep clefts. It has the appearance of a very slow-growing tree, and so it usually is ; but I have in mind a whole grove of rock oaks which, under favorable conditions, attained in less than fifty years a diameter of from fifteen to eigh- teen inches across the stump. Yet the typical, rough-barked mountain form would have probably required double that time to have attained a simi- lar size. The wood of the rock oak is strong, heavy and durable. It lasts well in contact with the soil and resists crushing weights. Hence it is well fitted for railroad-ties, and is largely used for that pur- pose. The chief objection to the wood is that it splits readily. A single vigorous blow from an axe often will lay completely open a stick four feet long and almost a foot in diameter. This, of course, indicates that there is but little interlock- ing among its fibres. As a fuel it ranks high. The medullary rays (silver grain) are well developed in this species. Seen on a cross-section of a cleanly-cut specimen they are usually plain and broad, and many of them often extend from the centre out to the circumference of the wood. I know of no other of our oaks in which this is so plainly and so frequently seen. The heart-wood is dark brown, or even red, in color, though the sap-wood is of a very much lighter shade. The leaves of the rock-chestnut oak vary greatly in thickness, size and shape. Usually they are '' rather thick, from three to eight inches long, about one-half as wide, oblong in outline, and with the prominent veins each ending in a con- spicuously blunt tooth or projection (which, how- ever, has not a glandular tip). Between these veins is a multitude of veinlets which (seen best on under-surface of leaves) run at right angles to and from one vein to the other ; footstalk of leaves from one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch long. Mature acorns from three-fourths of an inch to an inch and a quarter long, oval, immersed a third of their length in the rough, scaly cups, yellow at first, then deep brown, sweetish to the taste." There is a form occasionally seen in the moun- tains of this State in which the acorns are at least an inch and a half in length and but Httle more than half an inch in diameter. I have found it but once, and then it was on the North mountain, in Sullivan county, on the eastern face about four miles from Ganoga lake. The acorns are eagerly eaten by swine and by bears. If roasted, as those of the Emory's oak are, in Arizona, I am inclined to think that men of vigorous appetites might find them palatable. The rock oak is one of a hardy trio, the other two being the pitch pine and the chestnut. The history of this association is full of interest. There probably is a long range of years back of the present relationship. To bring it out more plainly, sup- pose we consider for a moment the fact that the bald cypress is now found growing most vigor- ously and most frequently in swamps, and espe- cially in the Southern swamps. It is not that it will not thrive on dry ground, but probably that in the latter situation it is crowded out by com- peting species of trees which are better adapted to the place. Driven to the swamp as the last available place, it there became the dominant tree because of its ability to produce those singular appendages (called knees) from the roots. There can be but little doubt, when all the facts of the case are considered, that the chief function of these knees is to properly aerate the roots. There I ' < > Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 6. , I Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 6. TRUNK OF CHESTNUT OAK-ROCK CHESTNUT OAK. (Quercus Prinus, L.^ CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. CHESTNUT OAK-ROCK CHESTNUT OAK. (QuERCUS Prinus, L) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. Li Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 6. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 6. \ , I CHESTNUT OAK-ROCK CHESTNUT OAK. (Quercus Prinus, L.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. TRUNK OF CHESTNUT OAK-ROCK CHESTNUT OAK. (QUERCUS Prinus, L.» CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE FOREST LEAVES. 105 !i f II !l ♦ are a few other trees in which a similar capacity exists — the black gum and the red maple, for ex- ample— but it is by no means so marked as in the bald cypress. In other words, its presence on the list of living species is due to the fact that its pliant constitution enabled it to adapt itself to its surroundings. Now there is much the same history to the three species above named — the rock oak, the chestnut and the pitch pine, though the resemblance is wholly in the principle of adaptation, and not in capacity for occupying an otherwise vacant swamp. In fact, one may suppose that their powers of adaptation rart more strongly in just the other direction. If the swamps were, as is probable, an earlier characteristic of the earth than the mountains, then these three species doubtless varied in the direction of adapting themselves to high, rocky situations after their original lower- ground situations became crowded. That they were successful in so doing appears from the fact that on our mountain-sides they have practically no rivals. This is most fortunate, because every one of them has real commercial value, and they thus give a productive capacity to land which other- wise could, so far as we now see, have but little value. In some respects the locust deserves to be associated with the three trees of which we now write. The rock oak flowers in May or June with us — that is, after the leaves are well started. The male flowers are arranged in a scattering manner along the sides of a thread-like, drooping, hairy axis which is from two to four inches in length. The females (young acorns) are in short clusters on a rather stout stalk. They mature in October. There appears to be a tendency in the rock oak to produce two stems from the same acorn, or perhaps it would be more exact to say that the stem branches at or below the surface of the ground. Professor Sargent speaks of this tree as belonging to the Appalachian region — growing more or less abundantly from Southern Maine to Alabama, its centre of greatest development being in the moun- tains of the Carolinas and of Tennessee, where it is probably the most common forest tree. Its physical properties are : Specific gravity, 0.7499; percentage of ash, 0.77; relative ap- proximate fuel value, 0.7441 ; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 46.73 ; relative strength, 50. J. T. ROTHROCK. — Quercus Californica, a Western representative of the Black Oaks, is found distributed throughout the length of California. The bark is said to be rich in tannin and brings twice as much in the market as Hemlock bark. What Any One May See. ON October 13, 1897, I cut some shell-bark hickory buds from the tips of their branches. They were all somewhat less than one inch in length. The outer scales were short, dry and brown. The inner side of each scale, however, was lighter green than the outside. After removing the outer circle of scales, the inner scales becames silky-hairy on the outside, but were smooth, polished and light green on the inner side. Each successive scale, as I removed it, was more hairy on the outside, until in all I had taken away twelve scales. Then I came to some- thing in the centre of the bud which this elabo- rate covering was designed to protect. I had cut a bud open lengthwise, and saw that the cen- tral part was hidden away under an absolutely water-tight and frost-proof roof. There was no doubt whatever as to the intention. It was all of next year's growth for that branch, for which these precautions had been taken. In the first place, these inner scales had, each one, almost wholly encircled the bud ; but, as each one started from a different point on the circumference of the stem, it was clear that each new scale closed the opening left by the one beneath it. Then, too, the hairy covering on the outside of the scale was the most efficient protection possible against the cold of the coming winter. It is further worthy of note that the tips of the scales completely en- circled the apex of the bud, and each scale was so closely applied to the one beneath that close ob- servation was necessary to find either edge. Inside of this bud I found twelve small leaves, on what appeared to be the very apex of the stem. Not one of these leaves was a quarter of an inch long, yet it was made up of five small, perfectly- outlined leaflets. Each leaf appeared to arise from the same height on the stem. A close in- spection, however, would have shown that the outer ones started from a point lower down than the inner ones did. That inappreciable difference in the height of the starting-point of the leaves marked the place, or the region, which was to de- velop next summer into a joint of stem several inches long. To return to the leaves, however, each leaflet was folded lengthwise, so that the upper surface was inside. This inner surface held within its grasp a tiny tuft of white hairs, which protruded from the apex of the leaflet. On the outer surface of each leaflet there was a covering of minute yel- low, resinous globules, which were almost invisi- ble to the naked eye. It is clear that their func- tion was to give protection against wet, while the hair on the inner surface was an additional pro- tection against cold. It is singular, too, that the odor in the heart of this small shell-bark bud, and . 1 i 106 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 107 Hi* m which disappears as the bud opens, was exactly the odor which persists throughout most of the summer on the bud and leaves of the white-heart hickory. There was a great deal in this small bud which the naked eye would not reveal, and which next summer would have developed into a larger growth. But one could easily see that here were sixty leaflets prepared and stored away, before even the winter approaches, for the growth of the next season. It was an instance of the fore- handedness of nature. Buds are buds, but all buds are not alike. You will recognize this now the moment you examine a horse-chestnut bud. There was almost no ce- ment visible on the shell-bark hickory bud, but if you hold the bud of the horse chestnut in your fingers a moment you will discover that its scales are not simply applied to each other, but that they are held in their position by a sticky, glutinous gum, which is so viscid that it can often be drawn out into threads which are an inch long. No pos- sible protection against cold or rain could be bet- ter. I remove, however, about ten of these scales, which are applied in an overlapping manner somewhat similar to the bud scales of the shell- bark hickory, each successive scale becoming greener and softer, until, as I remove the last one, I suddenly detect an entire change in the interior of the bud. I remove the last scale, and come on to the most compact mass of down you could con- ceive of. There was not the least trace of a leaf visible until, by a little engineering from the top of this mass of down, I opened up four well- formed leaves, which revealed their structure by the leaflets coming off" from a central point, much as the fingers do from the hand. Each leaflet, however, was white and absolutely downy, with not a trace of green visible from the outside. Now it is clear that nature has guarded against cold and moisture completely in the structure of these buds. Neither of these alone could injure the treasure which the scales protect. The danger comes from the premature warmth of spring, which melts the gum, liberates the young leaflets and the undeveloped joints of stem, and invites them out to a too early growth, and insures their destruc- tion if a frost follows. It is not the frank storm of winter, but the insidious smile of spring which blasts these young lives. The lesson in the hickory is much the same, ex- cept that the object is accomplished without the aid of the gummy cement. Look at the horse- chestnut bud in the month of March, when it would have grown larger than it is now, and you will see its gummy surface (which conceals the new life about to burst forth in the spring) glist- ening in the sunlight. It reminds one of the inscription so often found on the tombs of the Christian martyrs in the Catacombs: ''Tandem in ccelo corruscanr '—finaWy they will glisten in heaven. Now these are simple facts, but let us see what conditions are necessary before a bud can be made. In the first place, the joints of stem must cease to grow. They must remain as mere points. The scales which encircle them must appear at such points around the circumference of the stem as that each outer scale will cover the space left between the edges of the next inner scale, or circle of scales. Each scale must grow faster on the lower side than on the upper, in order that it may press closely up against the central part of the bud. In the next place, the young leaflets on the tip Of the stem must restrain their ardor and grow less rapidly than the scales on the outside. If any one of these conditions fail, the bud cannot be formed, and the future growth of the limb is, for a time at least, cut short. Anyone can see what I have told here. Most young folks with sharp eyes can find out a good deal more from the buds during the winter. See how much you can add to this lesson. Coal Mining and Practical Forestry. 7\ MONO the exhibits at the late Tennessee j^A Centennial Exposition, that of the St. ^ Bernard Coal Company of Earlington, Ky., was noteworthy, for it showed the broad comprehensiveness of its management. This company has a large landed estate, devoted to mining, farming and forestry. It works both sides of its land— coal from below, and grain, grass and trees above. Over 50,000 walnut trees, from two to eight years old, are growing in nurser- ies, and each year sees planted from fifty to sixty bushels of walnuts. The display comprised coal, coke and clays from the mines of this company. Oats, timothy, orchard grass, red top and clover, with corn of various varieties, showed the products of its farm, while the forest was represented by 121 varieties of wood grown on the company's lands, as shown in the picture-frames. Sixteen varieties of oak — white, basket, swamp white, post, chestnut, yellow chestnut, black, scarlet, red, Spanish, pin, barren, bear, willow, laurel and yellow bottom — were displayed in the form of planks. An arboretum of twenty-five acres, con- taining nearly all the trees and shrubs of the United States that grow in that latitude, illustrated the practical and progressive spirit of Mr. John B. Atkinson, the president of the company. If a similar policy were followed by other coal mining corporations, evidences of desolation so common in our coal regions would be largely removed. I' The Forests of Tennessee. (Extracts from Address of Col. J. B. Killebrew, Read at the Nashville Meeting of the American Forestry Association. ) "IV T O problem of greater importance was ever Jl\, presented to the American people than ^^ that of the preservation and reproduction of the forests of the country. The accelerating consumption of timber makes it a question of but a few years when the demand must be re- stricted or the supplies must be drawn from other countries than our own. There are now more than $500,000,000 invested practically for the de- struction of our forests, and not ;g5o,ooo invested for their preservation and reproduction. According to the Eleventh Census, Tennessee has 20,161,583 acres in farm lands, of which a little over half, or 10,799,828, were classed as un- improved or in woodland. The comptroller's report for 1896 shows 25,666,151 acres in the State reported for taxation. The best estimate of the probable area of the virgin forests in the State will not go beyond 7,000,000 acres. There is more than twice this amount unopened to cultivation, a large part of which is covered with second-growth timber that may, if properly protected, be valuable to future generations, or by mountain ranges in large part without timber trees. But few States in North America can show a greater variety of valuable timber trees than Ten- nessee. Almost every tree to be found in the United States grows in the State. Nearly all the western counties of Tennessee were originally covered with heavy forests, in which many species are nearly evenly distributed. The tulip tree (locally poplar), the white oak, red oak, hickory, gum, black walnut, wild cherry, bass-wood, ash, elm and beech are interspersed with one another, while cypress abounds in the swamps. Dyer, Obion, Tipton and Shelby counties once contained the most densely wooded area in the United States, with the single exception of the State of Washington. It was not unusual to find white oak trees 8 feet in diameter, and poplar or tulip trees of almost equal size rising in all their aged magnificence and grandeur to the height of 200 feet. In Middle Tennessee we shall find the supply of good timber very scarce in the richer agricul- tural districts, but in a few counties, as Perry, Wayne, Hickman and Lawrence, lying in the southwestern portion of this civil division of the State, there is a larger area of virgin forests than is probably found in any other part of the State. In East Tennessee, Scott County has a larger area in timber than any other county, going be- yond 200,000 acres, besides a considerable quan- tity of wild or mineral lands. The most valuable timber trees in East Tennes- see are the poplar, pine, chestnut and white oak. The county of Scott has a large supply of poplar and oak; Morgan, Carter, Washington, Greene, Cocke and Sevier of white oak, white and yellow pine, poplar, red oak and hemlock ; and Johnson of chestnut and hemlock. It is evident that the destruction of forests in the State of Tennessee is growing with an alarm- ing rapidity. While the State has yet an ample supply of timber, it is every year becoming ap- parent that some legislation is demanded for its preservation and reproduction. What shall this legislation be? First, there should be a severe punishment in- flicted on all persons who wilfully or maliciously set the woods on fire. From time immemorial it has been the custom of those living in thinly set- tled regions to burn off the leaves from the wooded lands in order that the wild coarse grasses might spring up and supply pasturage for domestic ani- mals, and especially for cattle and sheep. Careful inquiry as to the damaging effects of forest fires in Michigan lead me to believe that the value of the timber is scarcely one-half of the loss sustained by such fires in that State. Great damage is done to the forests by browsing animals. This damage arises from two causes : First, the tramping of the land, which impairs the vitality of the trees and causes many of them to die. Second, myriads of small trees, which are the embryo forests of posterity, are killed by being stripped of their leaves and barked by the browsing animals. No more land, especially in the thickly settled districts of the State, should be opened for culti- vation. More than a quarter of a century ago it was sug- gested that all old fields in the State that had been abandoned on account of their sterility, and the steep slopes in the fields liable to wash, should not be taxed for a period of ten years, provided the owners of such spots and old fields would plant them in timber and cultivate the same until the trees should become firmly established and reach a condition of vigorous vitality. This idea was warmly embraced by many progressive thinkers in the State, but, unfortunately, the provision in our State Constitution directing that all property shall be equally taxed, with certain named exceptions only, made it impossible for the Legislature to act upon the suggestion. The natural wealth of every State depends pri- marily upon its timber and soils, and it should be 108 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 109 I the highest and most solemn duty of our law- makers to look beyond the present, and to enact such laws and pursue such a policy as will in the end conduce to the wealth, greatness and glory of the State and the prosperity of its citizens ; and in no way can this be more effectually done than by taking steps for the reclamation of the soil and the preservation of the timber. More is involved in this question than mere money The very existence of the human race is imperilled by this neglect. Happiness, content- ment, progress, refinement and true civilization depend, in a measure, upon the preservation of our forests, which greatly affect climate, and the preser- vation of our soils, which so greatly affect produc- tion and population. This large consumption of timber for ties is a serious drain upon the forests of the country, re- quiring 40,000,000 trees, on the assumption that an average of two ties may be had from one tree. Fifteen trees to the acre suitable for making ties would be a full estimate, so that it will require the culling of 2,666,660 acres a year to supply this de- mand. .. - ' The right of way held by the 181,000 miles ot railroads of the United States, assuming the width of 100 feet, takes up not less than 2,172,000 acres. If this were planted in locust trees or catalpa so as to form one row of trees on each side of the track fifty feet distant from the track, the trees being set four feet apart, it would give room to grow 477,- 840,000 trees, which ought to make 900,000,000 ties. The life of black or yellow locust is from seven to ten years. . , , With proper culture and attention these locust 1 trees would be large enough in fifteen years to make railway ties. This would supply an annual , average of 60,000,000 ties. This is about two- thirds the number necessary to meet the present requirement of the railroads of the United States. It would be wisdom in the management of the railway lines to utilize their right of way in this manner. It is a false patriotism to rob our posterity ot their natural rights, and not to protect the timber of our State is a crime against civilization and a crime against posterity. Our present destructive methods combine the stupidity of unthinking bar- barism and the cupidity of unprincipled selfish- ness with the wantonness of unbridled license. Forests are the breathing places of mother earth, the beautiful vestments that hide her nudity and decorate her person. Forests, indeed, play a most wonderful and important part in the econ- omy of nature. They temper the severity of the wintry blasts; they give a grateful freshness to the summer breezes ; they regulate the flow of our rivers and keep our springs from drying up ; they shield the earth and protect it from the deep freezes in winter ; they induce a regularity in the rainfall ; their verdure beautifies the land ; their leaves fructify the soil, and their shade adds a genial quality to every home. Western Australia's Forests. THE principal forest trees are thirty-five in number, not one of which is native to Britain. They include eighteen species of Gums (^Eucalyptus), seven of Banksia, three Oaks (Casuarind), three Wattles {^Acacia), and the Pep- permint tree. Cypress Pine, Paper Bark and San- dalwood. The Jarrah {^Eucalyptus margtnata) stands pre-eminent as the leading timber tree of the western Australian forests. In the extent of forest land it occupies, in the various uses to which its wood can be applied, and in the part it is tak- ing in the great timber exporting industry of the colony, it outrivals all other trees. For construc- tive work necessitating contact with soil and water Jarrah wood has no native equal. The common name of the tree is that of the aborigines, while the specific part of the systematic name refers to the thickened margins of the leaves. There is nothing picturesque about a Jarrah forest, the gen- eral effect of which is dull, somber and uninterest- ing to the eye, the bark being of a dark gray color fibrous and persistent. In the first-class Jarrah forests the trees attain a height of from 90 feet to 120 feet, with good stems 3 feet to 5 feet in diameter, and 50 feet to 60 feet to the first branch. A healthy tree of average size, however, would be I about 90 feet to 100 feet high, and 2 j4 to 3^2 feet in diameter at the base. To attain a diameter i of about 2 feet, that is, to reach the stage when ' it may be considered fit for the sawmill, a Jarrah tree requires about fifty years. The tree is prac- tically confined to the southwestern division of the colony extending over an area of about 350 miles north to south, and 50 to 100 miles east to west. I This embraces all the country upon which the heaviest rains fall, the annual average ranging from 40 inches in the south to 35 inches in the north. Jarrah is accordingly most freely distributed along the table lands and slopes of the Darling range, which runs through nearly all the southwestern district. It is most partial to a limestone forma- tion, but degenerates and even disappears where granite is the underlying rock. Jarrah wood when freshly cut weighs a little over seventy pounds per cubic foot, which declines to sixty pounds after it is thoroughly seasoned. It is red in color, polishes well, and is compara- tively easily worked. It is used for wood-block- ing, piles, jetties, bridges, boats, posts, furniture and railway sleepers, and makes better charcoal than any other native timber. As a rule Jarrah is found either intermixed with the karri tree or in close proximity to it. Karri (Eucalyptus diver si- color) is the giant tree of western Australia. It is not so well known as the jarrah, owing to the limited area of its growth and the comparative inaccessibility of its haunts. The specific name refers to the pale color of the leaves on their lower face as compared with eucalyptus generally. It is the finest and most graceful tree in the Australian forests. Regular in growth, straight, umbrageous, its appearance when mature is grand in the extreme. An average tree has a height of about 200 feet and a diameter of 4 feet at a distance of 3 or 4 feet above the ground, with a stretch of 120 to 150 feet to the first branch. The bark is smooth, yellow- white in color, and not persistent like that of jarrah ; it, therefore, peels off in flakes each year, so that the tree always appears to be clean and bright, add is thus frequently spoken of as a white gum. The tree is a rapid grower, and it is possible to produce forests of marketable karri in the short period of from thirty to forty years. The range of the karri is confined to the southwestern part of the south- western division of the colony already referred to. The wood is red in color, and so like jarrah in ap- pearance as to be not easily distinguishable ; it is hard, heavy, elastic and tough, and does not dress so easily as jarrah. For bridge planking, shafts, spokes, fellies, flooring, large planking of any sort, general wagon work and beams it is unequaled in the colony. Karri timber is being largely ex- ported for London street paving, as its surface is not easily rendered slippery. Tuart {Eucalyptus ^romphocephala) and Sandalwood {Santalum cygno- rum) are classed with jarrah and karri as purely commercial trees. The following estimate is given of total acre- age of forests and of loads of timber sufficiently matured at the present time to be available for commercial purposes : Acres. Loads. Jarrah (with black butt and red gum) 8,ooo,(joo 4o,ooo,cxx> j^j^rri i,2cx3,ooo 15.000,00x3 Tuart 200,000 300,000 \^2iwAoi>, eucalyptus redunca 7,000,000) 7000000 York jfiim,yate, sandalwood and jam 4,000,000) ' • T»)tals 20,400,000 62,300,000 Deducting one-third for the waste in sawing, it is estimated that at 60 shillings per load the market- able timber now growing in the forests of western Australia is worth ^125,000,000. The area of forest land tabulated above is practically identical with the area of Ireland The jarrah and karri forests are not now looked upon as a nuisance and hindrance to settlement, as was the case some years ago. The progress of events has entirely changed the aspect of the timber question, and where in past years forest areas could be obtained for almost nothing, they are now eagerly sought after at fair prices. Not less than 2000 men are employed in connection with the various sawmills, and the total output of sawn lumber last year was about 130,- 000 loads, representing a gross value of over ;^4oo,ooo. The annual average value of the timber imported into western Australia for the five years 1890-94 was only ^16,124, while the average value of the timber exports was ^^104, 164, made up of jQ^i,- 66"] for jarrah, karri and tuart, and the balance for sandalwood. In 1895 the value of the timber imports was ;^45,586, and of the exports ^119,- 009. The great increase in the imports is ac- counted for by the unprecedented activity in the building trade. These imported timbers are a necessity, as the indigenous woods are too hard, too heavy and comparatively unworkable for everyday requirements of works of construction, and hence the soft woods have to oe imported. But as it would be imprudent to look indefinitely to North America and the Baltic for supplies of deal timber, and as there are parts of western Australia upon which the trees which yield soft timber could be successfully grown, the govern- ment is urged to forthwith commence the plant- ing of these exotic trees, such as the common maple, sugar maple, sycamore, ash, sweet chest- nut, walnut, oak, elm, poplar, larch, and various pine and fir trees. — London Times. —Mr. Edward S. Meany, President of the Wash- ington State Forestry Association, has collected seeds of twenty-seven trees and plants peculiar to the Puget Sound country, and will be glad to send specimens as long as they last, if addressed at the University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. In ex- change he wishes seeds of all kinds that will thrive in that climate. There is an arboretum of 355 acres connected with the University, containing but few plants except those native to it, and it is purposed to make it a scientific botanical garden by the introduction and care of other trees and plants. Books Received. Age of Trees and Time of Blazing Determined by Annual Rings, by B. E. Fernow. This neat little pamphlet is Circular No. 16, Division of Forestry, Department of Agriculture, Washington. It enforces the old idea that the annual rings can be depended upon to indicate the age of a tree, and also, when associated with the ''blazes" made by a surveyor, to determine the date of a survey. There is no doubt whatever that in not only a general way, but that in a vast m i « 1 " I ' ' 1 > 110 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. Ill majority of cases, such is the fact. Our courts Accept 'he testimony of the blazes and the nngs as correct and as reliable evidence Jt '«> there- ; fore the more unfortunate that it is not abso- lutely reliable. Its general truth makes its occa- sional error the more of a hardship. In order to be entirely fair, we give some of the leading statements in the author's exact lan- ^""^In all young, sound and thrifty timber the rings are laid on with the utmost regularity, and a cross-section of a' stem furnishes, therefore, not only information as to the age of the given sec- tion, but IS a fair indication of the b e-h>story of the tree, periods of suppression and thrift being indicated.^espectively, by zones of correspond- ingly narrow or broad rings. In such timber he countings along different radii always give the 1 same results. If, on the other hand, the rings ot very old, especially slow-grown, stems are counted, it happens not infrequently that counting along one radius gives one to five rings more than the counting along some other radius. The reason for this is not always apparent ; in some cases such a difference in results is due merely o the inability of the eye to detect an extreme y narrow but otherwise well-defined ring, and the error may be corrected by microscopical examina- tion In other cases, however, the difference is based on the actual absence of one or more rings along a given radius, extremely unfavorable cir- cumftances having led to a failure of the regular continuous development of these rings in densely-shaded, or otherwise stunted timber, also in timber injured by coal-smoke a similar irregu- larity has been observed as regards the number of rines in different sections, so that a given ring, or year's growth, was found developed twenty feet from the ground, but entirely absent near the | stump of the same stem, thus misleading in a con- | sideration either of age or rate of groj^h. j " In other cases it is the imperfect development of the rings carried to such an extreme that the . entire ring is only one to three cells *'•o THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE Peisjhania Forestry AssociatioD, AND THE Aioerican Forestry Association. The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, ioi2 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. I inch, 'A page, RATES ■ I 6 13 insertion. insertions. insertions. $I.OO $4.00 $8.00 4.00 17.00 34.00 7.00 30.00 60.00 12.00 50.00 100.00 A GUARANTEE of the high standard of ''Meehans' Monthly ^^ is that it is conducted by Thomas Meehan, formerly editor of the famotis ** Flowers and Ferns of the United States,^ and of the well and favorably known " Gardener's Monthly.^ Interesting not only to the amateur gardener, the botanist and the scientist^ but to every lover of horticulture and nature as well. The concise, instructive and practical articles made it popular from the first, and few of its class have been so universally "well received or so w^idely quoted, t^ «^ THE LEADING FEATURE, the colored plate of some native flower or fern, executed in Prang's finest style, and chapter relating thereto, is alone well worth the subscription price. «^ .^ v^ «^ i^ t^ Thomas Mechan & Sons^ Publishers $2.00 a Y^r Box Q, Germantown, Philadelphia Sample rree '^^ ^ 112 FOREST LEAVES. ORIENTAL PLANE, THE BEST TREE FOR STREET AND AVENUE PLANTING. At the present time tree-loving people are endeavoring to secure the best tree for plant- ing on the avenues and streets of our cities, and after a careful study of the matter we have reached the conclusion that the Oriental Plane is in every respect the most satisfactory. It is long lived, a rapid grower, and very clean, as it is never troubled with worms or insects. .If PLANE TRCrS ON VICTORIA CMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES RIVER, LONDON. Five years ago, while in Europe for horticultural research, we found that for a num- ber of years, in London, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and other cities, this tree had been used with most successful results. It was found to be the only tree which would grow satisfactorily on the Victoria Embankment of the Thames River, London. The parks and cemeteries in many of our cities and a number of our leading land- scape gardeners have recently been using the Oriental Plane very extensively for avenue planting. Can furnish many testimonials concerning the merit-s of this tree. Trees of good size 75 cents, $1.00, and $1.50 each. Special rates in quantity. ANDORRA NURSERIES, f I I t WILLIAM WARNER HARPER, Manager. SPECIALTIES: CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA, Large | ^ Specimen Ornamental Trees, ardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Vol. vl Philadelphia, February, 1898. No. 7. Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, as North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second class matter. CONTENTS. Editorials The Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Forestry Asso- ciation... Forestry l/Cgislation in Pennsylvania (iovernor Black on State Forest Reserves.. Forestry Meeting at Horticultural Hall Annual Meeting of the New Jersey State Forestry Association.... Pin Oak, Spanish Oak. (Quercus palustris, Du Roi.) (Sar- gent, Silva N. A., Vol. VIII., p. 151, t. 422, 425.) Annual Meeting of the American Forestry Association Most Desirable Trees for Street and Lawn Planting in Chicago... The Banyan Tree Eastern and Western Mountain Forests "3 "4 "5 118 119 119 121 122 132 124 126 Subscription, $1.00 per Year. The attention of Nurserymen and others is called to the advantages 0/ Forest Leaves as an advertising medium. Rates will be /ur- nished on application. Committee on Publication. John Birkinbinb, Chairman, 25 North Juniper Street. r . L, BiTLBR, 1820 Master Street. Prof. Wm. P. Wilson, 640 N. 32d Street. B. WiTMAN Dambly, Skippack, Pa. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enact- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both State and National. Annual membership fee. One dollar. Life membership. Fifteen dollars. Neither the membership nor the work of this Association is intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names toA.B. IVeimer, Chairman Member- ship Committee, 512 Walnut street, Phila. For List of Officers, see page 114. Office of the Association, 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia. EDITORIALS. UIBERAL space in this issue of Forest Leaves is devoted to an address delivered by the Governor of Pennsylvania before the Pennsylvania P^orestry Association, and to the Annual Message of the Governor of New York, with the object of emphasizing the fact that the Chief- Executives of the most populous States of the Union take advanced grounds in favor of forest protection. The able address of Governor Hastings is a fit- ting echo of his approval of the various forestry bills passed by the Legislature of Pennsylvania at its last session, and has no uncertain sound. Pennsylvania has been favored in having in suc- cession as Governors four men — Hartranft, Beaver, Pattison and Hastings — who have each called at- tention to the necessity of the State protecting its forests. We commend to our readers the stirring appeal of Governor Hastings for appropriations to make the legislation now on our statute-books effective. To secure these appropriations legisla- tive action is necessary ; to obtain such action public sentiment must be educated, and it is the function of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association to encourage every effort in this direction. Our readers can compare the pleas of the two Governors. The Chief Executive of Pennsylvania desires sufficient funds to initiate a modest forest reservation, while the Governor of New York de- tails the progress already made in securing a quar- ter million acres in the Adirondack region, and recommends appropriations to augment this. We trust that these two great States will soon be nearer abreast in forest preservation. With New York these reserves are established, with Penn- sylvania they are prospective, provided appropri- ations are secured. The report of New York Forest Reserve Board contains the following state- ment, based upon experience in purchasing 250,- 117 acres, at a cost of $921,699, an average of $3,685 per acre : '' The money invested by the State of New York in the purchase of these forests is an asset which is readily convertible at any time into cash. Can the same be said of any other expenditure by the State? Moreover, this investment will before long become a revenue producing one through the sale of timber. ' ' ♦ ♦ ^ ♦ ♦ The Secretary of the Interior has done good service for the forestry cause from a (rovernment standpoint, by enlisting in its service Mr. Gifford II / 114 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 115 \H If Pinchot, to whom, we understand, is delegated the examination of the forestry reserves, and the preparation of recommendations for their admin- istration. Mr. Pinchot is well known for his work in prac- tical forestry, and his ability and energy will find a good field in his present commission. ^ * ♦ * * * Mr. Henry Gannett,GeographerU. S. Geological Survey, is charged with the physical examination of the public forests of the United States proposed for reservation, the elimination of agricultural lands from the reservation, and the determination of value and present condition of forest. A large corps is at work, there being an appropriation of $150,000 for this purpose. The Annual Meetmg of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. THE Annual Meeting was held at the office of the Association, 1012 Walnut Street, on Monday, December 13, 1897, at 4 p.m., when the room was well filled with members of the Association. In our last issue we gave the text of the ad- dresses made by the President, Mr. John Birkin- bine ; the General Secretary, Dr. J. T. Rothrock ; the financial statement of Treasurer Charles E. Pancoast, and the report of Council, which was prepared in advance and set up in type, so as to reach our readers promptly. Mr. F. H. Newell, Secretary of the American Forestry Association, gave a general outline of the l)resent status of the new national forest reserves, and the progress made in surveying the same. Mr. Cope spoke of the great damage done to the fine trees along the Wissahickon, in Fairmount Park, through the ignorance of the workmen em- ployed. The Committee on Nominations reported tne following as nominated for the offices named, and after the tellers, Messrs. Longstreth and Shrigley, had collected and counted the ballots they were declared unanimously elected : Officers of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. President, John Birkinbine. Vice-Presidents, Herbert Welsh, Richard Wood, James C. Hay don, Wm. S. Harvey, Howard M. Jenkins. General Secretary, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. Treasurer^ Charles E. Pancoast. Council. At Large, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn. Allegheny County, George M. Lehman, Henry Phipps, Jr. Berks County, Mrs. George Brooke, J. H. Stembergh. Blair County, Paul Kreuzpointer. Bucks County, Burnet Landreth, Henry C. Lear. Cambria County, Prof. T. L. Gibson. Carbon County, M. S. Kemmerer. Centre County, Prof. Wm. A. Buckhout. Chester County, Mrs. H. J. Biddle, Wm. S. Kirk, Samuel Marshall. Clearfield County, John E. DuBois. Clinton County, A. F. Ryon. Crawford County, George W. Barr, M.D. Cumberland County, J. C. Fuller. Dauphin County, Y.. C. Felton, Henry C. McCormick. Delaware County, Miss Grace Anna Lewis, Charles G. Ogden. Elk County, Hon. Geo. R. Dixon. Erie County, Ira J. Dunn, M.D. Fayette County, Hon. Nathaniel Ewing. Forest Connty, Samuel D. Irwin. Franklin County, Col. T. B. Kennedy. Fulton County, J. E. Downes. Huntingdon County, Mrs. William Doms, Jefferson County, J. C. Cochran, M.D. Lackawanna County, G. Edgar Dean, IVLD. Lancaster County, J. H. Baumgardner, Hon. C. C. Kauffman. Lebanon County, Mrs. Bertham Dawson Coleman. Lehigh County, Oliver Williams. Luzerne County, W. L. Conyngham, , Mrs. Eckley B. Coxe. Lycoming County, Dr. B. H. Detwiler. McKean County, George A. Berry. Montgomery County, Dr. J. M. Anders, Dr. Alice BenneU, Hon. B. Witman Dambly, Dr. H. M. Fisher, Dr. T- Newton Hunsberger, Dr. 'Samuel Wolfe. Northampton County, Dr. Thomas M. Drown, J. Max Hark, D.D. Northumberland County, G. R. Van Alen. Perry County, Mrs. John Wister. Philadelphia County, Hon. W. N. Ashman, James C. Brooks, Henry Budd, Miss Cornelia Frothingham, Alfred C. Harrison, Henry How son, J. B. Hutchin.son, Joseph W. Johnson, J. Rodman Paul, Albert B. Weimer, Dr. W. P. Wilson. Pike County, Arthur M. Adams. Potter County, Arthur B. Mann. Schuylkill County, Wm. L. Sheafer, Heber S. Thompson. Snyder County, J. M. Boyer. Susquehanna County, Edgar A. Turrell. Tioga County, Charles Tubbs. Union County, George C. Grofif, M.D. Venango County, Prof. C. A. Babcock. I > Warren County, James O. Parmlee. Washington County, Wm. Parkison Warne. Wayne County, Alonzo T. Searle. Westmoreland County, Hon. Lucien W. Doty. Wyoming County James W. Piatt. York County, Dr. I C. Gable. The meeting then adjourned. Forestry Legislation in Pennsylvania. ,(An Address delivered in Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, on Tuesday evening, January l8th, before the Pennsylvania Forestry Association and the Horticultural Society, by Daniel H. Hastings. ) THE laws passed by the General Assembly of 1897 have placed our State in the lead of all others in Forestry legislation. National Forestry Commissioner F^ernow, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the American Forestry Association, reported to the last annual meeting of that organization that the most advances in for- estry during the past year had been made in Penn- sylvania— that, in spite of the forest reservations already owned by New York, the recently-enacted laws in this State place us at the head of the F'or- estry movement in the United States. Those who had charge of the preparation of the recent legislation recognized that fire is the forests' most relentless enemy, and that previous legisla- tion for prevention and extinction of forest fires was a dead letter. The Act of 30th March, '97, the first one of a series of five laws passed last year, makes the con- stables of the State **fire wardens," requiring them, when fires are discovered in a forest within their respective townships, to take such measures as may be necessary for their extinction, and for that purpose to have authority to call upon any citizen of the township for assistance. Any person being thus called upon and refusing without rea- sonable cause to act renders himself subject to fine or imprisonment, or both. The fire wardens are required to report to each Court of Quarter Ses- sions of their respective counties, under oath, all violations of the forestry laws now enacted or here- after to be enacted. It is the duty of the judges to see that these returns are truthfully made ; and if the fire warden neglects to comply with any of the provisions of the law, he renders himself sub- ject to fine and imprisonment. The expenses for extinguishing forest fires is paid one -half by the respective counties and the other half by the State. The second Act of the series is aimed at the punishment of those who are either wilfully or negligently the cause of forest fires. This law permits the fire warden to go a step further than perhaps was ever permitted by legislation in this State. He is required to arrest trespassers without warrant upon any forest land under such circum- stances as indicate reasonable suspicion that they are committing or about to commit the offense of setting fire to the forests. It seems reasonably certain that these two laws, backed by the present strong public sentiment, will greatly tend to re- duce the number and extent of accidental and malicious forest fires. The next step had reference to the vast areas of of wood -land from which the merchantable timber had been removed, and which had become practi- cally valueless to the lumberman. These tracts are assessed and taxed for various local purposes, and where the taxes for two years are not paid, the county treasurer of the respective counties exposes them for sale at public auction. If no bidder appears they are generally struck down to the county commissioners. The county commis- sioners are empowered at stated periods to again offer them for sale in like manner as the county treasurer. The Act, approved 30th of March last, provides when such unseated lands become liable under existing laws to sale by the respective county treasurers or county commissioners for non- payment of taxes, that it shall be the duty of these officers respectively to furnish the Secretary of Agriculture and the Forestry Commissioner with copies of the printed advertisements of sale. The Forestry Commissioner is required to examine the location of the lands advertised, and, if so located and of such character as to make them desirable for the purpose of a forestry reservation, the Com- missioner is authorized, at his discretion, to pur- chase for and on behalf of the Commonwealth, under certain wise restrictions as to price and re- demption by the original owner. In no instance shall the price exceed the amount of taxes for the non-payment of which the lands are sold. The price is to be paid out of the State fund, and the title is to become vested in the Commonwealth. The lands then come under the direct control and management of the Department of Agriculture and assigned to the care of the Forestry Commis- sioner, thenceforth becoming a part of the State Forestry reservation system, ** having," as the law states, ** in view the preservation of a water supply at the sources of the rivers of the State and for the protection of the people of the Commonwealth and their property from destructive floods." This law having provided machinery by which the State may repossess itself of the title to the great areas of wood-land upon our mountain -sides and summits without doing injustice to the present owners, and leaving them to first decide whether they will part with the title or continue to pay 116 FOREST LEAVES. iili iii taxes thereon, the General Assembly next con- sidered the areas of forest land containing timber of present marketable value, together with smaller growth. These areas are now just as valuable for forestry purposes as any in the State. Even if the marketable timber were to be removed, the char- acter of the remaining forest, as described by the Act, would still be of great value. The next law was passed for the purpose of encouraging such owners to preserve the forests remaining after the marketable timber is removed, and provides that an owner, having on his land not less than fifty forest or timber trees to the acre, each tree meas- uring at least eight inches in diameter six feet above the ground, and where no portion of the land is entirely cleared of trees, shall be entitled to receive annually from the commissioners of the respective counties during the time the trees are maintained in sound condition, a sum equal to eighty per centum of the annual taxes assessed on the land, or so much of said eighty per centum as shall not exceed the sum of forty -five cents per acre. In other words, the county pays a premium for the preservation of such forest areas by pre- senting the owner with eighty per centum of his taxes. The (question of pure water supply for the large centers of population is of absorbing importance. Pure water is one of the guarantees of public health. The water from our mountain streams is almost pure. It contains neither filth nor the germs of disease. Whatever good may come from filter-plants for the water of our cities, it is much wiser and better to provide in the first instance water that is uncontaminated. The preservation of the forests at the sources of the great rivers and the prevention of damage and loss by flood next engaged the attention of the General Assem- bly, and that body met the question in one of the wisest enactments'of the year by the passage of the Act approved the 25th of May last. This law provides for a Forestry Commission to be composed of the State Forestry Commissioner, the Chairman of the State Board of Health, Deputy Secretary of Internal Affairs, and a lawyer or con- veyancer, and a surveyor, all of whom are to serve without compensation, excepting necessary ex- penses. It is their duty to examine, locate and report to the Legislature or the Executive three great forestry reservations — the first, of not less than forty thousand acres, upon the waters which drain mainly into the Delaware River ; the sec- ond, of not less than forty thousand acres, upon waters which drain mainly into the Susquehanna ; and the third, of equal acreage, upon waters which drain mainly into the Ohio River. Each of these reservations shall be in one continuous area, so far as practicable. The law designates that the land selected shall be of a character better suited to the growth of trees than to mining or agriculture, and that at least fifty percentum of the area of each reservation shall have an average altitude of not less than 600 feet above the sea. The com- missioners are clothed with the right of eminent domain, and have the power to condemn the lands selected and have the damages assessed and the owners rewarded in the same manner as is now provided in taking land for opening public roads in the respective counties. By these several enactments the State provides as well as possible against the recurrence of forest fires. It encourages the owners of forest lands to preserve and promote the growth of young trees. It devises a method by which the State may pos- sess itself of the title to abandoned forest lands. It makes provision by which the State may event- ually own great forestry reservations upon the headwaters of its three principal rivers, and it pro- tects and encourages private owners of forest lands. There is one thing lacking — the appropriation of money for the purchase of the land and the pay- ment of the necessary expenses of selecting and transferring the titles. This will doubtless have the attention of the next Legislature. While the National Forestry Commissioner may give Pennsylvania the credit of making the great- est advancement in forestry during the year just ended, we must not lose sight of the fact that our commencement was far behind that of several other States. Previous to last year there was no legislation of any real substantial value. The Act of ' 87, it is true, remitted from 50 to 90 per cent, of taxes for thirty years upon land upon which stood 1 200 young trees to the acre. The conditions im- posed were almost impossible, and the law was in ])ractice a nullity. 'I^he Act of ' 70, which reiiuired county commissioners to appoint persons to ferret out and bring to punishment the unlawful originators of forest fires was a failure for lack of machinery to enforce it. The present forestry code, though yet untried, has generally met the approbation of friends of forest preservation throughout the coun- try. Up to the beginning of the year '97 New York State had purchased about 875,000 acres in the Adirondack region for forestry purposes. The million dollar appropriation of last year was ex- pended in the purchase of about 250,000 addi- tional acres, and there is now owned by individ- uals and private associations interested in forestry preservation about 1,200,000, making a total reser- vation of about 2,325,000 acres. The present New York Legislature is being urged to appropri- ate another million for similar purposes in that region, in order to complete a compact reserva- FOREST LEAVES. 117 1. » tion, which must eventually number nearly three millions of acres. It is at present the largest State reservation east of the Rocky Mountains. The average cost of the purchase made last year is about $3.75 per acre. From a somewhat intimate knowledge of the sale of unseated forest lands from which the marketable timber had been removed, it is safe to say that during the past ten years the price in the moun- tainous regions in this State per acre has not aver- aged one-half of the Adirondack price. Leaving out of account the incalculable bene- fits to come from forest reservations upon the sources of our three great rivers, I venture the assertion that the reservations proposed now com- pare favorably with the New York reservation in point of scenery, and, with proper protection, fish and game will eventually become quite as abundant. If we are to consider the forestry question en- tirely from a utilitarian standpoint, the necessity for prompt and liberal measures to restore and preserve the remaining forests is still pressing. Leaving out of question the natural beauty of the forests, if you take from the American home the shelter, the shade, the beauty of form and blos- som, leaf and fruit, the harmonious relation with sky, sunshine, and cloud, and estimate their value from a purely business point of view, the argument is all with the forester. The purity of water-supply, the health of the people, the prevention of de- structive floods, and consequent periods of drought, the failure of crops, the lack of steady water-power for mechanical purposes, the influence upon the rainfall and storms of winter — all these questions are of vital importance. No State in the Union was supplied by nature with more varied and generous forest -areas than our own. For more than two hundred years it has been yielding to the woodman's axe and to the demands of agriculture and commerce, until but a small fraction remains. We were develop- ing a tree-destroying instinct, whilst France, Ger- many, Spain and Switzerland were realizing that there were in each country certain exposed areas which, if the forests were removed, would cease to be productive, and consecjuent famine would compel the population to seek homes elsewhere. Their experience verified the maxim, ** Forest destruction produces arid soil ; arid soil is the father of desolation ; desolation is the forerunner of depopulation." When France declared that trees were more necessary to the State than to the individual, and, therefore, the latter should not be allowed to de- stroy them at will, she formulated into law the re- sult of long experience. Persia, Egypt and Meso- potamia perished, in a national sense, with the destruction of their forests, and the ruins of their former glory were a warning to after generations. Oswald, a reliable authority, states that since the beginning of the sixteenth century the popu- lation of the four Mediterranean peninsulas de- creased more than fifty -five millions in inhabitants, and the value of their agricultural products shrunk at least sixty per cent., and that the rate of the decline from year to year bears almost an exact proportion to the decrease of forest areas in each district. The same authority states that Afghan- istan, Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Macedonia, and Northern Africa from Cairo to the western shores of the Morocco, all countries which were once blessed with abundant forests and a glorious climate, are now either ab- solute sand-deserts or the abodes of perennial droughts, hunger and Wretchedness. Wherever statistical records have been preserved they have proved that climatic misfortune commenced with the disappearance of the forests. All civilized nations of Europe have long since enacted laws for the preservation of trees and for the re -establishment in part of the original forests. In England as early as the seventh cen- tury a law was enacted making it a penal offense to destroy oak trees, and those who did so clan- d^tinely were fined thirty shillings. The sound of the axe was sufficient evidence for conviction, and the man who felled a tree under whose shade thirty pigs could stand incurred a double penalty. Pennsylvania's native timber during many years floated down our rivers on the spring freshets in the form of logs, rafts, arks and other floating combinations of native wood on their way to mar- ket, piloted by a romantic class of young men known as Pennsylvania lumbermen. The spring floods brought forth these hardy men from their winter's obscurity in the forests, where they prepared the timber for market and con- veyed it to the banks of streams tributary to the large rivers. The North and West branches of the Susquehanna, the Allegheny, the Mononga- hela, the Delaware, and many smaller tributary streams have presented stirring pictures of the passing of Pennsylvania's forests from headwaters to market. Even at this date there cannot be much objec- tion to the removal of a tree after it attains its full growth, if the removal be for a lawful purpose. Nor is it reasonable to expect the farmer or the land-owner to give up his land to the raising of a timber crop, which must take fifty years or more to mature. This is not what is asked for by the friends of the Pennsylvania forests. Their desire is to see that all the land of the State, which is r-p BtkMHPlMaacaagnKBv^aH K 118 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 119 ii good for nothing else, be utilized in growing tim- A tree is a great boom to man. It is an educa- tor Its beauty of form, limb, bud, leaf, fruit - its never-ceasing grace in motion ; its grateflil shade : its silent companionship, and its struggle from the tender plant to the mature and sturdy monarch of the forest— these have an educating, a refining influence upon all who come withm their "" Traces are conservators of the public health. They are the great laboratories of nature. Their leaves absorb the carbonic acid and give out the compensating oxygen. They are the best and most effective sanitary agents. No man can hve among them without absorbing their health-giving and inspiring influence. The best place for man to-day to find rest, rec- reation and inspiration is in the health -giving at- mosphere of the forest, where the music of the song-birds, or the eloquent silence of its lights and shadows, brings him in closer communion with Nature and Nature's Creator. Governor Black on State Forest Reserves. TTTHE Hon. Frank S. Black, Governor 4 of I New York, in his annual message, speaks "^ strongly in favor of State forest reserves, as will be seen from the following excerpts : The project urged in my first message, of ac- quiring Adirondack lands, has been fully entered upon. I am strongly in favor of its continuance. With the appropriation of a million dollars made by the last Legislature, the Forest Preserve Board has acquired over two hundred and fifty thousand acres, at an average cost of J53.74 per acre, in- creasing the ownership of the State from 869,341 acres to nearly a million one hundred and twenty thousand. Many tracts of ground most desirable from every point of view have been added to the State's possessions. . , u • I am more than ever impressed with the im- portance of this subject, and of the necessity of the State's acquiring and preserving the great forests. I referred last year to their value as a health resort and as a means of renewing the decreasing supply of water There are other considerations not less important than those then urged. They are found in the rapidly diminishing supply of timber, and in the great demands made upon the spruce forests by the pulp mills of the Adirondack region. The present Constitution of the State prohibits cutting timber on State lands. This prohibition will some time be changed, for its continuance, except under conditions which ought not long to exist, would be unwise. It is no better for the State than for an individual to allow trees to fall and decay, when by cutting them substantial revenue might be obtained. The science of forestry has demon- strated that trees of a certain age and maturity can be cut, not to the detriment, but to the ad- vantage of those remaining. The life of a tree is measured, and whether it is removed by man or falls by its own weight, its destruction is cer- tain. If removed and sold, the price goes to the owner, the process supplies work to the laborer, and the lumber supplies a need which is harder every year to fill. On the other hand, if the tree falls by itself, mankind receives no benefit, but the small trees around it that are crushed and bent are destroyed, when they might be saved if imme- diately relieved from its weight. Nearly every product springing from the earth can be gathered and Nature will renew the supply. Trees are no exception. Forests of spruce and pine can be cut over at intervals varying with conditions. The remaining smaller trees will grow faster because the larger ones are removed. This process not only yields revenue and improves the forests, but it greatly increases the quantity of timber which the forests will produce. In the Adirondacks I understand that the yi^ld of spruce timber to the acre is now about twenty-five hun- dred feet, while in forests that have been cared for where the cutting has been judiciously done, the yield is from thirty to forty thousand feet to the acre— from twelve to sixteen times as much. This larger yield from the cultivated forests occurs at intervals of comparatively few years in length, while in the Adirondacks, neglected and misused, a . single crop seems to have been considered the end. The supply demanded by the pulp mills is an- other great consideration. Many millions of dol- lars are invested in the ninety -one mills of this State Spruce trees in enormous quantities are required to supply them. The pulp industry as well as the lumber trade should be protected^ These two industries confer benefits which reach as far as any other industry now carried on. 1 he pulp goes into paper, the lumber into houses, and all our population feels in some way the contribution of those two trades. Thousands of men are em- ployed in the Adirondacks who earn their living in these vocations. The process of State acquisi- tion should go on, not only because the needs of all the people are greater than the needs o any, but because a wise pursuit of this policy will be followed by pronounced benefits to the State, to the industries I have named, and to those peo- ple feeding upon them. In (xermany and Wance, and I understand to some extent in New Hamp- ) shire, scientific forestry has long been followed. The results have been productive beyond the com- prehension of those people who, in this State, have stood by and, without effort or protest, seen their magnificent forests gradually swept away. The Constitution should not be amended until the people have learned prudence instead of waste, and have equipped themselves with knowledge and ex- perience adequate to the care of this great do- main. Our conditions here are not like those in Germany or France, but in what respects they differ few can tell. There are students here who have made a careful study of the forests, their capacities and needs. The number of these gentlemen I understand to be increasing, for through the labors of several of our citizens of great generosity and public spirit the subject has been studied and discussed, and upon the general ignorance relating to this ques- tion there is beginning to be some light. The knowledge necessary to the proper treatment of the woods must come largely through experiment. It cannot be had unless the means of acquiring it are provided. I believe the means can be secured best through the purchase by the State of a tract of ground covered with those trees which are to be the subject of experiment. Such a tract the State could set apart, and gain from it the knowl- edge which will enable it by and by to deal with the millions of acres it has already and will in the meantime acquire. The time will come when the State will sell timber to the lumbermen, spruce to the pulp mills, reap a large revenue for itself, and still retain the woods, open to the public, pro- tecting the sources of water, growing and yielding under intelligent cultivation. The management of this experiment should not be subject to the vicissitudes of politics. It should be placed in charge of the Regents or of the trustees of Cor- nell University or of some similar body not sub- ject to political change. The State should pay such reasonable sum as may be needed to admin- ister the plan. Reports should be made to the Governor and the Legislature annually of progress and results. The income from the tract so ac- quired should be paid to the State and the land should become the absolute property of the State, and a part of the forest preserve, at the expiration of a period named. I believe such a plan would be soon, if not at once, self-sustaining, for the trees now ready to be cut would produce immediate revenue, and such revenue would be repeated at short intervals. The benefits could be hardly overstated ; and in this direction, as in many others, the wisdom of New York entering upon a comparatively new and un- tried field would be finally approved. Forestry Meeting at Horticultural Hall. TV JOINT meeting of the Pennsylvania For- r^ estry Association and the Horticultural Society was held at Horticultural Hall on Tuesday, January i8th, at 8 p.m., and was well attended. Mr. David Rust, of the Horticultural Society, introduced Mr. John Birkinbine, President of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, who acted as chairman of the meeting. Mr. Birkinbine stated that the meeting was a jubilee occasion, as all of the forestry acts in which the Association was interested had been passed by the last Legislature and become laws. Letters of regret were read by Dr. Rothrock from ex-Governor James A. Beaver, ex-Governor Robert E. Pattison, Hon. Carl Schurz, Mr. Thos. J. Edge, Secretary of Department of Agriculture of Pennsylvania, and Gen. Francis H. Appleton, of Boston, Mass., President of the American For- estry Association, all of whom spoke in high terms of the work of the Association and the cause of forestry. Governor Hastings then made his address on ** Forestry Legislation in Pennsylvania," being followed by Dr. Rothrock, who read his paper on **Our Water-Retaining and Our Water-Evapo- rating Areas," the former will be found on page 115, and the latter will appear in our next issue. A vote of thanks was made to the Horticultural Society, and thus closed a meeting which not only encouraged the friends of forestry by a review of what has been accomplished,. but urged them on to even greater efforts in the future, so as to reap the full benefits of the good seed already sown. Annual Meeting of the New Jersey State Forestry Association. THE New Jersey State Forestry Association held its annual meeting on January 5th, in the State House, and with a fairly repre- sentative attendance. Mrs. Isabel E. Davis, of Riverton, the Presi- dent, in the annual address, referred to the plans proposed at the meeting of a year ago, and of the many difficulties encountered, not the least being the action of the Governor in withholding his signature from the Forestry Commission bill. She was more desirous than ever that New Jersey should be brought into line with other States, and especially with those more fortunate States, New York and Pennsylvania, whose Governors are wide awake to the lumber interests and the forest value. I 120 FOREST LEAVES. I m m i **Our Forestry Association," she said, *'has come to stay, and will remain a working body until the forestry work of the State of New Jersey shall be taken up by our representatives and placed side by side with the other lines of work in our State. **The conservation of our forests and their scientific control ; to promote the work of reforest- ing denuded districts ; to encourage the production of wood as a crop ; to consider the problems of forest planting, the relation of forests to climate, rainfall and stream-flow ; to advance the cause of scientific education in relation to forests and the prevention of forest fires — these are our aims. ' ' Forestry reform has passed its critical days, and what is most required now is careful, thought- ful enthusiasm on the part of those engaged in the movement, and an enrollment among the active supporters of forest protection of the thousands of citizens of the State of New Jersey who, while believing in the purposes of our Forestry Associa- tion, have not become actively recognized in its membership. New Jersey has many good forest laws, but her citizens do not look to the enforce- ment of them. '' On Arbor Day six thousand packages of seed were distributed through the schools in the south- ern part of the State, and many public school- grounds planted with shade-trees. Each year the recognition of Arbor Day becomes more and more pronounced. The children who are being taught to-day the care and value of a single tree will, in a few years, be the leaders in this work. '' Of the work to be done by our National and State Associations, two clear impressions stand out as the result of my investigations : The waste of timber, and the great destruction by forest fires. The unkempt and slovenly condition at the head- waters of our rivers and the apathetic indifference of our people are truly alarming. At this time land can be bought for $1.50 an acre, being known as timbered land, and includes no mountains or rocks. It is valueless to the owner, but would be past estimating to our State for reforesting, thereby protecting the water-supply and avoiding the danger to the streams and canals from the cutting off of soft timber, and the greater danger of re- moval of that which remains. This requires close watchfulness, not only for the protection of the forests, but to save the State hundreds of thousands of dollars in a purchase which is in- evitable." In closing, Mrs. Davis made a strong appeal to the women of the Association to enlist as actual workers. Our State is awakening to a realization of the value of its forests none too soon. In some sec- tions the awakening is, we fear, too late to permit of any material benefit for a number of years, but the saving of the Palisades and the prevention of forest fires is the work of to-day. Professor John C. Smock, of the State Geologi- cal Department, stated that the Board of Directors would ask the Legislature this winter for a law au- thorizing the appointment of a State Forester to give special attention to the prevention of forest fires and reforesting denuded areas. It was the unanimous sentiment of those present that the officers and members should promote and encourage such a step, to the end that successful meetings may be held and active work prosecuted in every county of the State. Professor Smock also stated that an expert for- ester employed by the Board of Geological Survey had prepared a report, suggesting how forest fires might be prevented in this State. The work of the Board in the past had been chiefly directed toward a scientific study of land formation and tree distribution rather than to practical work. He expected that the practical side would be pros- ecuted more vigorously hereafter. The Forester having become the organ of the American Forestry Association, it was resolved that all members of the State Association who pay the one dollar membership fee be sent Forest Leaves, the official organ of the Pennsylvania State Association. A reorganization was effected by electing the following officers : President— Hon. S. Bayard Dodd, of Hoboken. Secretary -Treasurer— J. F. Hall, Atlantic City. Vice-Presidents— A. G. Stewart, Weymouth ; F. R. Meier, Mahwah ; Mrs. J. C. S. Davis, Riverton ; Professor H. L. Sabsovich, Woodbine ; Hon. E. C. Stokes, Millville ; Charles Macllvaine, Had- donfield; William '1\ Hunt, Newark; B. R. Black, MuUica Hill ; Hon. L. B. Ward, Jersey City ; Mr. Heath, Locktown ; Hon. W. L. Cut- ler, Morristown ; John Gifford, Princeton ; Hal Allaire, Allaire ; Professor Bryon D. Halstead, New Brunswick ; William Nelson, Paterson ; Sam- uel Davis, Lakewood ; Hon. L. D. Martin, Deck- ertown ; Miss Jessie L. Colson, Salem ; Benjamin S. Totten, Middlebush; Professor Jules Girtanner, Linden ; Josiah Ketcham, Belvidere. The elective officers, together with four addi- tional members — Hon. Moses Taylor Pyne, of Princeton, Henry S. Haines, of Burlington, Pro- fessor A. J. Rider and Frances B. Lee, of Tren- ton— constitute the P^xecutive Committee of the Association. The next meeting of the Association will be held in Trenton, N. J., on Tuesday, March 8th, when business of great importance will be trans- acted. ) II H O > J III I I H d O Q CO h- co _l < Q. CO O cr UJ a < > > CO > S2 i z o < " V^ CO O o < CO I < O z 0. » Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 7. hyt' u *^lSte «.. ; .-.'> '•«■' wm ^-♦.■*f»^--^ > >> V \»L <" I - V* i^.^ ' \: "^ ^- • «. * V «y • 1 » ^ /'^-i^ •-:^;-v »' A ;. r- ^ \ :.>A :>«-L._^ TRUNK OF PIN OAK-SWAMP OAK-SPANISH OAK. (QUERCUS palustris, Du Roi.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. MUTILATED PAGE > ^ ? « o 3 Q H co _J < a. CO O QC UJ 3 a < o I CO z < OL CO I < O < CO I < O z < > -J > GO z z u >- I- z O o UJ h- O) UJ X o Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 7. > i TRUNK OF PIN OAK-SWAMP OAK-SPANISH OAK. (Quercus palustris, Du Roi.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE FOREST LEAVES. 121 d i i Pin Oak, Spanish Oak. (Quercus palus- tris, Du Roi.) (Sargent, Silva N. A., Vol. VIII., p. 151, t. 422, 423.) THE name Spanish oak should not be applied to this species. It belongs more appropri- ately to the tree known to botanists as Quercus falcata, which occurs but sparingly in Pennsylvania. No one of our oak species, at least of those which attain any considerable size, is less appre- ciated or less generally admired than this one. In fact, there are regions where its common name is expressive of an utter lack of regard for it. Its range of utility is not large, and there is an un- kempt appearance about it. Frequently the ter- minal bud has been lost in early life, and the tree branches into two main stems, which are a poor substitute for a central shaft. As a rule its lower branches droop in a more or less irregular and tangled way, until they almost touch the ground. The tree can and does occasionally thrive on high, dry ground, but it prefers the swamp, and is most frequently associated with * * cold, spouty land. ' ' Hence there is neither in its appearance nor its habitat much to encourage a desire for further ac- quaintance, unless we happen to know something of its capabilities. The pin oak is here by no means one of our tallest species of oak. The largest with which I am now acquainted in this State is in the borough of West Chester, and is by actual, careful measure- ment 67.3 feet high, and at 6 feet above the ground has a diameter of 2 feet 11 Yi inches. There doubtless are larger specimens in Pennsyl- vania, but I have not measured them. I'he red oak and the pin oak have many re- semblances. For example, the bark on even the adult specimens is much smoother than that of most other of our native oaks. Indeed, the pho- tograph of the trunk which accompanies this arti- cle shows by its large, foliaceous lichens that there is a comparatively smooth surface beneath. The bark of the medium -sized branches is almost as smooth, occasionally, as that of a chestnut tree, though it is ordinarily of a darker color. Both the pin and the red oak leaf are of the deeply cleft, bristle-tipped type, though in the pin oak the leaf is ordinarily smaller, more deeply cleft, and its lobes are, as a rule, wider than the spaces between them. 1 frequently, however, meet im- dividual trees in which it would be hard to decide, from the leaf alone, whether it came from the pin or the red oak. The acorns of the pin oak are seldom half an inch in length, and form, owing to the flat scar where the nut is attached to the cup, a somewhat shortened sphere, which is crowned by the knob -like base of the style. They are chestnut brown in color when fully mature, and often have conspicuous, darker lines running from the apex to the base. The diameter of the cup seldom exceeds half an inch, and the depth, inte- riorly, is less than one-eighth of an inch. The scales of the cup are closely appressed and extend well down on the short stalk of the cup. Probably no one of our larger native species of oak has been less appreciated as a shade or orna- mental tree than the pin oak. The fact that it is ordinarily a ragged denizen of abandoned swamp- land seems to have brought it into unmerited dis- grace. The fact is, and we can prove the state- ment by actual measurement, that even on dry ground it may grow into goodly size as rapidly as the sugar maple. Removing a few of the lower limbs gives you a tree which for beauty and sym- metry may rank with any of the other established favorites. The leaves in autumn take on a rich purple color, less brilliant, though hardly less at- tractive than the scarlet oak. As a tree for lawn planting it should take a high rank, and un- doubtedly will do so when its real merits are known. There is an open ** airiness" about its leaves which is shown by no other of our Pennsyl- vania oaks. Professor Trimble, in his work on ** Tannin," states that pin oak bark, after the outer covering has been removed, gave 7.63 per cent, of tannin, and that this, under certain conditions of prepara- tion, was the lightest in color of any of the oak tannins. He also writes that galls produced on the pin oak by an insect {Holocarpis globulus, Fitch) yielded 3.91 per cent, of tannic acid. The physical properties of pin oak are stated by Sargent and Sharpless to be : Specific gravity, 0.6938; percentage of ash, 0.81; relative ap- proximate fuel value, 0.6882 ; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 43.24; relative strength, 33. In spite of its high degree of strength the wood is not in great favor. It is rarely used with us for any purposes of construction. Its chief use here is in making staves and shingles, which warp in the sun beyond the power of any ordinary nails to hold them flat. The pin oak is relatively restricted in its range, growing from Massachusetts south to the District of Columbia, and west as far as Kansas. It grows much larger west of the Alleghenies than east of them. J. T. Rothrock. -#-•-•-♦' *- It is said that wood pavements came out ahead of granite in a long and severe comparative test in Sheffield, England. 122 FOREST LEAVES. Ill Annual Meeting of the American Forestry Association. THE Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the Ameri- can Forestry Association was held on De- cember 8, 1897, at the Cosmos Club, Washington, D. C. It was a business meeting, and after an address by President Appleton, the reports of the Board of Directors, Correspondmg Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Committee were presented, and the following officers were elected : President.— V.en. Francis H. Appleton, Boston Mass First Vice-President.— ^\r H. G. Joly de Lotbini^re, Quebec, Canada. , ,^ ^t h t:' '' Corresponding 5^^rf/«r/.— Frederick H. Newell, 1330 F Street, Washington, D. C. Recording Secretary and Treasurer. -George P. Whitt- lesey, Washington, D. C. , Executive Committee.-B. E. Fernow Chairman ; Freder- ick V. Coville, Edward A. Bowers, D. M. Riordan, Gifford Pinchot, Charles C. Binney. Vice-Presidents. Sir II. (i. Joly do Lotbiniere, Pointe Platon, Quebec. Charles Mohr, Mobile, Ala. ]). M. Riordan, Flagstaff, Ariz. Thomas C. McRae, PrescoU, Ark. AbboU Kinney, Lamanda Park, Cal. E. T. Ensign, Colorado Springs, Colo. Robert Brown, New Haven, Conn. Wm. M. Canby, Wilmington, Del. A. V. Clubbs, Pensacola, Fla. R. B. Reppard, Savannah, Ga. E. T. Perkins, Boise, Idaho. J. M. Coulter, Chicago, 111. fames Troop, Lafayette, Ind. 'rhos. II. MacBride, Iowa City, Iowa. J. S. Emery, Lawrence, Kans. ]ohn R. Proctor, Frankfort, Ky. Lewis Johnson, New Orleans, La. John \V. CJarrett, Baltimore, Md. John E. Hobbs, North Berwick, Me. |. D. W. French, Boston, Mass. W. b Beal, Agricultural College, Mich. C. C. Andrews, St. Paul, Minn. William Trelease, St. Louis, Mo. C;eorge P. Ahern, Fort Missoula, Mont. Charles E. Bessey, Lincoln, Neb. Wm. R. Hamilton, Reno, Nev. Wm. E. Chandler, Concord, N. II. John Gifford, Princeton, N. J. Edward F. Hobart, Santa Fe, N. M. Warren Higley, New York, N. V. J. A. Holmes, Raleigh, N. C. W. W. Barren, Church's Ferry, N. I). Reuben H. Warder, North Bend, Ohio. J. B. Thoburn, Carney, Okla. E. W. Hammond, Wimer, Ore. J. T. Rothrock, West Chester, Pa. H. C;. Russell, E. Greenwich, R. L H. A. Green, Chester, S. C. Thomas T. Wright, Nashville, Tenn. W. Goodrich Jones, Temple, Texas. C. A. Whiting, Salt Lake, Utah. Redfield Proctor, Proctor, Vt. D. O. Nourse, Blacksburg, Va. Edmund S. Meany, Seattle, Wash. A. D. Hopkins, Morgantown, W. Va. H. C. Putnam, Eau Claire, Wis. Elwood Mead, Cheyenne, Wyo. Gardiner G. Hubbard,* Washington, D. C. John Craig, OUawa, Ont. Wm. Little, Montreal, Quebec. Board 0/ Directors.— ¥. H. Appleton, President; Geo. P Whittlesey, Secretary; Edward A. Bowers, Henry M. Fisher, Bernard E. Fernow, Henry Gannett, Nathaniel Wilson. The Most Desirable Trees for Street and Lawn Planting in Chicago. £:difor of Forest Leaves : There are in Illinois a large variety of native species, all hardwoods, with possibly two excep- tions, they being scrub pines ; but investigations prove the fact that the tree which is native to a certain section does not always make it desirable for the purpose named. There are a large number of native species in Cook county, which fact is probably unknown to most people, even to a ma- jority of our residents, who imagine this section of the State of Illinois to be an almost treeless prairie. When this county was first settled many hun- dreds of acres were covered with a natural growth of timber. This included the white oak (C. Alba) and several varieties of black oaks. In some por- tions of the county the white and several species of the black oak reached magnificent proportions, but as a general thing, away from the banks of the Chicago river, were scrubby and small ; indeed, some were nothing but scrub oaks at the best. In addition to the oaks there were the cotton- woods, at least two species of willow, the white, green and red ash, and, if I mistake not, several species of the black ash, traces of which have been found along the upper waters of the north branch of the Chicago river. The white elm was nearly as abundant as the oaks, and there are still standing in the northwest portion of the county specimens of great size and rare beauty which are very old Near them are also some fine specimens of both rock and slippery elm. The basswoods are also frequently met with along the north branch of the river, as are at least two species of hickory, the wild cherry, the river birch, and the box-elder, the latter quite common. I think the soft maple \Acer sacchartnum)\% indigenous to this immediate neighborhood, although not positive, as the tree is very short-lived here, and there are no very old specimens to be found, although it is quite abund- ant along the streets in some of the suburbs. There are a number of other species native to the * Deceased. FOREST LEAVES. 123 4 county, but the foregoing are the most numerous and the most important. A great fatality seems to have fallen upon the oaks with the growth of the city. Thousands of them have died in a short time after the opening of streets and the commencing of building in their immediate neighborhood, especially if gas- pipes have been laid. There has been but little effort made in the city or in the county to per- petuate the oaks as street or lawn trees, and it is only occasionally that one is found in a flourishing condition except in the extreme outskirts of the city. There are still some considerable patches of oaks in the country sections of the county, especially along the banks of the Chicago river above the head of navigation on the north branch. There are a few still left along the vicinity of the northern lake front, but they appear to have been stricken with a blight and are rapidly falling into decay. There are some few handsome specimens growing in the parks of the city, nearly all of which were found there growing naturally when the parks were laid out. I am not aware that any of the oaks have been transplanted to the parks from their native haunts or from nurseries. Of all the species of trees native to the county but few have proved worthy of cultivation either for streets, parks or private grounds. Probably the most noticeable street tree planted in the streets of Chicago is the soft or white elm {Ulmus Americana). The tree has nearly always been successful, but within a short time — practi- cally within the last two seasons — a rust or blight has been noticed upon the leaves, which turn brown, as though burned, while still clinging to the twigs on which they grow. This has given the elms, in at least some portions, a rather un- sightly appearance. The white maple {Acer saccharinu?n) has been planted extensively all over the city and in the public parks. If carefully watched, it succeeds quite well for a number of years, makes a quick growth, gives a beautiful shade, and is generally a pleasing addition to the city landscape ; but, as is well known, it is subject to the attacks of grubs, and also to leaf-blight, which sometimes causes the foliage to fall almost in midsummer. This does not always result from the effect of borers in the trunk of the tree nor from worms upon the leaves, but appears to be a sort of sickness, from which the trees often recover, flourishing for some years thereafter. From the necessity of such con- stant care the soft maple cannot be recommended for a permanent tree in this locality. The rock or hard maple is cultivated but little here, as it does not take kindly to either soil or climate. It is practically worthless for any use here outside the public parks, and even there the same care given to any one of a dozen other spe- cies would produce much batter results and more satisfaction. Cottonwood grows abundantly everywhere on the prairies here, seeds itself, stands any amount of abuse, grows rapidly, and makes a quick shade with little care. It is a coarse, vulgar tree, exceed- ingly dirty with its lint and its early fall of foli- age, and, in addition, the exudation of its gum attracts a swarm of insects, which renders it unfit for the lawn or close proximity to the house. It is all right in the parks, where a forest effect is quickly desired and where it can practically grow as though in a natural woodland. Box-elder {Negundo aceroides) is extensively planted in most sections of the city. Being one of the common natives of the State, it would naturally be thought to be easy to cultivate, but it is nearly as troublesome as the soft maple. It is lia- ble to the attacks of borers, and must be con- stantly watched. Its foliage is a prey to the rav- ages of worms, the larvae of several large moths seemingly preferring it to that of any other tree. I have experimented with it, and find no difficulty in raising it from seed, provided one has the time to spend in taking care of it and protecting it from insects. Its fruit is wonderfully abundant in this section, and the school children find a world of amusement in the long clusters of winged berries it bears. In the immediate section of the city where I reside thousands of the trees were planted (probably twenty years ago) before the section was incorporated in the city. A few of them are very fine to-day, but having been planted or set out by land speculators, the majority of them have received little care, and the borers having honeycombed the trunks of most of them, the original trees have been broken down by the northwest gales, and where they stood are now only clumps of scrubby sprouts, which are any- thing but beautiful. The species of ash named, excepting the black, thrive wonderfully in this soil and cHmate, espe- cially where the subsoil is clay and the top soil is black clay loam. The ash is not a rapid grower, but the red ash {Fraxinus pubescens) is the more rapid grower of the three and is the best to cultivate. Specimens from seed planted fifteen years ago in my neighborhood are now from twenty-five to thirty feet in height, with trunks from six to eight inches in diameter one foot above the ground. Naturally they grow a conical head, but judicious pruning can make them round and of a wider spread. The foliage appears rather late in the spring, but earlier than the elm, and it falls sooner than some other species, although those on my lawn are in full green foliage at this date, October nth. Some of my neighbors* trees, however, have commenced to shed their foliage, but this is attributable to the extremely I 124 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 125 t dry spell we have lately passed through. The large, compound leaves of the red ash are hand- some in shape and color. No vermin ever attack them, and in seasons when almost every other tree in the neighborhood has been stripped of its foli- age by worms the red ash has reared its handsome head unscathed. No borers ever disturb the trunk, and, in fact, it is one of the most healthy trees under all conditions native to this region. It stands drought better than the majority of trees, as it is a deep rooter, even penetrating the clay to some extent. I have been very successful in rais- ing it from the seed, as it fruits abundantly all along our streets. Specimens five years old are five feet in height ; some of them have grown at least eighteen inches during the past season, and are still growing, apparently, as the foliage is yet a bright green. The basswood does very well in this section, but it is a very slow grower while young. Healthy specimens four years old from the seed have made a much less growth than the red ash. Sprouts from old stumps often grow rapidly, but seedlings do not. The hickories are nearly all indigenous to the northern section of this State and of Cook county, and all do remarkably well, but being slow grow- ers, they have been almost entirely neglected. This is wrong, and if they were once tried and given a chance, the hickory of nearly every spe- cies would become a favorite for a handsome, long- lived lawn park or street tree. Nearly every spe- cies of hickory is planted in our public parks, and successfullv* The black walnut is a native of Cook county, growing remarkably well, but is seldom planted. A few specimens on lawns in my neighborhood are promising well, and their owners express themselves as well pleased with them. They are extremely clean except in the autumn, when their foliage falls, and, with the hickories and ash, are exceptionally free from vermin and disease. In summing up, among our native trees I would, first of all, recommend the soft elm, provided the leaf-blight, of which mention has been made, is not continued. The cottonwood is valuable for alley planting and for masses in the parks. The willows, although planted extensively in the city, become nuisances early in their lives, being dirty with their foliage and everlastingly prone to sprout and spread. I would most heartily recommend red ash as one of the cleanest and most beautiful of our native trees where great shade is not desired. A single tree in a lawn of moderate proportions, such as is found by the ordinary city home, niay be made a thing of beauty all through the growing season, with no fear of vermin or disease attacking it. The hickories, especially the close-bark spe- cies, are good trees, the shellbark, perhaps, not being altogether desirable, from its habit of mak- ing a litter. The black walnut, although a slow grower, will reward anyone for care and cultiva- tion. I would not recommend any of the Acer family except where one wishes for a quick shade, and is willing to suffer the disappointment of the failure of the tree later on. In planting any of the maples or the box-elder in this section, it is better that some of the other trees named be placed alternately with them. For myself, I would use none of the maple family except the box-elder, and it is a question if the cottonwood is not pref- erable, as, planted alternately with elms or some of the other named species, it can be cut out after a few years. Of the soft elms, some specimens of seedlings five years old have made three feet of growth during the past season, and they are looking ex- ceedingly rugged and healthy, with the exception of the rust on the leaves, of which I have spoken. O. S. Whitmore. Irving Park, Chicago. The Banyan Tree. ¥R. ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN, in the Story of Vedic India, describes the wonderful forests of that country, and the following extracts from his work may prove of interest : '' The Ficusindica is probably the most astound- ing piece of vegetation on the face of the earth. From one single, root it produces a vast green temple of many halls, with cool, shady bowers, impervious to the light, and seems created ex- pressly and exclusively for the purpose of supply- ing shelterless primeval humanity with ready-made dwellings. For neither is its wood of much use, nor are its fruits eatable for man, and if it inspires the Hindus and their neighbors with a profound veneration, it is owing to the surpassing marvel of its well nigh preternatural growth, its inde- structible duration and everlasting self-renewal, to which traits the mysterious gloom of its gal- leries and avenues adds not a little, yielding a most grateful retreat from the torrid summer heat. The trunk of the tree, at a moderate height from the ground, branches out into several stout limbs, which stretch from it horizontally; from these, slender shoots— the so-called ' air-roots '—grow downwards until they reach the ground, where ' they take root, whereupon they increase in thick- ness and become strong supports for the mother- limb The central trunk repeats the branching- out process at a greater height, and the second circle of limbs in its turn sends down a number of air-roots, which form an outer circle of props or pillars. As the central trunk increases in height, it goes on producing tier upon tier of horizontal limbs, and these add row after row to the outer circle of pillars, not indeed with perfect regularity, but so as to form a grove of leafy halls and verdant galleries, multiplying ad infinitum. For this evolu- tion is carried on on a gigantic scale. The highest tier of horizontal limbs is said to grow sometimes at an elevation of 200 feet from the ground, and the whole structure is crowned with the dome of verdure in which the central trunk finally culmi- nates. The leaves, which grow very close together, are five inches long by three and a half broad, and their fine green color pleasantly contrasts with the small red figs, which, however, are not eaten by men. *• Such is the tree, more generally known under its popular name of banyan than under the scien- tific one of Ficus indica, the tree which, together with the Ganges and the Himalaya, completes the picture of India as evoked in a few apt strokes of the poet's fancy. To the elephants that wander majestically among its shady walks, and the apes that laugh and gambol in its airy galleries, we must add the noisy parrots and other birds of no less flaming plumage, but softer voice, and to these numerous and playful denizens the berries or small figs disdained by men yield grateful and sufficient food. It is needless to mention that these trees grow singly, not in forests — since one evidently is in itself, if not a forest, at least a grove of considerable size— how large, indeed, can scarcely be realized without the help of a few figures. Fortunately many have been accurately measured, and several have attained historical celebrity. Thus the central trunk of one hand- some banyan tree near Madras is known to have been 28 feet in diameter, and to have been sur- rounded by a first circle of 27 secondary trunks, each about 1 1 feet in diameter, and from 30 to 50 feet in height, and after that by almost innumer- able others of decreasing stoutness. The largest known banyan tree had over 1300 large trunks and 3000 smaller ones. Armies of 6000 or 7000 men have frequently been encamped in its bowers, and it was seen afar as a solitary green hillock, until a violent hurricane half destroyed it, in 1783. Be- sides which, being situated on an island in the Nerbudda, the river has from time to time carried away large slices of its domain, till it is now re- duced to a skeleton of its former glory. What may be its age no one can tell. Five hundred years are historically recorded. But these trees may get to be thousands of years old for aught we can know or prove. For since each new trunk, after it has become firmly rooted and has reached a certain average of thickness, inherits the parent trunk's capacity of branching out into horizontal limbs, which in their turn drop root-tendrils into the ground, and consequently absorb the nourish- ment of ever new soil, there is practically no rea- son why the multiplying process should ever stop. It is no wonder that almost every village in Hin- dustan has a banyan-tree sacred as a sanctuary. '*The companions of Alexander, who enthusi- astically admired the banyan tree and gave it its name of * Indian fig-tree,' leave it uncertain whether they included under that name another variety, which has obtained an even greater re- nown and importance from the fact that even from the oldest times it has been, as it still is, the sacred tree of Indian religions. This is the Ficus Re- ligiosa, very well known under its pretty, native and popular names of Ashvattha and Pippala. It is frequently planted next to a banyan, so as to have them mix their foliage and stems, from a superstitious notion that they are of different sex, and their growing together is an emblem of mar- riage. The contrast between the large, massive leaves of the banyan and the light, brilliant, con- tinually vibrating foliage of the pippala is striking and grateful to the eye. The pippala does not reach the stupendous dimensions that the banyan does, nor are its trunks as numerous. But it has a way, whenever a seed is accidentally dropped on top of another tree— say a palm tree — or a build- ing, to sink several fibrous shoots through the air down into the ground, and thus in time, when these shoots have thickened and hardened into trunks, to entirely encompass tree or building, turning it into a picturesque and puzzling object. ''Although the ashvattha alone is professedly held sacred, it is a crime to destroy or injure either of the two. Both indifferently shelter in their verdant halls altars and images of gods, as well as the performance of sacrifices and the pious contemplation of holy hermits. Still, where neither banyan nor pippala is familiar, villages usually pay a certain homage to the largest and oldest tree within their radius, no matter of what kind ; and it is not the native trees alone which thrive and expand under that wonderful sky, but those which India shares with Europe and other moderate climates also attain dimensions unheard of elsewhere. Thus Anquetil Duperron mentions having on one of his tramps through the Dekhan enjoyed a noonday rest under an elm tree which could cover over six hundred persons with its shade, and adds : ' One often meets in India these trees, under whose shade travellers while away the hottest time of the day. They cook there such provisions as they carry with them, and drink the water of the ponds near which these trees are planted. You see there sellers of fried rice and fruits in a small way, and crowds of men and horses from various parts of the country.' " Decomposed sawdust is said to have been used as a fertilizer with success. Hi 126 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 127 Eastern and Western Mountain Forests. THE forests of the Rocky Mountains present a striking contrast to those of the Alleghe- nies in the number of species of which they are composed. In the eastern n^ountains one finds a great variety of broad-leaved and conifer- ous trees, and while there is evident a certain se- lection and adaptation of species to site— hemlocks choosing shady mountain-sides, broad-leaved trees choosing sunny slopes, with the pines everywhere —yet one finds maple and birch and oak quite as much as white pine and hemlock on mountain- ridge and valley. , . . In the western mountains the forests present a totally different aspect. Their most noticeable characteristic is an entire absence of broad-leaved j trees except in the immediate borders of the j streams, where western cottonwood {^Popuius acu- | minatd), willows of several species, box elder , (Acer negundo), green ash {Fraximis lanceolata), | and white elm {Ulmus Americana) occur more or less sparingly. On the mountain-sides the only trees are species of firs, spruces, cedars and pines. The mountains about Beulah, Colorado, thirty miles from Pueblo, illustrate well the forest cover of the southern part of that State. Entering the beautiful Beulah valley, after the six hours drive across the cactus-covered plain from Pueblo, the road borders a swift, clear mountain-stream shaded with cottonwoods and willows. Wherever fields have not been opened, the valley is dotted with the rugged bull pine {Pinus ponderosa scopulonim Engrm), and the mountain-sides show pines, Douglas spruce, silver fir and red cedar, but not a single broad-leaved tree 1 Ascending the steep • mountain-trail, which at first leads by the side of a noisy brook, one finds a variety of shrubs, with here and there a cottonwood and a box elder but the most common trees are bull pines, with long, stiff leaves that grow in tufts near the ends ot the stout branches, giving the tree something of the appearance of the loblolly pine of the South. Leaving the brook, the stony trail becomes rap- idly steeper, and now nothing but rugged and dwarfed red cedars, whose gnarled roots reach in among the rocks for an anchorage, and scrubOy nut pines iPinus edulis) are seen interspersed among the widely-distributed bull pines, silver firs (Abies concolor) and Douglas spruces {^Pseudo- tsum taxifolid). Aside from the pines, there is a silvery effect in the foliage of these conifers that lightens the general color-tone— another striking contrast with the rich green mantle of the Eastern mountains. • i r of Yet another notable difference in the forest cover of the two regions is the wide interval be- tween trees in the Western mountains. The for- ests are so open and park-like as to suggest little of the timber-forests of the Eastern States, in the valleys and swales there is a good growth of grass over all the ground beneath the trees, and the mountain meadows are often dotted with con- ifers ; but one seldom sees the close stand that is universal in the Eastern mountains, except on northern slopes, where there is moisture and pro- tection from drying winds. This accounts for the strenuous opposition of the cattlemen and sheep- men of the West to the policy of establishing forest reservations. They find in these scattered mountain forests excellent pasturage for herds, and to them no better use could be made of the land. , -4.^ The wide spacing of the Western trees gives to each an abundance of light on all sides, resulting in very long crowns and comparatively short stems, making their timber, as compared with that of the Eastern conifers, rough and of^ poor quality. Of course it must be understood that this only applies to the open forest, such as is seen about Beulah and the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains generally in Colorado and Wyoming. In Northern Idaho there are splen- did forests, whose timber production is vastly in excess of the Eastern forests, and even in the Colorado mountains, where much of the original timber has been cut, on northern slopes there are dense masses of young growth, which give prom- ise of tall, clean trunks and correspondingly clear I timber. ^- ^' ^' ■-♦•♦»»•»• Italian Forests. THE Italian Parliament is giving attention to the forestry question and to laws for the protection of the woods. The chief mo- tive is the fact that the denudation of forest lands is changing the Italian climate for the worse, and is also responsible to a great extent for the autiinin floods which have increased of late years. 1 he economic side of the subject is, however, not less obvious. In many countries— particularly in Sweden— large tracts of land have been rendered absolutely worthless through indiscriminate tree- felling, a species of loss which Italy is hardly a large enough country to be able to afford. It is stated that— largely owing to the insuff cient pay of the official forest inspectors— the current laws against tree-cutting have in many parts of Italy become a dead letter. But with this remedied, and scientific forestry added, the now and Apen- nines may well recover in time the hanging woods which were one of Italy's glories.— ^w^n^a;^ Pa- per- Trade, THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES IN THIS PAPER ARE MADE BY THE NEW Autoglyphic Process FO{(EpT LEi^VEp. oo OP ^ffc^B . HllrADBlsEHtt SEND FOR CIRCULAR. THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE Pennsylvania Forestry LEWIS' LEAF CHART. PART 1, NOW JtEAJ>T. No. 1. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 2. Annual-fruited Oaks : White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3. Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c. No. 4. The Chestnuts and Beeches. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of cash price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered in large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, $6.00. Please snbicribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 "West Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. Association. The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, ioi2 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. RATES ■ I inch, . . I • insertion. insertions. $i.oo $4.00 IS insertions. $8.00 % page, . . 3^ " . • 4.00 7.00 17.00 30.00 34.00 60.00 I " . . 12.00 50.00 100.00 I 128 FOREST LEAVES. :, III M I ORIENTAL PLANE, THE BEST TREE FOR STREET AND AVENUE PLANTING. At the present time tree-loving people are endeavoring to secure the best tree for plant- ing on the avenues and streets of our cities, and after a carefiil study of the matter we have reached the conclusion that the Oriental Plane is in every respect the most satisfactory. It is long lived, a rapid grower, and very clean, as it is never troubled with worms or msects. I PLANE TREES ON V.CTORl* EMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES RIVER. LONDON. Five years ago, while in Europe for horticultural research, we found that for a num- ber of years, in London, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and other cities, this tree had been used with most successful results. It was found to be the only tree which would grow satisfactorily on the Victoria Embankment of the Thames River, London. The parks and cemeteries in many of our cities and a number of our leading land- scape gardeners have recently been using the Oriental Plane very extensively for avenue planting. Can furnish many testimonials concerning the merits ot this tree. Trees of good size 75 cents, $1.00, and $1.50 each. Special rates in quantity. rraImurseries, CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA. AN »i« WILLIAM WARNER HARPER, Manager. SPECIALTIES : f Specimen Ornamental Trees, Large j Hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas. %^$k^^, ^r^ Vol. VI. Philadelphia, April, 1898. No. 8. Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 25 North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second class matter. CONTENTS. Arbor Day and Editorials Arbor Day Proclamation Forest Conservation The Forest Fire Law of Penn- sylvania Forestry Experiments in Elk County, Pa New Jersey State Forestry Association Meeting What a Poet and a Novelist Says Concerning the Destruction of Trees Red Maple, Swamp Maple. (Acer rubrum, L.) (Sargent's Silva N. A., Vol. IL, p. 107, t. 94, 95.) Our Water-Retaining and Our Water-Evaporating Areas 139 130 132 I 13a i 133 135 I I 137 ! i3*J Subscription, $i.oo per Year. The attention of Nurserymen and others is called to the advantages 0/ Forest Leaves as an advertising medium. Rates will be fur- nished on application. « The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enact- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both State and National. Annual membership fee ^ One dollar. Life membership^ Fifteen dollars. Neither the membership nor the work of this Association is intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names toA.B. JVeimer, Chairman Member- ship Committee, 512 Walnut street, Phila. President, John Birkinbine. Vice-Presidents, Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins, James C. Haydon, Wm. S. Harvey, Richard Wood. General Secretary, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. Treasurer, Charles E. Pancoast. Council-at- Large , Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn. Finance,^ .^. Harvey, Chairman; William L. Elkins, Dr. Henry M. Fisher. W. W. Frazier, Charles E. Pancoast, J. Rodman Paul, and Herbert Welsh, Membership, Albert B. Weimer. Chairman ; Mrs. Henry J. Biddle, Edwin Swift Balch, Charles Chauncey, Charles W. Freedley, Joseph W. Johnson, and Dr. Samuel Wolfe. Law, Hon. W. N. Ashman, Chairman ; Henry Budd, Henry How- son, and Henry C. McCormick. Publication, John Birkinbine. Chairman ; F. L. Bitler, J. C. Brooks, B. Witman Dambly. and Dr. William P. Wilson. Work, Dr. Alfred L. Elwyn, Chairman ; Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Howard M. Jenkins, William S. Kirk, and Richard Wood. County C?r|frt«;,2a/7V»«, Samuel Marshall, Chairman ; Eugene EUicott, Dr. J. Newton Hunsberger, and Charles G. Ogden. Office of the Association, 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia. Arbor Day. THE Governor of Pennsylvania has designated April 8th and 2 2d as Arbor Days, the citi- zens being free to select either, which for personal or climatic considerations appears most desirable. As the first -named date corresponds with *^ Good Friday," we anticipate that the 2 2d will be more generally recognized as Arbor Day. We trust the friends of forestry will endeavor to have Arbor Day receive attention in every part of the State. The criticism has been made that the planting of a few trees by the road- side or at school-houses is not forestry. To this we reply that discharging fireworks, parades or picnics on July 4th is not necessarily patriotism, nor is the display of greens or exchange of gifts at Christmas time religion. We believe that the more general the observ- ance of Arbor Day becomes, the more active will be the interest in forest protection and preserva- tion. The child whose affections are appealed to in behalf of a single tree or of a group of trees, at whose planting he or she participated, and whose growth is watched, is prepared to appreciate the beauty and usefulness of forests. The adult, too, has attention annually directed to the claims of forestry upon the citizen by the Governor's Proclamation, and by the observance of Arbor Day. The occasions also give the editors of the press throughout the State a reminder, which is very generally recognized by stirring appeals in the interest of forest protection. We consider that Arbor Days have done much to attract attention to our forests and to awaken an interest in forestry. If Arbor Day celebrations merely encouraged the planting of individual trees or groups of trees, and if this was generally done throughout the State, the number of trees so planted each year would be enormous. If a tree was annually planted for each inhabitant, the number would average 120 I 1 *.T 130 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. m m w trees to each square mile of the area of Pennsyl- vania. . . We do well, therefore, in recognizing Arbor Day, and those who are enrolled in the forestry associations are naturally expected to be promi- nent in celebrations directly associated with inter- est in preserving and protecting the forests. J. B. The following excerpt from an editorial in the FuMu Ledger, of Philadelphia, we heartily en- dorse \ Tree planting is a duty which is owed to pos- terity, for this and past generations have caused ruthless destruction among the woodlands of the State, and this wrong cannot be too speedily righted. From one of the best wooded areas on the North Atlantic coast Pennsylvania has become one of the poorest, and without any compensating advantages. . Fortunatelv, there is beginning to be evinced a more general and healthy public sentiment with respect to the proper care of the forest lands of the State and in favor of the planting of other trees to replace those which must be cut down for commercial purposes or for other good reasons. Arbor Days and the observance of them are great aids in spreading and strengthening this sentiment. ***** As this number of Forest Leaves is being printed the daily press is, by telegraphic reports, detailing the enormous losses due to spring floods ; losses running into hundreds of thousands and up to millions of dollars, which are repeated almost every year. The spring floods are mainly due either to the rapid melting of accumulated snow or to the '* run off*'' following heavy rains, or to a combination of both of these. It is not claimed that spring floods are entirely due to the absence of forests, but that the denudation of forested areas encourages the snow (unprotected from the sun's rays or from warm winds) to melt rapidly, and that the rains, instead of partially saturating a spongy forest floor, rush over the cleared land to swell the streams. The two causes named greatly augment the severity of spring floods and add materially to the annual money loss which these freshets entail. If sums equal to the annual cost to Pennsyl- vania of spring freshets were invested for a few years in purchasing and maintaining forest re- serves, the State would soon have large areas under proper care, and these would, by retaining the snows or giving off" slowly the excess from rains, improve the regularity of flow of our streams, decreasing the freshet flow and augment- ing the minimum discharge in time of drought. It is reported that the great practical philan- thropist, Stephen Girard, one month before his death, gave expression to the following statement : '' When death comes for me, he will find me busy, unless I am asleep ; for if I thought I was going to die to-morrow, I would plant a tree, neverthe- less, to-day." The man who gave his services to relieve nis fellow-citizens, acting as nurse when Philadelphia was scourged by yellow fever, the man who be- queathed his millions to care for thousands of orphan boys, the man who in time of great national distress encouraged the Government by risking a large fortune to sustain its credit, recognized the value of trees and the benefit which one who plants a tree bestows upon his neighbor. Arbor Day Proclamation. IN the name and by authority of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania, Executive Depart- ment : General tree planting, as a public duty, has be- come a distinctive characteristic of civilized life. A peaceful victory is being gained over man's tree- destroying instinct. Where but a few years ago our energies were devoted to the depletion and devastation of our forests, now, over almost our entire country, intelligent men and women, and our National and State Governments, are prepar- ing actively to begin upon our waste lands that restoration of trees which the welfare of our coun- try imperatively demands. The National Gov- ernment has wisely undertaken to set apart and protect extensive areas of forest land, preventing the subordination of public good to personal gain. Our Commonwealth has been foremost with legis- lation seeking to aid and encourage this reforma- tion, and the force of her example has influenced other States to active work in forest restoration and preservation. The swelling buds and flowing sap remind us that the annual awakening of plant life is ap- proaching, and that our share in the work of tree planting for the benefit of ourselves and our fel- low-men must shortly be performed. It is incum- bent upon us not only to observe this ennobling custom, but also to be conspicuous therein. That the children of the Commonwealth may be impressed with the importance and beneficence of tree planting, and that the men and women of mature judgment may approve by an active in- terest in Arbor Day the eff'orts now being made to render our homes more beautiful and our land more fertile and productive by clothing the moun- 131 ^ ; tains and valleys, the shores of our rivers and streams, and lining our highways with trees ; Now, therefore, I, Daniel H. Hastings, Gov- ernor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in accordance with law, do hereby designate and proclaim Friday, the eighth day of April, and Friday, the twenty -second day of April, A,D. i8g8, to be observed as ARBOR DAYS THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH. The selection of either of the above designated days is left to the choice of the people in the various sections of the Commonwealth, to the end that that day may be selected which is deemed the more favorable on account of climatic conditions. Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and ninety- eight, and of the Commonwealth one hundred and twenty -second. [seal] Daniel H. Hastings. By the Governor. David Martin, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Forest Conservation. JN the Northwestern Lumberman, of March 5th, the proceedings of the annual meeting of the Mississippi Valley Lumbermen's Association are recited, and the President, W. H. Laird, Esq., in his address, makes the following suggestions in relation to forest conservation : ** While the tariff measure was under consider- ation, it became evident that the official reports concerning the extent of the lumber industry of this country, the extent of the timber supply, the cost of production, and such other data which is readily at hand concerning other industries, was almost entirely lacking. Some furtive attempt has been made to compass the details of the industry in pre- vious census reports, but these have proven woe- fully inadequate and inaccurate. Almost the only information at hand has been secured by the De- partment of Forestry, for which an appropriation of only about $20,000 a year is made. This lack is all the more flagrant considering the extent of the lumber industry of this country. In the course of a report recently made, B. E. Fernow, the Chief of the Forestry Department, says upon this subject : *'*Few people realize what the resources of wood supply means in the household of the nation ; few are aware that next to food crops the natural wood crops give employment in their harvest and preparation for market to more people than any other single industry except agriculture, and the business depending upon them employs more capi- tal and produces more value than any other, not even excluding the mining and metal industries. More than $1,000,000,000 of capital is employed, and values to the amount of $2,000,000,000 re- sult annually from the exploitation of our forests, rendering insignificant by comparison all other single industries except agriculture.' The figures in substantiation of these statements Mr. Fernow presents. ** An industry so extensive and important ought to be in position to demand that in the forthcom- ing census provision be made for a thoroughly comprehensive summary of all the facts concern- ing it. The magnitude of the lumber business, its great diversity, the extent of the lumber sup- ply, and the fact that it is scattered over almost every State in the Union, differing in character in different localities, make it almost impossible that this information can be secured by the methods which have obtained heretofore in the compiling of our census reports. A permanent bureau, offi- cered by experts already familiar with the subject, may be necessary. In any event some action should be taken here to-day instructing your Board of Directors to bring this matter to the attention of Congress at the proper time, and to secure the co-operation of the lumbermen in other parts of the country in behalf of the necessary legislation. * * This also suggests whether the time has not arrived when we should take some action toward conserving our forests. This subject has forced itself upon thinking men in other localities, and other parts of the country, notably Pennsylvania, where the subject of reforesting, through State aid, is receiving the support and countenance of prac- tical lumbermen. We, who are so vitally inter- ested in the timber supply of this country, ought to be foremost in forwarding any practical measure which may continue the industry in which we are engaged. That this can be done is being abun- dantly illustrated in other lands. May we not take timely action before it is too late, and en- courage now the reforesting of some of the lands already denuded of their forest growth. In our own State we are not without evidence of the value of the effort made to prevent the destruction of our forests by fire. This should receive more gen- eral support." The suggestion subsequently took the form of a petition to Congress for the formation of a For- estry Bureau. This is one of the evidences of the interest that is being manifested in forestry ques- tions, and it is especially gratifying to have a most influential organization in connection with the lumber industry of the United States take such :■) I 1 ! ' ■■> >^" ■' ^ 'V- •• .-•• "^ V- ':> y V ■ 1 -x iii " %:i > .• •' I ■.n'''*f*^^f*^^^'*^f*^^9t» 'I&.'- •» ii ii<'.- ' J ' • 0':^ Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 8. ' RED MAPLE-SWAMP MAPLE. (ACER RUBRUM, L.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. TRUNK OF RED MAPLE-SWAMP MAPLE. (ACER rubrum, L.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. 1 r Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 8, I i I .. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 8. TRUNK OF RED MAPLE-SWAMP MAPLE. (Acer rubrum, L.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. RED MAPLE-SWAMP MAPLE. (Acer rubrum, L.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE FOREST LEAVES. 137 ■'i V fl^' •I Red Maple, Swamp Maple. TAcer rub- rum, L.) (Sargent's Silva N. A., Vol. II., p. 107, t. 94, 95.) SOME trees are conspicuous by reason of their valuable qualities, others are so partly be- cause of the shortcomings of their asso- ciates. Our red maple is a representative of this latter class. Early in the season, when but few other trees have responded to the sun's approach from the South, the red maple has flung its flaming flowers out as herald of the coming spring. We notice it. One can hardly fail to do so unless hope- lessly stupid, for it is then, if at all common, the most conspicuous feature in the landscape. It is no tender child of the warmer regions, nor yet is it an exclusive dweller in the North, but rather a vigorous ranger from North to South, over wide areas, with a pliant constitution which makes, for itself, a home wherever its lot may be cast, and does its work promptly when opportunity offers. It should be said, however, that the silver maple is earlier even than the red in blooming. The red maple is by no means one of our larg- est trees. It is seldom observed in this State with a height of more than sixty feet or a diameter of more than two feet, except in some specially fa- vorable and fertile -wooded districts where it must struggle through the shade of its neighbors into the sunlight above. This gain in height is usually at the expense of thickness in the trunk. The bark of the trunk is well represented by the illustration which accompanies this sketch. When well ma- tured it probably bears a closer resemblance to that of the sugar maple than to that of the silver maple, though it shows much less of a tendency to scale off. It were a waste of space to attempt to describe what is so much more forcibly shown by the illustration. In outline the swamp maple is among our most shapely trees when compared to others nearest to it, whether the comparison is made in the wood or in the open field. From the name, swamp maple, one might infer that it thrives only in wet ground. This conclu- sion would hardly be warranted by the facts, for when placed in high, dry ground, it will do well, providing the soil is at all fertile. Hence it be- comes a suitable tree for lawns and, often, for street shade. The twigs of the maples, to a certain extent, respond to the touch of spring. Just as some of the willow twigs become yellow, or the kinnikinnik bright scarlet, so those of the swamp maple usually become a more pronounced red as blooming pro- gresses. I say usually, for this is not always the case. Occasionally some assume a yellowish hue. There are some twigs of the silver maple which are more distinctly red than some of the swamp maple, and the same is true of the flowers. But these are, on the whole, exceptions. Red maple trees are, as a rule, either wholly male or wholly female. Such at least appears to be the case here. When the sexes are both found in the same flower it will be noted that one or the other is ordinarily lacking in proper development, and is therefore physiologically inactive. The buds which produce the flowers come on the sides rather than from the ends of the branches. When fully opened, as they are in April (before the leaves are developed), they are bright purple, and ag- gregated in clusters. Each individual flower is on a slender stalk, which elongates more or less. In the fruit, especially, this flower stalk elongates so much that when ripe it droops distinctly. The mature fruit, in September, has divergent, veiny wings, each about an inch long, with a thickened outer and a thin inner margin, and the thread- like stalk has lengthened to from one to three inches. The leaves of the swamp maple are from two to four inches long, and as broad. Usually they have three divergent, sharply and deeply-toothed lobes. The base is heart-shaped as a rule, and the foot- stalk is often red and from one to five inches long. The young leaves are downy and glaucous on the under surface, becoming smoother as they become older. As an autumn ornament one may fairly say that the swamp maple is a close rival to the sugar maple in the crimson coloring of its leaves. The sap contains some sugar, but the tree is seldom utilized in this direction. The birds-eye and curly maple, once so much in demand in the manufacture of fur- niture and rifle -stocks, are furnished both by this species and the sugar maple. It is supposed by some that these beautiful varieties of wood have been caused by distorted fibres resulting from in- juries to the cambium layer by insectivorous birds. Darlington states that *' the bark affords a dark, purplish blue dye, and makes a pretty good bluish- black ink." It appears to have gone out of use for this purpose. I'he red maple is also utilized in general turnery and in making '^ wooden-ware. From Lake of the Woods it stretches eastward along the 49th parallel of latitude to New Bruns- wick, and southward it reaches Texas on the west and Florida on the east. **The physical properties of the swamp maple may be thus stated : specific gravity, 0.6178 ; per- centage of ash, 0.37 ; relative approximate fuel value, 0.6155 ; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 38.50; relative strength, 126." The wood is therefore much weaker than the sugar 138 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 139 :i tl i maple and its black variety, and also than the silver maple ; but it is much stronger than the box elder, which is botanically a close -^ative.^^^^^^ Our Water- Retaining and Our Water- Evaporating Areas. THE history of any nation shows that a policy which was necessary at one period of its growth may become fatal at a later one. The requirements of the two periods in the same nation may be wholly irreconcilable, and may be as different as the conditions which we term bar- barism and civilization. Our own country is a most striking example ot this At the commencement of the eighteenth century, for example, our one greatest need was population. (Assuming that it was a virtuous population.) There was what seemed to be a boundless acreage here, to dispose of to any genu- ine settler who came with the full intent of making his home among us. There was no question what- ever about possible consequences from violation o those conditions which we denominate natural laws, and which were but the adjustment of forces which had been operating since the birth of time and slowly adapting themselves each to the others. The relations of cleared land to woodland were only dimly recognized by the most advanced na- tions of the old world, and formed no factor what- ever in our political and social life. Rates of evaporation and of - run-off" of water from our forest-clad areas revealed no menace to our future prosperity so long as settlements were few and population sparse. The change in the order of things came so gradually that before we were aware of it we were brought face to face with dangers of whose existence we were not even conscious It now seems that it would have been wiser had the State reserved to itself large areas about the head waters of the principal streams, because self-pres- ervation demands that we must obtain them in an impoverished condition at a greater cost to us than the sum for which they were sold, with all their forest wealth upon them, to the original settler. This preliminary statement leads to the con- sideration of what are now and will continue to be elements in the prosperity and productiveness of our Commonwealth— M^ water-retatmng areas and the water-evaporating areas. Each of these areas both retains and evaporates water, but each is predominant in the action from which its name is taken. Thus the water-retaining area retains its moisture long and evaporates it slowly. The evaporating areas, on the other hand, evaporate their moisture rapidly, either from the vegetation or from the naked soil, or from both. Where evaporation is excessive and rainfall scant, and surface drainage rapid, disaster is impending. It is more or less serious in proportion as these con- ditions approach the limit of water-supply during the growing season— of the spring and summer months. •, r -t -^.u For years we have been made familiar witn statements concerning regions which have passed from a fertile to a desert condition. No one, how- ever had supposed that there was any such danger impending here. If there were, we might fairly assign its advent to a remote future. There is, however, this one fact to remember, that just now our areas of water -evaporation in this State are in- creasing and our areas of water-retention are de- creasing. It is both natural and necessary that we should ask. Where is this to end ? Is it to go on unchecked until a parched atmosphere shrivels our industries, or shall we effectually recognize in time the danger and guard against it ? I venture here to assert that under the existing order of things three dangers menace the Com- monwealth. ,j • ^ j: First. Increasing drought, which will interfere with agriculture. Second. Increasing drought, which will limit water-power for ynanufactories. Third. Increase in the virulence of disease germs because of lack of water to properly weaken their power and limit the number ingested. The water -retaining areas are those from which water-flow and evaporation are retarded. Swamps are an instance where surface-water is retained be- cause of impediments to its escape. Forests are an example where the capacity for absorption ot water is large owing to the leafy covering of the soil and the descending roots which open channels to the depths below. The shade also retards evaporation from the surface of the earth. Our water-evaporating areas are those over which the air passes most rapidly, and where the direct rays of the sun beat upon them. When these are conjoined with a small capacity for holding water, or an insufficient rainfall, the area is likely to be- come unproductive and more or less of a desert in I+-C pnjir3.cter From the above statements it would appear that in the earlier wooded condition of this State our water-retaining areas were larger than our water- evaporating surfaces, and, conversely, that as me country was cleared the evaporating surfaces be- came the larger. It is equally true that every form of life in the region had adapted itself to the earlier forest conditions. With civilization and its new needs and products the movement toward increase in our evaporating surfaces began. The question now is. How far can the change continue in this direction without seri- ous injury to our coming higher and more in- tensely active life ? It may be well here to inquire along what lines this growth appears to be going. We^ can only mention two out of many that might be named — inland ship canals and increased use of water :^s a source of mechanical power, or rather I might say as mechanical power itself. Of the first — ship canals — two notable inland illustrations come to mind which bear upon this question. The Erie canal, which connects New York harbor with the lakes, via Albany and Buf- falo, which (when commenced by Governor Clin- ton) was regarded as fated to be a failure, a thing of no commercial importance in any future time, has proven itself to be one of the greatest chan- nels of the State's prosperity. So much has the need for the canal outgrown its carrying capacity that in 1895 the New York Legislature appropri- ated $9,000,000 to widen it and to deepen it to nine feet. In spite of the fact that one of the greatest railroads in the world taps the same region, the importance of the canal has been in nowise lessened. The second canal to which allusion may be made is, as yet, simply proposed. It is denom- inated the Lake Erie and Ohio River Ship Canal. It is to start from Ashtabula, on Lake Erie, and extend southeasterly 122.16 miles to Pittsburg. The estimated cost of the canal when completed is $32,950,605. The following figures are given to show how the project is viewed by business men. It is estimated that the total annual tonnage of the canal would be 15,248,194 tons. Money saved annually by canal carriage would be $17,763,002. There would be earned for the canal annually $3,169,049, and the earnings would represent 9.60 per cent, on $30,000,000. The canal would be expected to cover cost of building in two years. This is the project of the leading business men of Pittsburg. It is entertained by them because they believe that it is essential that the iron -ore of the West should be brought into connection with their coke-ovens, and that a reciprocal return freight should diverge from the Iron City to every point of the great Northwest. These statements are sufficient to show that the demand for water as a means of carriage will, in the near future, probably exceed that of any past period of our history. Now, when viewed as a source of purely me- chanical power, much the same conclusion is reached when we consider water in its relations to the future. No business man will doubt that the cheaper the power, other things being equal, the more important it becomes to us ; for, in spite of all attempts to maintain high wages, men will have their work done by the cheapest adequate power. It is the fact itself, not the ethics of it, that is now under consideration. One chief source of power now is coal, even when electricity is the form in which the power is applied. Competent geologists and mining engineers assign a century and a half as the limit for which the known coal of this region will last. This is but a brief period when measured by the life of a State. But long before that limit has been reached men will be driven to seek a cheaper power, because the in- creasing difficulties of coal mining must tend to make it a more expensive rather than a cheaper power. Thus far two substitutes for it appear. The one is wind, the other water. The former is the one least likely to be immediately available, because ot its known fickleness. So far, then, as we can at present see (and it is upon this basis that we are bound to reason), water appears to be the power of the future for the de- velopment of our internal resources. It is a little remarkable, too, that just at this juncture Captain Mahan has electrified the thinking world by his lucid argument in favor of the ocean as the seat of power, which is to extend and magnify our relations with mankind outside of our national limits. It would appear then to be apropos of this occa- sion if we examine into the relations of the evaporat- ing and the water-retaining areas to our immediate future, and we may now revert to the three theses stated earlier in this paper, i.e., that a short supply of water threatens to interfere with agriculture and with manufactories, and will increase the potency of disease germs when the drinking-water comes from a contaminated source. It is not supposed that the injury to agriculture will come from any deficiency of rainfall, for it is not shown that this is less now than formerly, but from the fact that the evaporation over in- creased acreage of cleared lands will often leave less moisture than is required for our crops in their period of growth. It is well known that the ques- tion of irrigation is at present concerning many of the leading agriculturists in the central States, and it is affirmed by them to be becoming necessary for the certain production here every year of crops large enough to enable the East to successfully com- pete with the West. Exact statistics bearing upon rates of evaporation for a sufficiently long period of years to be wholly satisfactory are as yet want- ing. We may, however, quote from the paper by 140 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 141 ii ii: i} , P MToeorgeS. Rafter, C.E., published in vol. xii., Proceedings of American Forestry Association. fiTealcing of the Cochituate and ^^yst.c A.eas he says "that in years of low rainfall the per- ^stencv of the evaporation element is such that it r^iust be essentially satisfied, first of all, before any wSr can run off and, further, that the evapora- tion element is so exceedingly persistent that only varies in a small degree from year to year. -Jrhe'sS alor (page X50) writes "that a drainage-area of 450° square miles, averaging 80 per cent, forest, may be expected, in the latitude of northern New York, to give an evaporation loss of from 2 1 to 2 2 inches per year. 1 hat (page fc ) on the upper Genesee area (practical y bare of forest) we may expect a yearly evaporation of something like 26 to 28 inches. Again (page 152), "The difference in evapo- ratfon between tL upper Hudson a-a af Jhe upper Genessee area is something like 5 or 6 inches per year, this difference representing approxi- mately the difference in the State of New York between a forested and a deforested area. It should also be remembered that, as a rule in the years in which rainfall is least the evaporation s apt to be most severely felt. Ordinary observa- tion confirms this statement. Changing Mn Rafter's method of statement on pages 157 ana 1 .8 it would appear that during the season from April to October, inclusive, the evaporation from sJil under forest litter is only about one-seventh of what takes place from bare soil in our open fields^ It is equally well known that there is a relatively larsre winter waste of water by evaporation on open, wind-swept lands, as compared with a forest-cov- ered territory. . /- ^4. We again 'refer to Mr. Rafter for some significant facts (see pages 161-164). In Wyoming county New York, there were, in 1850. 223,533 acres of improved land. In 1890 this had increa.sed to ;? 880 acres. Elaborate studies of the water re^ fl^ed for each growi,ngcrop showed that the depth of water required over the surface of Wy oming county to fully mature the crops was, n 1850:10.17 inches; in 1860,11.15 ^nches ; n 1870 11.89 inches; in 1880, i3-24 inches; in 1800 nS7 inches. The increased demand for rainfdl in forty years amounted to 3-4 'nches. This was wholly to meet the known require- ments of growing crops. If we turn this state^ ment into another form, it would be that the crops of 1890 took from the ground (regardless ot the quantity there, so long as any was available) 3.4 inches of water more than the crops of 1850 '^1tTs%stimated that in July 10 cubic feet per minute are evaporated from a square "^^ij^ of jater- «„rface If this continues throughout the month, it would mean that the square mile of water-sur- face vielded to the atmosphere 446,4°° cubic leei, though it is diffused in the form of vapor over the surrounding district. Water in this form is avad^ able for the purposes of plant life (if it reaches the plant), and hence, in times of drought may be considered as a direct aid to the agricultural interests. That mile of water-surface would, dur- ing the month of July, evaporate 3>339.3°4 gal- lons This fact alone shows the fatal error of aUowing our ridges, which have no agricultural value, to become evaporating rather than water- retaining surfaces. From them the water is dis- sipated long before the period in which the drought becomes most trying to our crops. If, on the other hand, those same areas had been covered with a growth of timber, the usefulness of the water would have been extended over a much longer period. , . . There appears to remain one more element in this problem. It is a well-known fact that from above, the heat of the sun may pass through our atmosphere, but that a curtain of vapor overhead effectually prevents the escape of the heat of the earth back to space. On the other hand a dry atmosphere readily allows the cooling-down of the earth's surface at night, because the heat accu- mulated during the day, finding little or no mois- ture in the air overhead, may ascend into space. A single premature frost may cause untold damage ^"^ We may now briefly discuss the relation of our present and prospective water-supply to mechani- cal power. It will be in order here, m sorting, to quote from the report of the Provisional Com^ mitle to the Chamber of ^ommer^^ ^.^f^^"^^^^^^^^ uDon the proposed Lake Erie and Ohio River sC Canal' pa'ge 139 : ^ ^^ere is simply no wa e , to spare (for the ship canal) in seasons of grea droi-ht, such as we have experienced the past ™, \895, in any of the streams al^g or near ' the line of the projected canal, within the limits of either the State of Ohio or Pennsylvania. We may add, this question applies with equal force to almost every part of this State except the m- mediate valleys of the larger streams^ What is true of the Allegheny is true of the Schuylkill. Here are two bald facts— at least al eged to be facts by competent engineering authority-and thus far we have no reason to doubt them : First In 1816 the least daily water-flow re- corded'in the Schuylkill river was 500,000,000 ''second, m X895 the least recorded daily water- flow in the same stream was 195,000,000 gallons. If these statements are true, it is evident that in about 80 years there has been a loss of 61 per cent., and that we have remaining at present, during the period of greatest stress, only 39 per cent, of what water there was in 18 16. 1N0W be it observed that, in the absence of vast storage -basins, the period of least water-flow is the one by which all measures must be considered. It is a matter of no concern how much water goes to waste at one period of the year so long as there remains an insufficient quantity for the remainder, unless ample water-storage is provided. However this may be, there is no doubt about the fact that in 1895 the water-supply of the Schuylkill was near the limit which would have been a danger- line to the industries and necessities which cluster on its banks. This fact probably no one will deny. It is fair to assume that the rainfall over 32 square miles in the valley of the Allegheny river would, if reduced to a stream i foot deep, 125 yards wide, and which flowed at the rate of 4 miles an hour, require (as Professor Sensenig in- forms me) almost 15 days to pass a given point. Without going a second time into details, I may state that, if the utterance of Col. Torelli, as quoted by Major Raymond, is to be depended upon (and we may fairly assume that it is), then there was, in the year 1896, enough of land in the counties of Clarion, Forest, Indiana, Jefferson and Warren (on the Allegheny water-shed) changed from a forest to a cleared condition to cause the waste of four-fifths of this body of water ! It is in order to ask what a portion of that water would have been worth to the industries of the city of Pittsburg if it could have been delivered there last October 15th? There appears to be some doubt as to whether or not removal of the forests has increased the severity of the floods. Taking at Pittsburg two series of years, the fir^t from i860 to 1877 inclu- sive, we find that during this period the highest water was on March 8, 1865, when the flood stood at 31.4 feet. Summing up the series of floods during this period, the average height was 23.06 feet. The second series of years was from 1878 to 1895 inclusive. The highest flood during this period was on February 6, 1884, when the water reached its highest known ])oint, that of 34.45 feet. Even the great flood of February 10, 1832, was almost 6 inches lower. The average of this series of years is 24.86 feet. The highest water in the second period exceeded that in the first by 3.05 feet, and the flood average of the second period exceeded that of the first by 1.8 feet — almost 2 feet. I am aware that this method of comparison may be, doubtless is, un- satisfactory, but for more conclusive figures we must probably await ampler statistics. But, after all, the most convincing argument in this connection is that already, with our small popu- lation, we have repeatedly felt restraint upon our manufacturing industries due to a shortage of water-power. How is it to be when our water- power requirements become larger, as they inevi- tably will, with increasing cost of coal and a larger population to provide for? There is, even in winter, a small evaporation going on. This manifests itself in one way which enters slightly into the consideration of the rela- tions of forests to floods. For example, in open spaces, from which the water would probably flow rapidly, as the snow melted, this evaporation so wastes the snow that its mass is appreciably less than that remaining in the woods where it has been sheltered, more or less, against the wind. In like manner, also, we must estimate that in the onset of a rainstorm, after a period of dry weather, the open ground absorbs more of the rainfall than the forest simply because it is drier, and has, therefore, a greater capacity for receiving water. But when it becomes superficially saturated, it is probable that more will flow off as surface-water I than from a forest area. j I cannot better close this portion of my remarks j than by again quoting from Mr. Rafter's paper (p. 161). ''If the foregoing data are even ap- proximately true, it follows that in many places I the run-ofl" of streams is gradually decreasing, not only by reason of decrease of forest area due to clearing up of lands for agricultural purposes, but is even changing because of the varying quality of the crops raised from year to year. It is a fact accepted by our medical advisers that we carry with us a tendency to resist the at- tacks of disease germs. The ultimate success with which each individual accomplishes this depends in part upon his innate vigor and in part upon the i quantity of the germs he may have taken in. It is ' also believed that some of our most serious dis- \ eases— typhoid fever, for example— are contracted ' from disease germs in our drinking-water. It is also known that it is possible by one method or by another to destroy this tendency on the part of our drinking-water to convey disease. Hence, while it was the misfortune of those who in earlier years died before their time, it seems as if it is largely our fault if we do. It is a necessary condition of the highest civ- ilized life that an abundant supply of pure water be available. It is not simply a luxury. Any- thing which diminishes the value of the drinking- water, the number of gemis therein remaining, the \ I lit ! 1 142 FOREST LEAVES. same increases their relative number, and hence increases their power for evil. Halving the quan- tity of water doubles the strength of the disease germs. In a certain sense, here our safety lies in dilution. Further argument upon this point seems unnecessary. There remains, however, one more argument in favor of preserving in forests certain portions of our area which have no other known value. It happens that those regions least adapted to agri- culture, or to grazing, and which have no known mineral value, are, by reason of their altitude and predisposition to the production of coniferous for- est growth, the ones best adapted to sanitary pur- poses. Indeed they are so well suited to this, and so poorly adapted to any other, that it may well be asked whether it is not their providentially in- tended purpose. In this aspect of the problem it may be well to inquire whether we have a moral, or even a legal, right to divert them wholly from it ? It is doubtful whether the fee-simple of land can, or should, convey the right to destroy its ca- pacity for serving the remainder of our citizens. Each successive year witnesses the exodus of a large portion of our people in quest of health. The wealth of the State is poured out upon regions whose salubrious air and invigorating surroundings have been so long recognized that every prepara- tion has been made to attract visitors, and to re- tain them when they come. We have ignored or been ignorant of the fact that in fitness for sani- tary purposes certain mountains of our own State are even better than the Adirondacks — as is shown by carefully prepared medical statistics. Of course, as between the mountains and the seashore we make no comparison. That is an individual ques- tion. The difference between the two is one of kind rather than of degree. There are those who will grow strong at the one and weak at the other. But granting, however, what is undeniable, that there are locations in this State which, for health - giving purposes, equal or surpass any similar ones in adjacent States, the question will recur. Is the State doing its duty if it fails to secure them and retain them as the property of the people — as their health -ground for all future generations? We do not propose to touch this question of the forest reservations here from their relation to water-flow at all. That has been done convincingly already by other and abler speakers. I desire just now to narrow the reservation question down to the moral aspect wholly. There are those who would assert that it is no function of government to care for the health of the individual, whatever it may do for the health of the citizens collectively. It appears to be right for the State to spend millions for those whose hopeless infirmity has made them perpetual charges upon the bounty of the Com- monwealth. We should fail in an important char- acteristic of a Christian government if we did less. But the question will constantly rise whether, if it is well to alleviate human suffering and helpless- ness, it is not better to prevent it ? The State is at this hour paying vast sums supporting perpetual invalids when by earlier care it might have re- stored them to the ranks of productive citizenship. I venture the prediction that before the next cen- tury is very old we will do this, if for no other reason than the mercenary one that it is the cheapest thing to do. It is upon the proposed forestry reservations, in the healthiest part of the State, that these sanitariums, symbols of a higher civilization than we have yet attained to, will be erected. Took down the coming ages and see consumption becoming less and less frequent, see convalescents from pneumonia becoming stronger in the mountain air instead of weaker in the stuffy atmosphere of badly-ventilated homes, note the steady purpose and crystallized intention of that wretched sufferer whom men called a nervous wreck, and tell me if such a view is not inspiring and worthy the efforts of a Christian people ? Excessive evaporation in any country means disaster, because either crops or streams, or both, must suffer, and in the general economy of the country we can afford to tolerate no reduction of either. We have never fairly faced the fact that in the State of Pennsylvania there are at this hour from six to eight thousand square miles which, though once yielding fair returns, or at least a living to their owners, no longer yield any ade- quate compensation, and of this area fully half is wholly unremunerative. It is a striking commen- tary upon our methods that this deplorable con- dition has been brought about by our total disre- gard of well-established economic laws. For all of this impoverished land there is but one hope. It must be restored to a forest con- dition, or become progressively worse and harder to reclaim. It may seem like a stupendous work, but the State or its citizens, or both, must do it, or suffer the consequences. And when we have this area again in timber we shall have but about half the 'forest which our business necessities re- quire, and which it would be best for the State to possess. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association expects to participate in planting a number of trees and placing a tablet to the Penn Treaty Elm on the grounds of the University of Pennsylvania on Arbor Day. FOREST LEAVES. 143 ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES MADE BY THE NEW FOREST LEi^VE^. \ Autoglyphic Process o<|>o THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF ^ \ DO' orJ rHUfADBUKHDl l-0v3lSHE0 IN HIGHEST ftFpltH"* OF THE SEND FOR CIRCULAR. Pennsylvania Forestry Association LEl^IS' LEAF CHART. TAJEiT 1, NOW JtEJLDT, No. 1. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 2. Annual-fruited Oaks : White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3. Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c. No. 4. The Chestnuts and Beeches. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of cash price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered in large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, $6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 "West 'Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, ioi2 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. '^"^m ^' RATES. X insertion. 6 insertions. It insertions. I inch, . . $I.OO $4.00 $8.00 a page, . . 4.00 17.00 34.00 >^ " . . 7,00 30.00 60.00 I *' . . 12.00 50.00 100.00 144 FOREST LEAVES. ORIENTAL PLANE, THE BEST TREE FOR STREET AND AVENUE PLANTING. At the present time tree-loving people are endeavoring to secure the best tree for plant- ing on the avenues and streets of our cities, and after a careful study of the matter we have reached the conclusion that the Oriental Plane is in every respect the most satisfactory. It is long Hved, a rapid grower, and very clean, as it is never troubled with worms or insects- PLANE TREFS ON VICTORIA EMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES RIVER. LONDON. Five years ago, while in Europe for horticultural research, we found that for a num- ber of years, in London, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and other cities, this tree had been used with most successful results. It was found to be the only tree which would grow satisfactorily on the Victoria Embankment of the Thames River, London. The parks and cemeteries in many of our cities and a number of our leading land- scape gardeners have recently been using the Oriental Plane very extensively for avenue planting. Can furnish many testimonials concerning the merits of this tree. Trees of good size 75 cents, $1.00, and $1.50 each. Special rates in quantity. ANDORRA NURSERIES, WILLIAM WARNER HARPER, Manager. SPECIAIiTIES: CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA. Large Specimen Ornamental Trees, Hardy Rhododendrons and Azaleas. %^k^^ Vol. VI. Philadelphia, June, 1898. No. 9. Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 25 North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Ofl5ce as second class matter. CONTENTS. Editorials •••• Spring Arbor Day in Philadelphia, Arbor Day in Pennsylvania Arbor Day in Other States v*"". The New Fire Laws Appear to be of Service Forest Preservation Forest Situation in Colorado.. Forest and Prairie Fires in Minnesota, 1897 A Japanese Habit Rubber Culture in Ecuador Teak Wood of Siam and Siam Forestry Manufacture of Wood Novelties in Maine Yellow Birch, Gray Birch. ( Betula lutea Michx., fil.) (Sargent, Silva N. A., Vol. IX., p. 53. t. 449-} The Public Lands and Their Utilization The Menace of Treelessness Leaf Variation New Members -^ The Effort to Acclimate the Camphor Tree Resolution of the Medical Society of Pennsylvania A ^'orestry School in New York The Forests of Thessaly Report of New York Forest Preserve Board M5 146 147 147 148 148 148 149 149 149 151 151 152 153 155 156 156 157 157 158 158 158 Subscription, $1.00 per Year. The attention 0/ Nurserymen and others is called to the advantages of Forest Leaves as an advertising medium. Rates 7vill be fur- nished on application. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enact- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both State and National. Annual membership fee, (^n^AoW'AX. . Life membership. Fifteen tlollars. Neither the membership nor the work of this Association is intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names to A . B. H^eimer, Chairman Member- ship Committee, 512 Walnut Street, Phila. President, John Birkinbine. Vice-Presidents, Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins, James C. Haydon, Wm. S. Harvey, Richard Wood. General Secretary, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. Treasurer, Charles E. Pancoast. Council- at- Large, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn. Finance, W. S. Harvey, Chairman ; William L. Klkins, Dr. Henry M. Fisher, W. W. Frazier, Charles E. Pancoast, J. Rodman Paul, and Herbert Welsh. Membership, Albert B. Weimer, Chairman ; Mrs. Henr>' J. Biddle, Edwin Swift Balch. Charles Chauncey, Charles W. Freedley, Joseph W. Johnson, and Dr. Samuel Wolfe. Law^ Hon. W. N. Ashman, Chairman ; Henry Budd, Henry How- son, and Henry C. McCormick. Publication, }ohn Birkinbine, Chairman ; F. L. P.iiler, J. C. Brooks, B. Witman Dambly, and Dr. William P. Wilson. Work Or .Alfred L. Elwyn, Chairman ; Mrs Brinton Coxe, Howard M. Jenkins, William S. Kirk, and Richard Wood. County Organization, 'S^.mnci Marshall, Chairman; Eugene Ellicott, Dr. J. Newton Hunsberger, and Charles G. Ogden. Office of the Association, 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia. EDITORIALS. THE readers of Forest Leaves will find in the present number considerable space de- voted to Arbor Day celebration, which will show the growing interest in forestry through- out the country. In fact Arbor Day is now so generally observed that it is looked forward to with expectation. We welcome all these evidences of interest in tree growth as indicative of a healthy sentiment among the people, and feel confident that the maintenance of this custom will do much towards attracting interest, and all that may be written con- cerning forestry, and especially to legislation affec- ting it. If the general public can be brought to take an interest in existing or proposed laws which affect the forest we may feel sure that the country will be benefited thereby. We refer on another page to the Arbor Day celebration at the University of Pennsylvania, in which a number of the officers and members of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association participated, and would emphasize this by an additional state- ment concerning the personnel of those who planted trees. We were much impressed by the interest evinced by an honored Judge of the Courts, an esteemed minister of the gospel, a pub- lisher whose name is a household word, the head of one of the important departments of the city government, and men prominent in the business and professional life of the city, together with stu- dents representing the various classes and depart- ments of the University of Pennsylvania, who con- sidered it an honor to wield the shovel in planting trees on a public thoroughfare of the city. A decade ago it would have been difficult to have se- cured such co-operation, but the forestry sentiment is growing, and enlisting the interest of people of all classes. Again we have to acknowledge the good work of the women in connection with Arbor Day cele- 146 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 147 ,1) i\ I bration. In Pennsylvania, as in other States, the inception of forestry association is credited to women, and much of the present advancement is due to their work and interest. In the city of Philadelphia this was particularly prominent through the efforts of the Civic Club, which on every occasion has been ready to join hands with the Forestry Association, and although the for- mality of a vote of thanks had been offered and acknowledged, we feel that the co-operation of this excellent association should be made known to all of our readers. J- ^• :|i * * * * The unfortunate complications which have brought about a war between the United States and Spain will undoubtedly make many changes in the plans which our readers have made for their summer outing. It is likely that these changes will be in the direction of keeping people closer to their own homes, but even if we travel but short distances, each may be able to do some missionary work for the cause of forestry. We would espe- cially urge upon those of our readers who are resi- dents of the State of Pennsylvania the importance of securing additions to the membership of the State association. While Pennsylvania has the strongest organization in the country, its twelve hundred members should be quadrupled, so that it may exert in every portion of the State a pow- erful influence in behalf of forest preservation. J. B. ***** Every friend of forestry will be gratified to learn of the selection of Mr. B. E. Fernow as the head of the forestry school about being established in connection with the Cornell University, but the satisfaction that this honor has been conferred upon Mr. Fernow will be tempered with regret if his call to duty in this new position requires that he should sever his connection with the Depart- ment of Agriculture at Washington. We all rec- ognize that Mr. Fernow has made the Division of Forestry what it now is, and we trust that should he leave the Government employ, his successor may continue the good work which he has inau- gurated. In his position as instructor we wish him the most pronounced success. J. B. ♦ * * * * At last we are to have forestry taught in our country, on our own soil, and under whatever conditions may be peculiarly American. This number of Forest Leaves will contain the an- nouncement of Mr. Schenck, who is forester to the Biltmore estate in North Carolina. There can be no question as to his fitness for this important work. And there is, furthermore, no question that this work is needed, and that Biltmore will furnish ample facilities for practical instruction. Of course this will broaden out as the school becomes more fully established. We heartily commend the enterprise, and wish it abundant success. ***** The Berks county constables have under the new law put out promptly the spring fires which have occurred there. This, with the action of the Berks county courts in placing the hand of the law on the linemen who mutilated Dr. MarshalPs trees, bids fair to make that county a bright and shining light in matters forestal. J- T. R. Spring Arbor Day in Philadelphia. /^ OVERNOR HASTINGS appointed as Spring V^ Arbor Days April 8th and 2 2d, but as the first named was coincident with Good Fri- day, the second date was the one generally observed. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association and the University of Pennsylvania held joint exercises on the campus on the 2 2d of April, where a large number of students and members of the Associa- tion assembled, music being furnished by the Uni- versity band. An address by Mr. C. C. Harrison, Provost of the University, was replied to on behalf of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association by its President, Mr. John Birkinbine. He gave a short history of the descendant of the Penn Treaty Elm planted two years before on the campus, and stated that while participation in Arbor Day exercises may not be considered forest culture, it was a great aid in inculcating a love of trees in the younger generation, encouraging them to further investiga- tions, as well as assisting in the spread of knowl- edge in regard to trees and their functions. Mr. Raymond M. Alden, as representing the student- body, followed with a forcible and interesting address. A brass tablet bearing the legend, ''Scion of Penn Treaty Elm, furnished by Gen'l Paul A. Oliver to the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, and planted by Governor D. H. Hastings April loth, 1896,'* was then uncovered and presented to the University. Twenty-two Oriental plane trees, presented by the Pennsylvania Forestry As- sociation, were then planted on Woodland Avenue, . extending from 34th to 36th Streets, eleven being placed by members of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, and the balance by the students. The Civic Club expended over $200 in plant- ing sixty-eight trees in various school-yards in the city. At each school the Arbor Day proclama- tion was read by one of the ladies and appropri- ate remarks were made. h At the Central High School an Arbor Day ad- dress to the students was made by Dr. Charles Sumner Dolley. President George H. Cliff of the Girls' Normal School spoke to the scholars upon a proper ob- servance of the day. The Senior Classes of the Central and also the North East Manual Training School planted class trees in Fair mount Park. At the Close School three trees were planted, the exercises being conducted by Mrs. Thos. S. Kirkbride and Miss L. M. Speir. Misses Jane Campbell and H. Dunlap assisted in the dedication of three trees at the Stanton School. • Twelve trees were planted at the Hancock School, Misses Dora Keen and E. R. Carlisle be- ing present. A similar number of trees were set out at the E. Spencer Miller School, being super- vised by Mrs. Cabeen and Miss Clarkson. At the Livingston School an elaborate program was carried out. Four trees were planted and named, addresses being made by Clinton Rogers Woodruff and the Rev. List. Mrs. Francis Howard Williams, of German town, appointed by the Civic Club as its Chairman to read the Governor's Arbor Day Proclamation, and assisted by Mrs. Charles W. Henry, Miss Harriet Head, Mrs. Herbert Clark, Mrs. Louis E. Fagan and Miss Martha H. Garrett, visited a number of the schools in Germantown. The Arbor Day Proclamation and a short essay were read to the pupils. Trees were also dedicated at the Moffet, Ed- ward Shippen, Joseph Leidy, Morton McMichael and Landenberger Schools, while appropriate ex- ercises were held in a number of other schools, at most of which members of the Civic Club were present. Under the auspices of the Culture Extension League, trees were planted in John Dickinson Square, Fourth and Tasker Streets. Arbor Day in Pennsylvania. THROUGHOUT the State the day was gen- erally observed, a short notice of the exercises at some of the various towns be- ing given below : Harrisburg. — The school authorities set aside the afternoon as a time for a special observance of the second Arbor Day appointed by Governor Hastings. In all of the schools patriotic programs, with mingled allusions to Cuba, Spain, and the necessity of preserving the great American forests, were rendered. In some of the school -yards trees were planted and named for men prominent in the educational life of the city. The Forestry De- partment of the Civic Club planted three trees in Reservoir Park, with appropriate exercises. Wernersville. — Arbor Day was observed with appropriate ceremonies at the State Insane Asy- lum at this place, and the 800 inmates partici- pated. An American flag, 10 by 20 feet, was un- furled from a staff fifty-five feet high. Henry M. Dechert, of Philadelphia, Chairman of the Board of Trustees ; Dr. J. L. Lemberger, of Lebanon, and Arnold Kohn, of Philadelphia, members of the Board, delivered addresses on the significance of the flag and Arbor Day. A number of trees were then planted, and the 800 patients — men and women — saluted the flag. Arbor Day in Other States. THE Michigan State Agricultural College at Lansing, Mich., celebrated April 29th as Arbor Day with a fine program, including addresses by Hon. C. W. Garfield on the ** Value of Practical Object Lessons in Forestry, with ex- amples," Dr. R. C. Cedzie on the ^^ Results of Deforesting in Southern Michigan," Prof. L. R. Daft '' In what Way, if any, have the Rows and Groups of Trees at the Michigan Agricultural College been of Value to the Orchards and (rar- dens," Mr. D. E. Skeels on ** Observations Re- garding the Needs of Michigan Forests," Prof. C. D. Smith on the '' Relations of the State Ex- periment Station to Forestry," and Dr. W. J. Beal on ' ' Thoughts Concerning an Ideal Exercise for Pubhc Schools on Arbor Day." The ad- dresses were interspersed with music, making the day one which will be remembered. The Connecticut Forestry Association held its annual meeting on Arbor Day, April 29th, at Memorial Hall, 426 Asylum street, Hartford. The program included an address on *^ Forestry in Connecticut," by the vice-president of the As- sociation, Hon. T. S. Gold, Secretary of Agricul- ture, followed by a discussion which was opened by Prof. John B. Mclxan, of Simsbury. The Connecticut organization is not restricted in its eff"orts to the State of Connecticut, but will use its influence so far as possible in the advancement of National forestry. Mr. John Terhune, of Hackensack, N. J., sends us a timely circular, *^ program" of Arbor Day exercises. It is well worth a careful reading, and beside the sentiment which is associated with Ar- bor Day, it contains much matter of general inter- est. 148 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 149 'f I li 1 1,< 1 I The New Fire Laws Appear to be of Service. T N Mifflin County three fires which threatened I to be of serious character have been promptly "^ suppressed by the constable and his posse. The following clippings from the Philadelphia Ledger show that effective measures are being taken elsewhere in the State : „r . r Hazleton.— Matteo Gerod, the Fire Warden for this end of the county, recently had warrants issued for the arrest of four men who, he claims, set the woods on fire between Black Creek and Holly- wood. He was obliged to employ eleven men in extinguishing the fires, and expended $13- He says that he will prosecute the offenders to the full extent of the law. . Constable Argus, of Beaver Meadow, is the first constable in that region to act in the capacity of Fire Warden in accordance with the new law, which is now in effect. He summoned a number of citizens and extinguished a brush fire near Beaver Meadow, and will act in the capacity of Fire Warden during the entire summer. All the constables in this section have been notified of the new law, and it will be their duty to report to Court at the next term how many fires they dis- covered and extinguished. For extinguishing a fire they receive fifteen cents per hour, and citizens on whom they call for aid are paid twelve cents. This law has had an earlier successful trial in Berks county. — Ed. Forest Preservation. EVERY physician should be a member of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, or of some local organization with the same ob- jects in view. He should do this, if for no other reason, because of his duty to encourage preven- tive medicine. It is customary to consider this question from economic and sentimental stand- points, but the preservation of our forests has a most decidedly sanitary aspect, and the health of our present and future citizens in a large degree depends upon preventing deforestation. The pres- ervation of an uncontaminated water-supply is only a part of the good gained, l^he Governors of Pennsylvania and New York are heartily in favor of preserving our forests. New York State has obtained control of about 1,000,000 acres of forests, and private owners interested in the same cause have 1,200,000 more, making between two and three millions in all saved from destruction in one State. Pennsylvanians are disloyal to their name in a regrettable indifference to the subject. — Philadelphia Medical Journal. Forest Situation in Colorado. MR. W. GOOT3RICH JONES, of Temple, Texas, has sent a description of a visit to ^ Colorado in the latter part of the summer of 1897, and in referring to forestry there, says: '*The State has five forest reservations. The * White River reservation ' begins some six miles north of Glenwood Springs, and is about fifty miles square. ' Battlement Plateau reservation' is ten or twelve miles south of Glenwood and has about the same area. The other three reservations lie west of Colorado Springs and take in Pike's Peak and the South Platte, with a total area of some fifty square miles. We found many citizens fight- ing the forest reservations, especially so in Rio Blanco county, with Meeker as the county seat. Here thev claim that the only good available tim- ber is in the forest reserve. Within the last ten days government special timber agents from Den- ver have been there, and have closed up a saw- mill that has been cutting timber since 1891 and used about 1,000,000 feet. The wheel of the gods moved slowly. We found a preponderance of sentiment, however, in favor of preserving the government timber, and many complained that the agents worked too slow and were months in taking notice of complaints. The agents, on the other hand, complain of a lack of funds to prop- erly do their work, and state the need of local foresters and police. The farmers want the tim- ber preserved. The forest reservations lie from 10,000 to 11,000 feet above sea level, too high for agricultural purposes. Indeed, the White River reservation, was visited with frost every night ; this in the middle of August. The timber makes the soil soft and spongy, and it absorbs and holds moisture for a long time. It also holds the snow in check, and preserves immense banks of it all through the summer. You will readily see what effect this has on the running brooks and streams. Deluges are withheld, and the irrigation ditches are filled when the water is most needed. Turn the mill man, the miner and the keen American shekel -gatherer loose in a free timber tract and in fifty years everything will be gone, even to the roots. The country around Leadville is a bright and shining example of what the miner and char- coal burner will do if you give him carte blanche on some other man's land. A ghostly row of stumps signals one's approach to Leadville. The charcoal oven seems now to be idle, thanks largely to the splendid coke burned at Cardiff and else- where." Forest and Prairie Fires in Minnesota, 1897. ^ rr EN'L C. C. ANDREWS has favored us with an advance copy of his Preliminary Re- port as Chief Fire Warden of Minnesota, addressed to the Hon. R. C. Dunn, State Auditor and Forest Commissioner, reading as follows : * * The season of possible danger of forest and prairie fires lasted longer than usual in 1897, and a few fires occurred after the middle of Novem- ber. The recent snow fall, though light, has ex- tended over most of the State, and probably no further danger need be apprehended. At a future date, when complete returns from fire wardens have been received, a detailed report will be sub- mitted. ** Dry and dangerous weather prevailed over an extensive forest area about three weeks in April- May, and again in September-October. A num- ber of fires occurred, but a good proportion of them were extinguished or controlled by fire war- dens and citizens who assisted them. The result has been that no fire has proved of very serious magnitude. Probably the total damage by forest fires in Minnesota in 1897 will be found not to exceed about $14,000. This is an improvement over 1896, and considering that the standing timber in the State, at a low valuation, is worth $100,000,000, the amount of damage is very small. The principal work under the fire-warden law is prevention. Each year some' improvement ought to be expected and made in the fire-warden service, and such results will be greatly promoted through a manifestation of public interest in the proper care of our forests. At a low figure the value, standing, of the pine that will be cut in Minnesota this winter is $5,000,000. When sawed into lumber at the mills its value will have increased to $10,000,000, of which increase 80 per cent., or $4,000,000, represents labor. These figures only in part indicate the importance of our forest resources." —The Dept. of Agriculture has issued a valuable pamphlet entitled '' Nut Culture in the U. S." A Japanese Habit. AT the birth of a Japanese baby, a tree is planted which must remain untouched until the marriage day of the child, when the tree is cut down, and a skilled cabinet-maker transforms it into furniture, which is considered by the young couple as the most beautiful of all ornaments of the house. Translated by Sarah 1). Lanning, from La Se- ?naine Horticole. — Meehans' Monthly. Rubber Culture in Ecuador. THE United States Consul at Guayaquil, Ecuador, in a report to the State Depart- ment conveys some points of interest con- cerning the rubber industry in that country. ''The cultivation of rubber is a new industry in Ecuador. Hitherto rubber has been obtained from wild trees, but the ruthless destruction of the plants by the greedy rubber-seekers, who do not hesitate to cut them down in order to obtain a trifle more gum, has played havoc with the trade of this coast. In the remote regions there are still large forests, but inefficient transportation increases the cost. An effort is being made to obtain from the (Government an eight-year con- cession for the exploitation of rubber and quinine in a territory covering from eight to ten square leagues in the province of Tungurahua. This has drawn the attention of the people to the cultiva- tion of the rubber tree, and stories of the fortunes made in Africa are in circulation. Cocoa and coffee have been the chief products of this Re- public, but the hope is cherished that at some time the rubber crop will equal them in value. " The rubber tree is too well known to require description. It is not only one of the most valu- able, but also one of the most ornamental of trees, its leaves, of a dark-green color, being simply beautiful. Our conservatories give one a faint idea. The contrast between trunk, limbs and leaves is vivid. It can be grown in any kind of soil, moist as well as dry, from a temperature of about 60 degrees F. up to one much higher. It cannot be grown successfully in the frost zone.' The tree possesses the peculiar property of fertil- izing instead of sterilizing the soil ; its roots at- tract moisture greedily, and, when they decay, form, with the leaves, a fertilizer of superior qual ity." Ecuador and Colombia both produce every ! species of the rubber tree in abundance, although the best qualities are produced in the more tem- perate regions. At somewhat over 64 degrees F. the tree yields the most gum ; at a lower tempera- ture than 64 degrees the exuding gum quickly solidifies, closing the incisions and stopping the flow. Two methods of planting are employed in the country, namely, planting from the seed and planting from the shoot, and the period of matur- ity varies from four to six years, according to the nature of the tree and the conditions of soil, etc. The seeds are first planted in pots or boxes, after the style of tobacco or coff'ee. After the plant is from three to four inches high it is transplanted to the spot where it is to remain, and after it is 150 FOREST LEAVES. i; ill; |!i III ll>t II) once started it requires no attention other than keeping the plantation free from underbrush, weeds, etc., especially about the base of the tree. The trees are usually set about twenty feet apart, and in the intervals plantain or other large-leaved trees are placed, for the purpose of giving the pro- per amount of shade to the young rubber trees. When shoots are to be planted they are broken off, not cut, from the parent stem, and the wound healed with moist clay ; otherwise the tree may dry up. The shoots are at once placed in the hole in the earth intended for them. They are buried a little more than half their length, and some of their leaves covered with earth. Thus treated they do not rot, and sprouting is facilitated. After the cutting commences to sprout no further care is necessary, other than that stated above, until time for tapping. The plantation requires fencing, as cattle are very fond of the young plants. When a tree is supposed to be ready for tap- ping, the bark is cut and the gum examined. If it readily coagulates from the heat of the hand or from applying a little alcohol, it is in the proper condition ; if the gum resists coagulation, the tree is immature. The process of tapping is commenced by clear- ing away the dirt and mold from the tree in the places where the incisions are to be made, and then about a foot or more from the ground an earthenware vessel is attached, by means of moist clay, to the tree. Just above the mouth of this vessel is made a transverse cut, reaching to the woody fibre of the tree, and above this a vertical cut is made from as high a point as possible and continued downward until it reaches the horizontal incision. A long-handled iron or steel tool, in the form of a bird's claw, is used for this purpose. '' On either side of the vertical incision oblique cuts are made, from six to eight inches apart. Tapping should commence at dawn, when the moon is on the wane, and be continued not later than 9 A.M. A strong sun causes the sap to rise. The incisions should be made at a single stroke, to avoid the phenomenon of * hiding the milk,' an expressive and thoroughly descriptive phrase in vogue here. I'he rubber tree seems to possess a nervous system, affected more or less by light, heat, electricity, etc.; and, unless the blow is ef- fective, reaching at once to the woody matter, the tree contracts its fibre, reducing the size of the sap cells contiguous to the incision, and forcing the gum to the upper part of the tree. **The tree is usually tapped four times during the first year of its maturity, and the intervals of rest are gradually diminished, until it can be tapped monthly. The rubber tree is the milch-cow of the vegetable kingdom ; its yield continues to increase with frequent and skilful milking until it reaches its maximum. Properly cared for, a tree will yield steadily up to its fortieth year ; in some instances, as long as fifty or sixty years. The yield of gum, as well as the market price, is vari- able ; a healthy tree should yield a revenue of $15 to $20 per annum. ^^The two methods of coagulating most in vogue among the people are by smoke and heat of the sun. Both are defective. In order to ex- pel the large amount of whey in the gum, it is necessary, where the first method is employed, to bring the rubber so close to the fire that it loses its elasticity, becomes waxy, and is discolored. The second' method is likewise faulty ; a few hours after its extraction the rubber commences to putrefy, loses some of its properties, requires from fifteen to twenty days to dry, and emits an offen- sive and unhealthy stench. To obtain rubber of pure quality, the following method of coagulation is best : ''The tappings of the various trees should be thoroughly mixed in a vessel with aqua ammonia, in the proportion of five ounces of the latter to one gallon of the gum ; this preserves the gum in its milky state for an indefinite period, and allows it to be easily strained and the dirt and mold to be removed. After straining, a little 36 degrees proof alcohol should be stirred into the mixture ; immediate coagulation ensues. It is then put into a press and the whey squeezed out, after which it is placed in the air until thoroughly dried, which recjuires from two to three hours. After this it can be packed without risk of putrefying, all germs hav- ing been destroyed by the ammonia and alcohol." The rubber after being coagulated is tested by the following method : **From each of the trees to be tested a little of the gum is taken, coagulated, and strained. From each quantity a round ball, about the size of a lemon, is molded, and, when dried, the balls are dropped from a height upon a hard surface ; the rebound determines the elasticity and quality of the rubber. ''The best class of rubber is pure white and elastic, and the demand seems ever to be increas- ing. In some parts of Colombia a rubber tree is grown producing an abundance of caoutchouc — as much as 25 pounds or more. It is known as black gum, from its dark color, and will thrive at as low a temperature as 58 degrees F." The Consul says rubber gum is also obtamed by passing the freshly plucked leaves through rollers and expressing the juice. The leaves, too, are exported, after being well dried. By recently discovered methods they can be dissolved, and about 25 per cent, of good quality gum obtained. FOREST LEAVES. 151 \ r Teak Wood of Siam and Siam Forestry. I AM is America's antipode, and the industries of this country, from the capital city to the borders of China are not without in- terest. The most noted industry of the country is the teak trade. There are many different kinds of timber in the country, but teak is the only kind that is extensively worked. All over the country, stretching up into Burmah, are immense teak for- ests. The Siamese government is now wisely tak- ing steps to perpetuate these forests by requiring that for every tree felled a number of young trees be planted, and that all trees felled must be a cer- tain size. In every important centre here you will find the European and sometimes a Chinaman representing one or more of the many companies that are engaged in the teak trade. Vast sums are expended, and great fortunes are made out of the teak. This timber is many years in reaching ma- turity, ranging from eight to one hundred and twenty years. When seasoned, this lumber works more easily than pine, and is used for many pur- poses. It takes on a most beautiful finish, and is hence used for furniture and elegant interior work. One of the uses to which it is extensively put is ship-building. It has great elasticity, and resists the climate with great persistency. When green it is heavier than water, but when seasoned it is much lighter, and will float. The trees are girdled on the mountain side, and stand until they die and season ; then they are felled and dragged down into the mountain ra- vines, there to await the heavy rains, when they are worked down the ravines by the elephants to the larger streams, thence to the main water ar- teries leading to Bangkok. In these large streams they are formed into rafts, in which they are taken to the seaport. Sometimes a mountain ravine is simply filled with teak logs, and it is the business of the elephants to work them down stream. In the season of heavy rains, thousands of teak logs pass on the floods. All houses and fencing are of teak, so plentiful is it. Of course the King of Siam derives a large revenue from the teak trade. A. Y. R. Manufacture of ^Vood Novelties in Maine. << Wind shakes " are circular cracks in a tree separating the diff'erent layers. They are supposed to be caused by wind, and greatly injure the lum- ber made from such a tree. Experienced lumbermen say that in the pro- cess of seasoning, wood should occasionally be repiled, and decayed or defective pieces removed, lest they injure the others. THE manufacture of "wood novelties" in Maine, according to the Industrial Journal, of Bangor, has become one of the impor- tant industries of the State. The growth of the industry covers a period extending back as far as 1857, and it has now assumed very large propor- tions. In the term "wood novelties " is included a large variety of small articles turned from wood. Closely allied to the wood-novelty industry, and often included under that head, is the production of fruit-boxes and veneers. The average annual output of wood novelties in Maine, including these allied industries, has a value of over a million dollars, and the number of firms in the State en- gaged in the business proper is seventeen, in orange-box-making four, and in veneer manufac- ture one. One of the most interesting branches of the industry is the manufacture of wood rims for bi- cycles. The Maine plant is one of but three fac- tories of this kind in the country. The average daily output is about 1800 rims, and the value of the yearly product is about $120,000. The rims are made of rock maple, and each is composed of three pieces, glued and pressed together with such force and nicety that the rim appears like one piece, and only the most searching examination can detect the joints. The toothpick industry in the State was estab- lished in 1857. There are two plants now in operation, one producing 525,000,000 toothpicks per year, and the other about six billion. The annual product of these two mills has an average value of about $40,000. Another mill is to be opened soon, and operated by a newly-formed company in Androscoggin county. A large plant in South Paris is devoted to the manufacture of children's carts, wagons and wheel- barrows, school -desks, sleds, swings, and similar articles. The name " wood novelty " is, in short, a very inclusive term, and the articles embraced are practically without end. Almost all kinds of wood found in the State are utilized in these plants in one way or another. In the orange-box factories, yellow birch, maple and beech woods are used. The real benefit of the wood-working industries to Maine can be ap])reciated when it is remem- bered that before spool and wood -novelty making, and orange-box and wood veneer manufacture were introduced into the State the raw material they now utilize was considered worthless, except as fuel. This wood has now become a product of great value, and the sale of the articles manufac- tured in these mills brings into the State each year a large amount of money. :?^r- * II m 152 FOREST LEAVES. Yellow Birch, Gray Birch. (Betula lutea Michx., fil.) (Sargent, Silva N. A., Vol. IX., p. 53, t. 449.) yr7HIS is one of the commonest and at the I same time one of the best of the hard- ^ wood species in the colder parts of the State, though for a proper appreciation of its merits we must wait until the increasing scarcity of the white pine and the hemlock brings it more prominently before the lumberman and his pa- trons. It is also, so far as its bark is concerned, one of the most variable of our forest species. One may easily note three distinct stages in its ap- pearance. First, it has the smooth, shining, light yellow condition in which the bark is plainly cracked or marked transversely around the trunk, but with almost no tendency to exfoliation, or if it does exfoliate the shreds are gray, thin and papery. In the second stage it becomes more gray and the bark tends to peel off and curl trans- versely around the stem in thicker, larger flakes. In the third oldest stage the bark becomes darker, and tends to crack in such a manner as to much resemble the black or cherry birch. Sometimes it is not easy (in very old trees) to distinguish the bark from that of the species last named. In this con- dition it is often called by our Pennsylvania lum- bermen ' ' bastard birch. ' ' We present in this number three illustrations, as all seem necessary to do justice to the com- mon appearance of the species, and also to ex- plain fully the peculiarities of its roots. The first shows the species (three representa- tives) as it stands in the hemlock forests of Sulli- van County. Numerous as the beech, birch and maple trees are, in such an association with the hemlock and the spruce, they seldom produce more than three thousand feet, board measure, to the acre. It is much more frequently below this than above it. The second illustration character- izes the spreading, stilt-like roots and the bark. The third illustration shows how these strange roots are produced. They are strange because no other of our American species is at all likely to produce them. That is, in other words, no other species is in the habit of taking possession of the top of a stump or of a fallen log as a place to begin its growth upon. If by any accident it should so start, the chances are that it would fail to make any considerable growth. At least one may infer so, as they do not appear in the forest of large size and with these roots. As the root or log decays the birch tree remains more or less elevated. The roots, which are visible in our third illustration, have most of them been im- mersed in the decaying substance of the log, but have become exposed as the latter decayed away from them. It is interesting to note, however, how much the bark on the roots resembles that of the trunk above ground. The twigs and smaller branches of this birch are usually dark-brown, with sometimes a tinge of yellow. They are pliant, and suggest naturally enough the uses which the pedagogue of earlier days found for them. Short, rough, lateral spur- like branches come off from them, and in winter these are tipped with the oval, brown buds. Apparently, after some effort, as shown by the scaly spur, a bud succeeds in starting into active growth, and a vigorous branch a foot or more long results the first year. The birch odor is markedly present in the twigs of the yellow birch, but the aromatic and spicy quality which characterizes the black birch is wanting. The nearest tree in the photograph — the one on the right of the road — was eighty -eight feet high, and at five feet above the ground it had a girth of seven feet three inches. It was by no means one of maximum size. It would be safe to say that a height of one hundred feet is not un- known in Pennsylvania. I have measured one at (lanoga, in Sullivan County, Pa., which had (at four feet above the ground) a girth of fourteen feet eight inches. The leaves of the yellow birch are on flat stalks, which are a quarter of an inch, or slightly more, in length. They are thin, rather acutely taper- pointed, more or less obliquely, heart-shaped at base. The margins are sharply and somewhat irregularly double -toothed. In general size and shape we may say the leaves are from two to five inches long and a little more than half as wide. They are usually smooth on the lower surface, except on the veins, where a few hght-colored hairs remain. The fruit of the yellow birch is a cone about an inch in length, which, when mature, is light- green in color. The scales, of which it seems to be principally composed, are usually quite veiny, and almost evenly three-parted for an eighth of an inch, the entire length of the scale being somewhat less than half an inch. The male flowers appear first in late summer, remaining all winter more or less undeveloped, and expand in the following spring in scaly, yellow, tassel-like bodies, which are two or three inches long. The tree thus clearly shows an evident '' forehandedness." The yellow birch is in spring time overflowing with sap. If the thirsty woodman makes, with his hatchet, a little trough in the spreading root, it will soon be full of a delicious sap which he may drink with the same freedom that he would that of the sugar maple. 1 Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 9. ^>^-: ^^- -■4^ 'X ' ' ^ * ' •¥■..-. < yi - : 'X, ■■ i % -,«*^ *:':^^ ..i»V*-" I • # .'M»^ y ■».»j'*iKV.' •>*> YELLOW BIRCH-GRAY BIRCH. (Betula lutea, MiCHX. F.) SULLIVAN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. 1 Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 9. 152 FOREST LEAVES. Yellow Birch, Gray Birch. (Betula lutea Michx., fil.) (Sargent, Silva N. A., Vol. IX., p. 53, t. 449.) Tr7HlS is one of the commonest and at the I same time one of the best of the hard- "^ wood species in the colder parts of the State, though for a proper appreciation of its merits we must wait until the increasing scarcity of the white pine and the hemlock brings it more prominently before the lumberman and his pa- trons. It is also, so far as its bark is concerned, one of the most variable of our forest species. One mav easily note three distinct stages in its ap- pearance. First, it has the smooth, shining, light yellow condition in which the bark is plainly cracked or marked transversely around the trunk, but with almost no tendency to exfoliation, or if it does exfoliate the shreds are gray, thin and papery. In the second stage it becomes more gray and the bark tends to peel off and curl trans- versely around the stem in thicker, larger flakes. In the third oldest stage the bark becomes darker, and tends to crack in such a manner as to much resemble the black or cherry birch. Sometimes it is not easy (in very old trees ) to distinguish the bark from that of the species last named. In this con- dition it is often called by our Pennsylvania lum- bermen ''bastard birch." We present in this number three illustrations, as all seem necessary to do justice to the com- mon a])pearance of the species, and also to ex- plain fully the peculiarities of its roots. The first shows the species (three representa- tives) as it stands in the hemlock forests of Sulli- van County. Numerous as the beech, birch and maple trees are, in such an association with the hemlock and the spruce, they seldom produce more than three thousand feet, board measure, to the acre. It is much more fretjuently below this than above it. 'I he second illustration character- izes the spreading, stilt-like roots and the bark. The third illustration shows how these strange roots are produced. They are strange because no other of our American species is at all likely to produce them. That is, in other words, no other species is in the habit of taking possession of the to]j of a stump or of a fallen log as a place to begin its growth upon. If by any accident it should so start, the chances are that it would fail to make any considerable growth. At least one may infer so, as they do not a|)pear in the forest of large size and with these roots. As the root or log decays the birch tree remains more or less elevated. The roots, which are visible in our third illustration, have most of them been im- mersed in the decaying substance of the log, but have become exposed as the latter decayed away from them. It is interesting to note, however, how much the bark on the roots resembles that of the trunk above ground. I'he twigs and smaller branches of this birch are usually dark-brown, with sometimes a tinge of yellow. They are pliant, and suggest naturally enough the uses which the pedagogue of earlier days found for them. Short, rough, lateral spur- like branches come off from them, and in winter these are tipped with the oval, brown buds. Apparently, after some effort, as shown by the scaly spur, a bud succeeds in starting into active growth, and a vigorous branch a foot or more long results the first year. The birch odor is markedly present in the twigs of the yellow birch, but the aromatic and spicy quality which characterizes the black birch is wanting. The nearest tree in the i)hotograph — the one on the right of the road — was eighty -eight feet high, and at five feet above the ground it had a girth of seven feet three inches. It was by no means one of maximum size. It would be safe to say that a height of one hundred feet is not un- known in Pennsylvania. 1 have measured one at (lanoga, in Sullivan County, Pa., which had (at four feet above the ground) a girth of fourteen feet eight inches. The leaves of the yellow birch are on flat stalks, which are a quarter of an inch, or slightly more, I in length. They are thin, rather acutely taper- pointed, more or less oblicjuely, heart-shaped at base. The margins are sharply and somewhat irregularly double -toothed. In general size and shape we may say the leaves are from two to five inches long and a little more than half as wide. They are usually smooth on the lower surface, except on the veins, where a few light-colored hairs remain. The fruit of the yellow birch is a cone about an inch in length, which, when mature, is light- green in color. The scales, of which it seems to be principally composed, are usually tjuite veiny, and almost evenly three-parted for an eighth of an inch, the entire length of the scale being somewhat less than half an inch. The male flowers appear first in late summer, remaining all winter more or less undeveloped, and ex]jand in the following spring in scaly, yellow, tassel-like bodies, which are two or three inches long. The tree thus clearly shows an evident *' forehanded ness." The yellow birch is in spring time overflowing with sap. If the thirsty woodman makes, with his hatchet, a little trough in the spreading root, it will soon be full of a delicious sap which he may drink with the same freedom that he would that of the sugar maple. t I 6 YELLOW BIRCH-GRAY BIRCH. (Betula lutea. MiCHX. F.) SULLIVAN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 9. >4i t I! I TRUNK OF YELLOW BIRCH-GRAY BIRCH (Betula lutea, Michx f.) SULLIVAN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. t On O o > > 06 O o o z < o UJ O z o z o o o UJ z 3 I- co X z o < z < > _l > CO z z u Q. > I- z> o o < < u > I- J 3 -J < ^ -I 3 H (iJ 03 I O GC CD o -I UJ 1 I, I Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 9. ii|' i I Hi TRUNK OF YELLOW BIRCH-GRAY BIRCH (Betola lutea, MiCHX F.) SULLIVAN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE » 55 J o > S3 o o -I o z > < o UJ o z o z I- o o o ui I- z 3 co z < > -J > CO z z UJ Q. U. > I z> o o i ^ . z < < UJ > I- 3 3 -I -J 3 < «» _l UJ m I o QC GQ o -I UJ It i II FOREST LEAVES. 153 1 Certainly the value of this wood will soon be more fully appreciated. It is among our strongest kinds of timber. Its use in furniture is becoming more common, and represents now in one way the lowest round in the descending scale. Thus cherry, as it became more scarce (the first reigning favorite), was supplanted by the cherry birch, and this, for the same reason, has been suc- ceeded by the yellow birch, which has a light- brown heart -wood and a white sap-wood. This tree grows from Newfoundland and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence southward, along the mountains, until we find it in North Carolina and Tennessee. It is one of our commonest hard- wood trees in the colder j^arts of Pennsylvania. Westward it reaches the Lake Superior region. Its physical properties may be stated thus : spe- cific gravity, 0.6553; percentage of ash, 0.31; relative approximate fuel value, 0.6533 ; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 40.84 ; relative strength among the trees of the United States, 5. J. T. Rothrock. \m t M\ The Public Lands and Their Utilization. THE lecture course of the Franklin Institute included two instructive and finely illus- trated lectures by Mr. F. H. Newell, Hy- drographer of the United States Geological Survey and Secretary of the American Forestry Associa- tion. Mr. Newell's researches, his examinations of the relations of forests to water supply, his gaugings of streams and his studies of water pollution have familiarized him with the topography of the coun- try, and his work in connection with the investi- gation of forest reserves has given him opportu- nities to appreciate the value of forest growth to the public domain. We therefore are pleased to offer our readers synopses of these really excellent lectures. The subject of the first lecture was '' The Vacant Public Lands," which was illustrated by numerous lantern-slides, among which were maps and dia- grams to show the relative extent and location of the public lands, and views exhibiting their char- acter and general appearance. Mr. Newell said that nearly one-third of the whole United States, exclusive of Alaska, is still in the hands of the general government, the greater part of this being open to entry and settlement under the Homestead Act. The great bulk of these vacant public lands lies within and west of the Rocky Mountain region, considerable areas, however, remaining in Florida, Alabama, Missis- sippi, and the States west of the Mississippi River. The lands lying within the western half of the United States are for the most part within an arid climate, and although the soil, when watered, is very fertile, yet the scarcity of water-supply ren- ders it difficult if not impossible for the settler unaided to make a home. During the past twenty or thirty years the de- velopment of agriculture by irrigation has pro- ceeded rapidly, until at the present time nearly all of the easily available sources of water-supply have been utilized. There remain, however, many large rivers whose flow has not been diminished by the diversion of water for irrigation, and also many opportunities for the construction of great reservoirs in which floods can be held until the season when water is required. The construction of the great irrigation systems by which thousands of acres can be rendered sus- ceptible of irrigation requires enormous capital. A number of large enterprises of this character have been built by corporations, but as a rule these have not been profitable. Nearly all of them are now bankrupt, owing to the difficulty of selling lands or water-rights to persons who can successfully till the soil and pay the annual charges for maintenance. Irrigation is an art which requires many years of practice, and the average farmer coming from humid lands meets with so many disappointments and failures that he is apt to become discouraged, and with small means is barely able to obtain sub- sistence, much less to make the payments required by his contract. The canal systems have as a rule cost considerably more than anticipated, owing to unforeseen difficulties or accidents, and the inter- est charges and cost of maintenance have eaten up the resources of the companies, so that the his- tory of most enter])rises of this character has been a series of financial disasters, although the systems as a whole, from an engineering standpoint, have been good. The great ciuestion for the American people is how to utilize the vast area of vacant fertile land so that it shall be used for homes for future mil- lions. With forethought and wise laws it will be jjracticable for a population as large as that east of the Mississippi River to find homes in the West, but with the haphazard methods prevailing and lack of systematic control it is doubtful whether a small proportion of these can be accommodated. The laws governing the public land were made to suit the conditions of the Ohio and Mississippi valley, and the attempt to apply them in the arid West has been disastrous to the interests of the people as a whole, allowing favored individuals to grasp the scanty water-supply, and thus hold in tribute thousands of acres, preventing others from sharing in what should be the common property. 154 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 155 I •i I 11 ! Only a small proportion of the vacant public lands can be irrigated on account of the lack of sufficient water, but even this small amount, being widely scattered, will render possible a large popu- lation. The remaining land is for the most part valuable as grazing, although there are vast tracts originally covered with forests upon which trees will grow if not wantonly destroyed. The public forests, however, have been recklessly pillaged, and fires set by accident or design have destroyed timber and woodland of inestimable value in the future development of the country. The land laws are confessedly poor and their enforcement necessarily weak. Everyone is apparently inter- ested in obtaining what may be of momentary ad- vantage or pleasure to himself with utter disregard for the future. With the reckless destruction of the forests it is believed by many that diminution to the water-supply has followed. ' The public lands being open to everyone, and grazing permitted everywhere, it results that herds and flocks wander at will, pasturage being gov- erned largely by questions of supply of water for drinking. Most, if not all, of the springs have been seized upon by cattle companies, who from this point of vantage exclude others from the vicinity. Where water is comparatively abundant there has been a tendency for the stock to increase to the limit of the food supply, and as a result the vegetation has been eaten so close that many of the more nutritious forage-plants are said to have been exterminated from certain areas. Thus from all sides the public lands are being plundered and their value reduced, while the man who would make a home is at continually greater and greater disadvantage, owing to the fact that apparently no one is charged with the duty of looking to the future and protecting the grazing, woods and water from injury. Since the time of the Revolution the public lands have served as the outlet for the energies of the people. During the prevalence of hard times men out of employment could go West, take up a homestead, and by their own labor secure a com- petence for their children. The public lands are still of enormous extent, and this condition, which might continue to prevail for many decades, has almost ceased, owing to lack of forethought in ascertaining the water-supply and in protecting it so that all men might have opportunities of util- izing it to the fullest extent. The mischief in many localities is now past remedy, but in others it may be possible for the general Government or the States to construct the necessary works by which the fertile arid lands can become the homes of many prosperous people. The experience of the past has shown that these cannot be safely left to private or corporate enterprise. The second lecture was a sequel to the first, and was entitled, '' The Utilization of the Public Lands, ' ' and was also illustrated with maps and views. Mr. Newell briefly enumerated the enor- mous extent of the public lands— the property of the people of the United States — and of the neglect of this valuable birthright. As a result, he claimed that the forests were being destroyed, the water-supply injured or monopolized, and the value of the grazing lands impaired. The easily available sources of water-supply have been taken by individuals and corporations, and ditches and canals built by which several mil- lions of acres have been brought under irrigation. The smaller enterprises have, as a rule, been suc- cessful, and, as in the case with the Mormons in Utah, the farmers dependent upon irrigation have been more prosperous than those of any other part of the United States. There remain oppor- tunities for the construction of many great irriga- tion systems requiring enormous capital, but since it is doubtful whether these can be made to pay a fair rate of interest, it is improbable that investors will risk their money. The construction of these great canals and storage reservoirs is a matter of prime importance to the State and nation, as in the case of harbors, light-houses and other works pertaining to navigation. Although these do not pay directly, yet their indirect benefit is such as to justify large annual expenditures. In the case of irrigation works, there is no doubt but that the cost of reclamation will ultimately be returned, and possibly a small interest on the first invest- ment, so that the Government will in the long run be reimbursed. Before the work of reclamation on a consider- able scale can be undertaken, it is necessary to be fully informed of all the conditions, and to ascer- tain as nearly as possible what will be the probable water-supply. Investigations of this character are being undertaken by the Cieological Survey, maps prepared, and systematic measurements of various streams are made. Not only is the surface supply being ascertained, but a careful study is being carried on of underground structure, in or- der to bring together data concerning the possi- bilities of obtaining water by pumping or through artesian flow. The results of these investigations are published from time to time in the annual re- ports of the Geological Survey and in special bul- letins dealing with various pha.ses of the subject, and known as the ^^ Water-supply and Irrigation Papers." ^i- j When all of the water-supply has been utilized that may be obtainable, it is probable that nine- tenths of the public land will still remain unirri- gated. Much of this is valuable for grazing, and if proper laws are enacted, such that farmers and cattle companies can be secured in their enjoy- ment of certain definite tracts, it will be possible to enormously increase the pastoral industries. A system of leasing must be adopted in the near future, giving preference to the small farmer or settler, so that he may be induced to make a per- manent home. The public forests, so necessary for the growth and development of the country, by furnishing timber and firewood and in protecting the water- supply, should be held by the Government and guarded from fire. The experience of other coun- tries has shown that this can be done at relatively small expense, and the timber used, the young growth being protected, so that the supply is continually renewed. It is practicable to inaugu- rate a system of supervision, which will be amply supported from the sale of timber. The forests, instead of being rapidly destroyed, will tend to increase in value. Before this can be done, it is necessary that the people of the United States awake to the present conditions, and give the matter of their heritage a proper and business- like consideration. The Menace of Treelessness. THE lumber trade is a legitimate and import- ant industry, and one that should be so cherished as to insure its profitable perma- nency But it is now growing at a rate which threatens in the near future its own self-exhaustion and the reduction of this country to the deplor- able and ruinous state of treelessness. The facts cannot be concealed, and should not be ignored. Throughout all the older States of the Union forests have long since practically disappeared. Only a few straggling and stunted remnants remain of the superb sylvan growth that once clothed every hillside. The eff'ect is apparent. Streams that once flowed constantly the year round are now overflowing torrents for a few weeks and dry for months. Springs have dried up. Soil has become arid and sterile. Drouths are more fre- quent. Agriculture is less profitable. The evils that afflict the treeless countries of the Old World are beginning to be felt. Nor are the newer States of the Far West exempt. Their abundant forests are disappearing like snow in springtime, and in their place are coming changes of climate, disturbances of the water supply, and the whole train of evils that forest destruction inevitably entails. It is idle to point to the vast expanses of un- touched woodland that still remain and boast that they are inexhaustible. They are not inexhaust- ible. On the contrary, the time when they will all have been destroyed is now within measurable distance. It is easily within the lifetime of men now living. In 1897, as already stated, our ex- ports of lumber were about 25 per cent, greater than 1896, and 100 per cent, greater than ten years ago. Even at the present rate of cutting, the for- ests would not last long. But at such an increas- ing rate their disappearance is startlingly close at hand. Nor is that all. The figures cited are only those of exports. Domestic consumption is in- creasing still more rapidly. The single item of wood-pulp for paper manufacture means an enor- mous destruction of timber never dreamed of a generation ago. The lumber industry cannot, of course, be abol- ished. Tree-cutting must continue. But it is high time that such regulations were adopted and rigidly enforced as will prevent the utter destruc- tion of forests. That is entirely possible. Not the mere amount of lumber cut, but the amount destroyed, wasted by careless and injudicious methods, is what most counts. Everyone who has visited a great lumber camp knows that more material is destroyed than is sent to market. The smaller trees, not large enough for marketable timber, are regarded as mere incumbrances, to be slashed and burned and got out of the way in whatever fashion may be readiest. The ground is thus entirely cleared. 'Fhe great beds of moss and leaf-mould, hitherto perennial reservoirs of moisture, are dried up. The soil and rocks are exposed, and the country transformed into a desert. What should be done is evident. The small trees should be carefully preserved, so that they may in turn grow to full size, and meantime shade the ground and preserve the forest condi- tions. Lumbering should, in brief, mean a judi- cious thinning out, not a wholesale destruction, of the forest. Tree planting should also be prac- ticed on an extensive scale, forest fires be more scrupulously guarded against, and the woodland area of the country be systematically cultivated instead of ruthlessly raided. Other nations ne- glected the lesson long, but have learned it at last, and now enforce it with a strictness that here might seem despotic. But this nation is bound to come, sooner or later, to some such system of forest conservation, and it will be fortunate if it does not reach it through the ruinous experience of treelessness. — JVew York Tribune. —The durability of wood does not, as some suppose, depend on its weight. Larch, one of the lightest of woods, and locust, one of the heaviest, are alike almost indestructible. Ifl I I 156 FOREST LEAVES. Leaf Variation. THE varying forms of leaves on the same plant always attract the attention of the curious. On the mulberry and others some leaves will be quite entire ; others are deeply lobed. In none of our text -books does there seem to be any explanation of this. From what we read in elementary works, one might almost believe that the tree first formed the nerves of the leaves, as if a sort of skeleton frame, and then spread the green matter of the leaves over it. But it would seem that these veins are to support the leaf— that is to say, to give strength to it. If this be granted, the leaves will not make veins or ribs when it has no green blade that needs this strengthening. When, therefore, there is a low degree of vital energy, and not much leaf -blade material formed, there would be no need of these supporting ribs. May we not, therefore, say that it is from some local weakness in not producing material to war- rant the production of leaf-blade that accounts for the absence of the ribs, and which then re- sults necessarily in a lobe where otherwise the leaf would be entire ? . Lester Bernstein. — Meehans' Monthly for March. ■^ ♦ Dod, Hon. S. Bayard, Hoboken, N J. Dodson, C. Miner, Bethlehem, Pa. Dodson, James S., 136 Church St , Bethlehem, Pa. Drown Mrs. Thomas M., University Park, S Bethlehem, Pa. Dull, Mrs. A. P. L., 211 N. Front St., Harrisburg, Pa. Dull, Casper, Hamsburg, Pa. Edmunds, Hon. Geo. F., 1724 Spruce St., Phi a. Elkins, Wm. L., 1207 N. Broad St., Phila. Ellis, Mrs. Jos. D., Narberth, Pa. Emery Lumber Co., Williamsport, Pa. Fichter, A. B., 351 Market St., Bethlehem, Pa. Foulke' Chas. M.. 2013 Massachusetts Ave. Wash., D.C. Franks, R. A., Care of Carnegie Steel Co., Pittsburg, Pa New Members. INCE the publication of the list of members of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, the following persons have joined the or- ganization : Alexander, Hon. Joseph, Madera, Pa. Allen, Benj. C, S. E, Cor. 4th and Chestnut Sts., Phila. Almy, Edward P., Williamsport, Pa. Alricks, W. K., 213 Market St , Harrisburg, Pa. Amsbry, W. \V., 280 Walnut Lane, Germantown. liailey, J. Trowbridge, 141 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Baldwm, Miss Florence, Bryn Mawr, Pa. Beede, Alexander, Williamsport, Pa. Belin, Henry, Jr., Scranton, Pa. BenneU, George S., Wilkesbarre, Pa. BenneU, Joseph B. A., 1629 Mt. Vernon St., Phila. Betts, Chas. M., 2034 Spring Ciarden St., Phila. Busick E. F. Hills Point, Md. Button! Conyers, W. Walnut Lane, Germantown. Buzby, Miss, The Aldine, Phila. Chapman, Miss Fanny, Doylestown, Pa. Chauvenet, Mrs. S. H., 4120 Chester Ave., Phila. Clapp, Mrs. Nathan 7'., 172^ Chestnut St. Clark, C. H., S. W. Cor. 42d and Locust Sts., Phila. Coates, Henry T., '' Longdale," Berwyn, Pa. Cochran, Hon. J. Henry, Williamsport, Pa. Collins, W^m, J., 1227 N. 8th St., Phila. Cornell, Duble M., Williamsport, Pa. Corson, Mrs. Robert R., The Gladstone, Phila. Coxe, Alexander Brown, Paoli, Pa. Coxe, Charies Edmund, Malvern, Pa. Denniston, Mrs. E. E., S. E. cor. 42d and Locust Sts. Fuguet, Howard, Gilbert, Lyman, Hart, Wm. H., Harvey, Isaac A., Hatfield, Henry R., Heyl, George A., HoU, J. F., M.D., Horstmann, Walter, Johnson^ R. Winder, Lea, Mrs. Arthur H., Lee^ Edward Clint on, Lewis, Miss Anna C, Lewis, Miss Mary D., Lichten, Wm. Lowery, Mrs J. C, The Aldine, Phila. Harrisburg, Pa. Ambler, Pa. Box 117 Beech Creek, Pa. 723 Walnut St., Phila. 125 Chestnut St., Phila. 1935 Poplar St., Phila. 1206 Spruce St., Phila. 26s S. 22nd St., Phila. 232 S. 2 1 St St., Phila. Haverford, Pa. Wyola. Wyola. 1853 Park Ave., Phila. 2115 Green St., Phila. Macfarlane, Prof. James M., Univ. of Pennsylvania, Phila. ■ - 3409 Chestnut St., Phila. 3409 Chestnut St., Phila. Harrisburg, Pa. Narberth, Pa. 3905 Locust St., Phila. Betz Building, Phila. 181 1 W^alnut St., Phila. Boys' High School, Reading, Pa. ♦* Denbigh," Roxborough, Phila. 1 901 Spruce St., Phila. 314 S. Broad St., Phila. 7326 Germantown Ave., Phila. 1823 Green St., Phila. 1608 Market St., Phila. 1608 Market St., Phila. Williamsport, Pa. Stephen Girard Building, Phila. 25 N. Front St., Harrisburg, Pa. Lima, Pa. Wilkesbarre, Pa. 235 E. i8th St., New York, N. Y. Cloverly Farm, West Chester, Pa. Williamsport, Pa. Wilkesbarre, Pa. 237 S. i8th St., Phila. 417 Girard Building, Phila. (Jverbrook, Pa. Manning, Miss Ada C, Manning, Miss Katharine S., McCauley, G. M., McDowell, Miss Louise A., McLeod, Geo. I., M.D., McOwen, Frederic k.^ Mellen, Charles H., Mengel, Levi P., Merrick, J. Vaughn, Jr., Middleton, Mrs. C. W., Miles, Edward 5., Miller, Chas. H., Mohr, Chas., M. D., Morris, Frederick, Morris, Frederick, Jr., Munson, C. La Rue, Norton, Chas. D., O'Connor, Haldeman, (3gden, C. Edgar, Palmer, Gen. H. W., Palmer, M. W., M.D., Park, Richard G., Payne, E. R., Phelps, F. A., Piatt, Charles, Powell, G. W., Pugh, Chas. E., Ray, B. H., Read, Frank, 427 Chestnut St. , Phila Rosemont, Pa. RernhardrMiss Anna C. , Belmont & Monument Aves. , Phila. Rittenhouse, Mrs. J. (}., 22 S. 34th St., Phila. Rittenhouse, J. G., Jr., Roberts, G. Brinton, Rnhland, John, Schenck, Dr. C. A., Schropp, Abraham S., Scranton, W. W., Shackford, J. W., Sibley, Miss Florence, Smedley, Franklin, Smedley, Wm. Henry, Spiegler, C, Strawbridge, Edward R., Pier 22 S. 34th St., Phila. loi (iirard Building, Phila. Drift on. Pa. Biltmore, N. C. Bethlehem, Pa. Scranton, Pa. 14, N. R., New York, N. Y. 235 S. l8th St., Phila. Frankford, Phila. Frankford, Phila. 150 S. Main St., Bethlehem. Pa 801 Market St., Phila. FOREST LEAVES. 157 Taylor, Edward B., Thomson, Frank, Thurston, Prof. CO., Tobey, Frank R., Townsend.J. JV., Tryon, Edward K., Jr., 1428 Pine St., Phila. Broad St. Station, Phila. Kingston, Pa. 3403 Chestnut St., Phila. 81J Harrison Building^ Phila. 1 93 1 Race St., Phila. Valentine, Miss Anna J., Bellefonte, Pa. Van Wickle, A. S., Hazleton, Pa. Vollrath, Miss Clara, Belmont and Monument Aves., Phila. Watson, Mrs. Isabella S., Doylestown, Pa. Webb, Miss EHzabeth Y., 1719 N. i8th St., Phila. Wentz, I. S. Mauch Chunk, Pa. Wetherill, j. Price, 1521 Spruce St., Phila. Wetzel, C. M., 4^7 Girard Building, Phila. Williams, Mrs. Charies, Haverford, Pa. Williams, David E., Bala, Pa. Wintersteen, W. S., 213 High St., Bethlehem, Pa Wolf, Otto C, 1706 Master St., Phila. Italics indicate life members. *••»»■ The Effort to Acclimate the Camphor Tree. THE adaptability of the camphor tree to the soil and climate of certain sections of this country is a subject which has received considerable attention during the past few years. The Department of Agriculture has devoted some time to an investigation of the matter, and it has been found that in quite a large area of this coun- try the tree can probably be cultivated successfully. In a greater part of Plorida, in southern Loui- siana, Texas and California, and in the southwest- ern part of Arizona, it would seem that conditions were favorable for camphor raising without any protection whatever ; while in a narrow strip of territory lying to the north of these it is thought that by protecting the trees from occasional frosts, they can also be raised to advantage. The principal commercial uses of the camphor tree are for the production of camphor gum and camphor oil. It is also considered valuable as an ornamental shade tree, being of rapid growth, long life, and having a graceful form and bright evergreen leaves. The wood is also used exten- sively in cabinet work, as it has a pleasing yellow color, is of close texture, and is susceptible to a high polish. For the distillation of gum and for the production of cabinet wood the camphor tree must be cultivated under the most favorable con- ditions. In order to secure the camphor gum, chips of the wood are taken from the trunk, larger roots and branches of the tree, and are chopped into small pieces, and sometimes pounded or bruised, to facilitate distillation. From 20 to 50 pounds of chips are required for one pound of crude gum. Many different forms of distillation are used, but the fundamental principle which is employed in all is the separation of the gum from the wood by means of steam and hot water. The two rules held to be essential in the production of the gum are : ( i ) The heat must be uniform and not too great (between 212 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit, usually), and it must produce a steady supply of steam. (2) The steam after liberating the cam- phor from the chips must not come in contact with metal, and therefore the condensing apparatus must be of wood or earthenware. The crude gum produced thus is refined before being placed on the market, in order to remove all water, oils, and impurities. The refining pro- cess commonly consists in mixing with the crude gum about two per cent, of its weight of both carbonate of lime and bone-black, and subliming it in closed cast-iron jars at a fixed temperature just below 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the point at which it volatilizes. During the year ending June 30, 1896, there were imported 945,629 pounds of crude cam- phor, valued at $328,457 ; the imports of refined camphor during the same time were 155,027 pounds, valued at $52,811. Since 1887 the amount of crude camphor imported has decreased from 2,873,184 pounds, while refined camphor has increased from 307 pounds to the present figures. Menthol and other peppermint derivatives or compounds, carbolic acid and its derivatives, naphthalin, formaline, and insect powder, are now used for various purposes where camphor was formerly employed. Artificial camphors, more- over, are now produced by various methods, and are of such a high character as to be nearly equal to that produced by the camphor tree. It is therefore evident that if the production of cam- phor from the trees is to be undertaken, it must be done with such care and economy that the gum can be placed on the market at a price low enough to enable it to compete with the cheap substitutes. Resolutions of the Medical Society of Pennsylvania. THE following preamble and resolution were adopted by the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania, at the meeting held in Lancaster, on May 19th, 1898 : Whereas, Inhere are large areas in this State which are naturally poor, high and without mineral value, and from which the timber has been re- moved, and which are abandoned to the fire ; and Whereas, These same areas, so valueless to the individual, are of the utmost importance to the Commonwealth, in the interest of public health u 158 FOREST LEAVES. and for the maintenance of an even water flow in the streams of the State ; therefore, be it Resolved, By the State Medical Society of Penn- sylvania, that the Commonwealth should follow the example of the State of New York and of the most advanced governments of the old world, and possess itself of these areas now, while it may be cheaply done, and before they have become further impoverished. of good roads on the revival of agriculture being particularly noticeable. A Forestry School in New York. Ik f^ OVERNOR BLACK has, since he entered office, been a strong friend of the Adi- rondack forests, and he has done much for their protection. His latest act is to sign the bill which was introduced at his suggestion authorizing the establishment of a college of forestry at Cor- nell University, and appropriating $10,000 there- for. The trustees of the University are author- ized to purchase, with the consent of the State Forest Preserve Board, not more than 30,000 acres of land in the State Park in the Adirondacks, for the purpose of establishing the proposed college. — Public Ledger. * * * * * New York still forges ahead, and has done wisely in making it possible for Cornell University to open up a great school of forestry. Cornell has acted with equal wisdom in making Mr. Bernard E. Fernow director of the new school. His ma- tured judgment and his technical knowledge will now have ample chance to bring forth large results. When will Pennsylvania start her school, of which there are rumors in the air now ? -■^ ■• ♦ ♦ » The Forests of Thessaly. WE have heard so much about Greece in the papers lately that the following descrip- tion by U. S. Consul George Horton of the timber in its largest province, Thessaly, may be of timely interest : Thessaly abounds in forests, consisting chiefly of oak, beech, walnut, chestnut, plataue, pine, etc. The exploitation of these forests is of recent date, being rendered difficult by the wretched condition of roads and the non-existence of forestry laws. Under Minister Tricoupi the Thessalian railroad was built, a system of roads constructed connect- ing the chief agricultural centres, and a forestry commission established. Young men were sent to Germa^iy and Austria for special training in for- estry, and on their return were employed in this branch of the public service. The eff'ect of these measures was immediately apparent, the influence Report of New York Forest Preserve Board. We have before us the First Annual Report of the Forest Preserve Board, of the State of New York, 1898. It is an 8vo pamphlet of 54 pages. The following facts are of interest to us in Pennsylvania : I St. That New York State Forest Lands have been acquired by purchase at tax sales in the first place. 2d. That to render these lands capable of economical management it was necessary that these scattered areas should be consolidated by subsequent purchase. 3d. That lands even when purchased by the State at tax-sales were subject to redemption, and in fact were being reduced by being so redeemed. To secure a suitable forest, and without further delay. Governor Black submitted a bill to the Legislature, which became a law April 8, 1897. This bill provided for the appointment of a commission of three persons, who were to be known as the Forest Preserve Board, and were to be selected from the Commissioners of Fisheries, Game and Forests, and the Commissioner, of the Land Ofiice. The duty of the board as thus specified is to ac- quire for the State, by purchase or otherwise,, land, structures or waters, or such portion thereof in the territory embraced in the Adirondack park, as defined and limited by the fisheries, game and forest laws, as it may deem advisable for the interests of the State. The outcome of this has been that New York has acquired by purchase 250,117 acres at a total cost of $921,699.00, or an average of $3.68)^ per acre. The two final paragraphs of the report state : * ' The money invested by the State of New York in the purchase of these forests is an asset which is readily converted at any time into cash. Can the same be said of any other expenditure by the State? Moreover, this investment will, before long, become a revenue-producing one through the sale of matured timber. << We would respectfully recommend that further appropriations be made for carrying on this work, and that amounts granted may be commensurate with the vast and important interests involved." It is noteworthy that no commission appointed to investigate the forestry problem fails to be im- pressed by the importance of the work. J. T. R. ;-,»., >~---«=^ FOREST LEAVES. 159 ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES MADE BY THE NEW Autoglyphic Process FOREST m^l% Qi? «l|>o THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE . HIlfADBUEHft e^.'^St'p^p^^D 'N HI0HE5T »!'>'' Pennsylvania^ Forestry Association SEND FOR CIRCULAR. FORESTRY SCHOOL AT BILTMORE, N. C. For circular and information apply to C. A. SCHENCK, Ph.D. Forester to the Biltmore Estate. LEl^IS' LEAF CHART. TART 1, NOW HEADY, No.l. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 2. Annual-fruited Oaks : White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3. Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c. No. 4. The Chestnuts and Beeches. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of cash price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered in large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, 1012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, $6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 'West Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. '(r^(^ >J> RATES. I 6 IS insertion. insertions. insertions. I inch, . • $1.00 $4.00 $8.00 'A page, . . 4.00 17.00 34.00 % " • ' 7.00 30.00 60.00 - I " . . 12.00 50.00 100.00 ,; J .» t ii »1 160 FOREST LEAVES. If I I If! r If lit RHODODENDRONS. '^SlV'^l^n The glory o/ every place possessing Rhododendrons is their TWSHlKBjj^fe^ superb bloom in the latter part of May and early June. The xy 11 11^^ W nil TmM^^M magnificent coloring and huge clusters of flowers in so many M shades of pink, violet, rose, purple, and the delicate creamy- .m^^^iHT-^i^H^IIIH^O white, give them the first place among the evergreen shrubs. Even their foliage is beautiful and most effective in the dull m^^F winter months, when their glossy green leaves add a beauty to the otherwise bare shrubbery. The great decorative value of Rhododendrons is now fully recognized, and every year increases their popularity. We take great pleasure in inviting all admirers of Rhododen- "^^ '"*™ drons to visit our Nurseries during the latter part of May and very early days of June, and we feel sure it will afford great pleasure to every one who sees our fine collection of over five SINGLE CLUSTER RHODODENDRON-BLOOM. thousand pkuts lu thc bcauty of full bloom. Single specimen plants, bushy, well furnished, and well budded, at $1.00, $1.50, $2.00, $3.00, $4.00, $5.00, $6.00, and $7.50 each. Hemlock Spruce. Too much cannot be said in praise of this fine native evergreen. Its form is conical, with somewhat pendulous and very graceful branches, while the foliage is fern-like and delicate. A valuable tree for the lawn, and it also makes a fine hedge plant. 12 to i8 inches $o 25 each; $i 75 per 10; $15 00 per 100 18 to 24 inches, 35 each ; a 50 per 10; 20 00 per 100 a to 3 feet, 5° each ; 4 00 per 10 ; 35 00 per 100 3 to 4 feet, 75 each; 6 00 per 10; 50 00 per 100 5 to 6 feet, * 0° each ; 8 00 per 10; 65 00 per 100 American Holly. This is one of America's most beautiful evergreens. Its foliage varies very little from that of the English Holly, and its rich clusters of scarlet berries make a good substitute for flowers in the winter shrubbery. It is hardy in almost any locality, and to insure safety in transplanting the leaves should be removed from the plant at that time. Plants, twelve to eighteen inches, 50 cents each ; $5.00 per dozen ; ^ w.^a, ^^^„^ $25.00 per 100. Andromeda Catesbsei. One of the best shade-supporting plants and very useful for massing as undergrowth. It is a hardy Evergreen 8hfub, with stems of dark green and leaves of bronze, coloring beAutifuUv during the fall and winter seasons, and in the spring it bears a sweet-scented white flower, blooming very early. Plaints, six to twelve inches, 25 cents each ; $2.50 per dozen ; $20.00 per 100. Large plants 50 cents each ; $35.00 per 100. White Pine. One of the most stately and valuable of evergreens ; tall, straight, and handvsome, with slender glaucous leaves. xa to 18 inches, . . . $0 35 each; $2 00 per 10; $15 00 per 100 'MmIUIIH il^WLMB-Uim' ' I x8 to 24 inches, ... 50 each ; 3 00 per 10; 20 00 per 100 ^?^^? —VZ-~^^L. a to 2% feet, 75 each; 5 00 per 10; 35 00 per 100 " "^ aH to 3 feet, 1 00 each; 7 50 per 10; 50 00 per 100 5 to 7 feet, a 00 each ; 15 00 per 10. ^ -=-^.». • WHITE PINC. WILLIAM WARNER HARPER. CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA. ^^r'^ ^^^H Vol. VL Philadelphia, August, 1898. No. 10. Published Bi-Monthly by thc PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, as North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second class matter. CONTENTS. Editorials Pennsylvania's First Forest Re- serves ' Texas Desires National Forest Reserves An Important Forest Function Transplanting and Care of Evergreens Fragrance of Rare Woods... Lumber Weights Leaves of Trees as Fodder Bush Fires in Australia The Manchineal Tree Thinning Trees Swedish Forestry • V'V/o"" Black Birch. Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch. (Betula lenta, L.) (bar- gent, Silva N. A., Vol. IX., p. 50, t. 448.) Chinese Oil Tree Decrease of Stream Flow in New Jersey Lumbermen and Forestry Report of the Forestry Division of Pennsylvania in 1897 Forestry in Ontario, Canada Publications Received 161 162 162 163 164 165 166 166 167 167 168 x68 169 169 170 171 172 173 174 Subscription, $i.oo per Year. The attention 0/ Nurserymen and others is called to the advantag^es 0/ Forest Lbavbs as an advertising medium. Rates will be fur- nished on application. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enact- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both State and National. Annual tnember ship fee , One dollar. Life membership, Fifteen dollars. Neither the membership nor the work of this Association is intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names to /J. B. IVeimer, Chairman Member- ship Committee, 512 Walnut Street, Phila. President, John Birkinbine. Vice-Presidents, Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins, James C. Haydon, Wm. S. Harvey, Richard Wood. General Secretary, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. Treasurer, Charles E. Pancoast. Council- at- Large, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn. Finance, W. S. Harvey, Chairman ; William L. Elkins, Dr. Henry M. Fisher, W.%V. Frazier, Charles E. Pancoast, J. Rodman Paul, and Herbert Welsh. Membership, A]bert B. Weimer, Chairman; Mrs. Henry J. Biddle, Edwin Swift Balch, Charles Chau ;.:ey, Charles W. Freedley, Joseph W. Johnson, and Dr. Samuel Wolfe. Law, Hon. W. N. Ashman, Chairman ; Henry Budd, Henry How- son, and Henry C. McCormick. Publication, John Birkinbine, Chairman ; F. L. Bitler, J. C. Brooks, B. Witman Dambly, and Dr. William P. Wilson. Work, Dr. Alfred L. Elwyn, Chairman ; Mrs Brinton Coxe, Howard M. Jenkins, William S. Kirk, and Richard Wood. County Organization, 'iam.xxcX Marshall, Chairman; Eugene Ellicott, Dr. J. Newton Hunsberger, and Charles G, Ogden. Office of the Association, 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia. EDITORIALS. THE friends of forestry in Pennsylvania are to be congratulated that a practical start has been made towards securing forest reservations by the purchase of 39,000 acres of unseated lands. These tracts are, in the main, of large area, and were selected by Forestry Com- missioner Rothrock, in the counties of Pike, Monroe, Lycoming, Clinton and Clearfield. They were purchased of county treasurers, who offered them for sale on account of default of taxes, and were obtained at prices much below what was estimated would have to be paid. By law these lands are subject to redemption within two years, but it is doubtful if much of the area will be reclaimed at the advanced price which is provided for in redemption. Dr. Roth- rock reports that property thus secured to the State has been cut over, but has a satisfactory young growth coming forward. The practically unanimous approval of these purchases which comes from the press throughout the State is encouraging, and we hope that fur- ther additions to these reserves will be made, for the State runs no financial risk. We would be gratified to chronicle 100,000 acres thus secured by the close of 1898. The favor which has met these purchases also opens the way for immediate action in securing the larger reserves upon the head -waters of our prominent streams, which were provided for by legislative enactment. J. B. 5jC *!» 5j* 5J> 'JS This i£ vacation season, and a suggestion of work in torrid weather may appear out of place. But we would remind our readers that notwith- standing all that has been accomplished, there is much to be done to secure a thorough reform in forest methods. We may for the present omit reference to the issue from a national standpoint, pending some 162 FOREST LEAVES. Mi> I i announcement of policy from the new chief of the Forestry Division. But in the State of Penn- sylvania, where most of the readers of Forest Leaves reside, there is considerable work to be done. On January i, 1899, the Legislature will meet, and the friends of forestry must be alert to see that no backward step is taken, and that, if possible, advance be made. It is not improbable that some effort will develop towards nullifying the good results which the new laws make possi- ble, and all the influence of the friends of forestry in the State must be ready to combat such effort. The stronger the organization, the better can such attempts be defeated, and the members of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association can greatly strengthen it by adding to its roll of members the names of the many who favor the objects of the organization. If enlarged membership is secured the Council can present to a legislator a list of names of prominent persons in his district which will demonstrate that the thinking element are in favor of forest protection. With a strong following in various parts of the State organized and kept advised, the individual members can each be used where influence will be most serviceable. It will not be hard work even in summer weather to personally or by letter secure the co- operation of friends and acquaintances, or to make a list of such and send to the membership com- mittee. Such efl'ort between now and the close of the year will be more serviceable than later. Much has been accomplished ; let us at least hold what has been gained, and see that the laws passed are made effective. J- B. 1 ^ ^ * * * * On T"ly ist an important change was made in the Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C. Mr. (;ifl*ord Pinchot assumed the respon- sibilities of the Division of Forestry, made vacant by the retirement of Mr. Bernard E. Fernow as its chief. The department is to be congratulated upon securing a man so well equipped as Mr. Pinchot to carry on the work of the Forestry Di- vision, and the friends of forestry may also be con- gratulated that this important bureau has not been made a political prize, but that it has been placed in charge of one who recognizes the value of for- ests to the country. The new Chief of the Division of Forestry has made the study of forest problems a specialty, and his association with the planning and development of the Biltmore estate in North Carolma has brought him into prominence. His researches while a member of the National Forestry Commis- sion have familiarized him with the forest resources of the country and the necessity for their protec- tion. He will therefore bring to the department knowledge gained by a careful study of the re- quirements of the country and an experience ob- tained in practical forest culture. Forest Leaves extends to the new Chief of the Forestry Division the best wishes of its readers, and stands ready to support him in all well-considered efforts to make his bureau useful and effective. J. B. * >K * * * Just as we go to press the report comes that Governor Hastings has appointed the Forestry Commission with the exception of an attorney, and will be completed shortly. Pennsylvania's First Forest Reserves. SriNCE June 13th, 1898, the Forestry Com - r) missioner, acting under the Act of March 30th, 1897, has purchased for the State at Treasurer's sales, at a price not exceeding taxes and costs, the following areas of stripped timber- Acres. Perches. In Clinton County, 14,089 137 In Clearfield County, ... • • • i5»o<^ In Lycoming County, 1,53^ In Monroe County, ^244 43 In Pike County, lAOJ 3 Total, 39,277 23 In addition to this, there is at least as much more land in immediate prospect of purchase at very reasonable terms. It is also hoped to secure certain areas in the western slope of the State. This land is, of course, subject to the usual right of redemption for two years, after which, if unredeemed, it becomes absolutely the property of the State. So that at last Pennsylvania may be said to have commenced her system of forestry reserva- ! tion. ^ Texas Desires National Forest Reserves. ¥R. W. GOODRICH JONES, of Temple, Texas, in a vigorous denunciation of the attempt made in Congress to practically nullify the act of President Cleveland on Feb- ruary 22, 1897, authorizing large additional forest reserves, says : Not a nation in Europe, except poor old atten- uated Spain, but has a large, constantly growing protected forest area. I have visited some of these forests and forestry schools, and hope the time will come when the people of the United States will awaken to the importance of this work, FOREST LEAVES. 163 . and that in their halls of legislation they will have representatives who will enact laws for the fur- therance of this great work. By planting nut -bearing and other valuable trees the individual could leave an inheritance for his children more valuable than any life insurance he could afford to carry. By appointing a forestry board and commis- sioner and enacting proper forestry laws each State would be laying the foundation for millions of money to be added to her wealth. By the co-operation of the States of these United States our enormous forest area, now rap- idly disappearing, could be saved and increased for future generations and the country's welfare. Forest fires, the axe of the vandal and the miner, and the saw of the lumber leech, have made most disastrous inroads into the public lands and their stately timber. The fires are due sometimes to lightning, oftener to the reckless camper, and often to the improvident settler, who fires the forest in order to bring a crop of rasp- berries, huckleberries, etc. The miner turns the timber into charcoal, and in a few years naught is left but charred stumps and great, gaunt rocks and boulders. Floods, now unrestrained, sweep down the mountain side, carrying soil and loosened rocks and filling the streams to overflowing. Railroad tracks are washed out and the farmer inundated. Terrible freshets and floods, and equally terrible drouths, are not long in appear- ing, and the agriculturist finds himself ruined. What does he do then ? Why, he and his friends and the men who have ruined him with their van- dalism get up monster petitions to have the Gov- ernment build enormous storage tanks and reser- voirs for water to last through the summer, in place of what nature once did for him in the clouds and in the bogs and wet mosses of the forest. Your correspondent has read these things all from an open page in Colorado and the West. He travelled extensively over the Colorado for- estry reserve last summer, and conversed with some of the men who are tearing their hair on account of not being able to rob and burn up this nation's wealth. He was surprised, however, in finding that three-fourths of the best settlers and persons with whom he conversed were most heartily in favor of continuing the forest reservations. The men, however, whose public pie had been wrested from them, and who had now to go to work and make an honest living on their own capital, were a very large and noisy element. They have orators and newspapers to do their bidding and to stir up the people on fancied grievances, and they have barrels at their disposal when once they get to Washington. We hope and trust that our Texas people will interest themselves in this matter a little, and that they will let our Senators and Representatives know that they wish them to stand by the Presi- dent and the forestry department, and that what we wish is to build up rather than tear down the great natural wealth and resources of this country. An Important Forest Function. I~AR. HENRY DE VARICxNY, Demonstrator __y in the Paris Museum of Natural History, ^ Paris, France, in his prize article, **Air and Fife,"* makes some remarks in regard to a function of the forests which is but seldom men- tioned. The life-giving principle is oxygen, and we know that the entire atmosphere contains over one million billions of kilograms of oxygen ; that nearly one-half of the weight of the minerals of our globe is oxygen; that eight-ninths of the weight of water consists of this same gas ; which is, moreover, abundantly present in the tissues of all living organisms. On the other hand, we know at present of but one source of oxygen — plants. It is a fact familiar to all that i)lants are endowed with the faculty — ascribed to the chloro- phyll contained in their tissues — (this fact is probable, not certain, for chlorophyll has not yet been satisfactorily separated and tested chemi- cally) of breaking up carbon dioxide into its elements ; that is to say, into carbon, which goes to the repair or increase of tissues, and oxygen, which, on being freed, diff"uses itself throughout the surrounding atmosphere. There is certainly one source of oxygen. The existence of others is doubtful. At all events, since the composition of the air remains practically constant, there must be some agency by which the enormous mass of 1 oxygen which is daily, hourly, at every moment ' absorbed in consequence of the organic or inor- I ganic combustions occurring over the whole globe, j is, sooner or later, returned to the atmosphere. Data (^Bclgique Horticolc, vol. xxxv., 1885, p. ! 227) shows that *'one hectare (2.47 acres) of I forest exhausts (during the average 150 days of I active vegetation) the atmosphere of some 11,- ! 000 kilograms, or 5,596 cubic metres of car- j bon dioxide, while in return it yields nearly as ! much (5,594 cubic metres) oxygen.'* It produces yearly 3,000 kilograms of carbon, 1,600 kilo- grams as wood, and 1,400 in the form of leaves. * Report of Smithsonian Institute, 1895, pages 135 to 201. 164 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 165 1 *' w< r I ' I Mil r. When we consider that the air expelled through the nose or mouth contains nearly a hundred times more carbonic acid than was contamed m the same air when inhaled a few seconds before, a man on an average exhaling nearly a kilogram of this gas in twenty-four hours, and animals even more, we can easily see that if some agency were not at work all life would soon be extinct Thirty-two persons give off as much carbonic acid as is taken in by one hectare of forests, and they burn as much oxygen as the said surface of forest produces. Mr. Schloesing's experiments show that when carbon dioxide becomes more abun- dant than usual in the air in consequence of an increased production, and there is no compensatory destruction or withdrawal by plants and such ani- mals as have calcareous skeletons, as coral or shell- fish, it dissolves in the salt water of the ocean, while, inversely, if the amount decreases it liber- ates it Thus it will be seen that only the forests or plants produce oxygen, the animals merely rendering a portion of the carbon inactive, and the ocean acting as a reservoir. Without oxy- gen there would be no life, no animals, nothing but a dreary landscape of rocks. The carbon which plants take from the air, i.e., inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen is per- formed bv the green parts, chlorophyll, which colors the leaves, and must be exposed to the rays of the sun and a favorable temperature ; in dark- ness or too high or too low temperature, it no longer acts. The chlorophyll function is one of nutrition, quite distinct from the respiratory func- tion In the latter function the plants, like animals, absorb oxygen and exhale carbonic aad fras • in the former the reverse is the case. I he function of nutrition is more active and lasts only during the day time, while the respiratory func- tion goes on day and night. It is by the leaves mainly, and by the roots in a lesser degree that atmospheric carbon dioxide is absorbed ; but in both cases the gas must be brought to the leaves, to the parts containing chlorophyll, because these pL/ts only can use them— expel the oxygen and take the carbon. It has been calculated that a wood of 500 adult and vigorous trees yields nearly 4.000 tons of acuieous vapor during the twelve hours of day- light, and about one-fifth of that amount during the night. This instance will show that forests are an important producer of acpieous vapor. They also yield a large amount of vapor when the atmosphere is dry, and a small amount if it is nearly saturated. This vai)or acts as a shield from the sun by day, and serves as a partial pre- ventive of radiation of the heat from the earth at night. F- ^- ■^• Transplanting and Care of Evergreens. THE Minnesota State Forestry Association has sent the following instructions in re- gard to evergreens, which may prove use- ful to some of our readers : As to the best time for transplanting ever- greens, experience has proven that, while ever- greens can be transplanted with comparative safety at any time between April and November, if proper precautions are used, the best time for the operation is in the spring, when the soil has become somewhat warm and friable and the buds are just beginning to swell, but before growth has actually commenced. If the work must be done before the proper time, the trees should be pro- tected from the effects of cold and drying winds until the middle of May or until the roots take hold in the soil and can take up moisture, or many of them will be pretty sure to die. As the name implies, they are always in foliage, and the drying winds are searching through the branches and evaporating the natural moisture from the foliage, causing a severe draft upon the vitality of the tree, which can be greatly obviated by suitable protec- tion, but such protection is hardly practical ex- cept in small plantations. The best size of ever- green trees for timber planting or for ornament, except it be trailing and shrubby kinds, are those from fifteen to thirty inches high that have been nursery grown and transplanted in the nursery at least twice, thus having insured a good root sys- tem When bales of evergreens are received from the nursery they should be unpacked at once the roots wet with water that is not too cold and then heeled in immediately into mellow soil and kept there until they can be planted. Never allow the roots of an evergreen or any other tree to be exposed to the wind or sun while moving them to the planting place, and un- til they are put into the ground keep them well covered with a wet blanket or have them standing in a tub of water. We like best to set them on land where a hoed crop was raised the previous year and that was plowed in the fall, then fitted for i)lanting with a thorough harrowing just before planting. In setting, the holes should be amply large to receive the roots in natural position, with- out cramping or crowding. Judging from ac- tions, many persons suppose that a tree may be planted like a post— that the main object is to hx it in the ground, so that it will not fall over— for- getting that it has vitality to be preserved, and that the vitality Is often a very delicate thing ; and so they open but a small hole, jam the roots into it, and fill up with clods and sod or whatever is most convenient. After the hole is properly dug place the tree in just the position it is designed to stand, first putting enough fine earth in the bottom of the hole so that it shall not be too deep, and with every root in the right position. Next work the finest of soil in amongst the roots, using the hands to make sure that it comes in contact with every root and fibre, and that there are no air- spaces left, and press very firmly about them. After the roots are covered the balance of the filling may be done with a spade, and the firming by tramping with the feet as the work proceeds, finishing off with an inch or so of fine loose soil on the surface. No manure should be used in the holes, and great care taken that the hard lumps and sod are kept out. Of course if the soil is so wet that it does not crumble freely, or if water is turned into the holes while setting, then tramping should be delayed until it becomes sufficiently dry, but the hand-work about the roots must not be neglected. The trees should be set about one to three inches deeper than they stood in the nursery, and if the ground is in the right condi- tion it is best to apply a mulching about them at once. If the trees were good and well-rooted, carefully dug, rightly handled, and properly planted, every one will live and the principal part of the subsequent care is to keep them from being run over or broken down by stock, keeping grass and weeds from robbing them of moisture, and an occasional renewing of the mulching for a year or two or a frequent stirring of the surface soil with hoe or rake. If it should be necessary to water at any time the watering is best done at night or when the sun is not shining, and an occasional washing of the foliage with syringe or spray-pump, using clear water as warm as the atmosphere, and doing it after sundown or on cloudy days is often very beneficial. Trees taken from swamps or forests or that have not been transplanted in the nursery should be partially shaded from sun and dry winds until they become established in their new homes. A cheap way for protecting the newly-set trees is to drive two stakes on the south side, about three feet apart, and a few inches from the tree ; tack burlap or gunnysack-cloth on to them, or nail on strips of board, with narrow spaces between. A favorite practice for watering is to make a few holes with a crowbar a foot or so from the tree, and turn the water into them in- stead of over the surface of the ground. By this method it sooner reaches the roots and a less quantity will be needed, especially if the trees are kept properly mulched. — It is reported that common pine 01 basswood becomes almost indestructible by soaking in a solu- tion of one part blue vitriol and twenty of water. Fragrance of Rare Woods. THE satinwood smells the best, the cedar next, the rosewood and mahogany only a little when tested individually, but all to- gether give out an odor that comes to the senses refreshingly. You notice it first, and don't know where it comes from. Then nearer inspection shows the mill. '' What is stuff like that worth ?' ' you ask of the mill superintendent, as the long, thin laths of old rose-tinted mahogany curl out from under the machine and are placed in the desired position. '' Twenty cents a foot," is the answer. '' That is West African maghogany, and the veneer is to be used in car -building. That rope pattern that shows so plainly in the grain of the wood is very rare. The log they are sawing over yonder is East Indian mahogany, and the one in the further room San Domingo. We have no Cuban mahog- any in now. There are three schooners, all loaded in a Cuban port now, kept back by the blockade. Cuban mahogany makes the best port- able articles. It admits of very easy and delicate turning and is an easy wood to handle, popular with cabinet-makers and builders. This mill, where only foreign-grown logs are dealt with, is an interesting place to visit. When you see the smooth folds of shiny-hearted ma- hogany rolling off like great water crisps from the machine that deals with them, you think of the jungles where the trunks were grown and the pri- meval conditions they sprung from. At the mouth of the gangway below the stairs, where the logs are waiting, end up, to be tugged in from the lighter, they look much alike, mud-colored, worm-eaten; some with knotty contortions on them, and ugly hollows extending deep through the outer layer. They seem like old, old patri- archs who have served their day. Once the heart is laid bare, however, by the delicately adjusted saws and cutting-machines, the tree's individuality shows out plainly. All the little life-lines, veins and fibres show on the surface, tinted variously, and of a smoothness and gloss delightful to see and tempting to the touch. The East Indian mahogany log that is being sliced into conveniently thin veneer pieces makes an oasis of vivid vermilion color in the mill-house. It has no damask, uniformly running pattern like the African mahogany, but a fine little design of its own in the wood-veins, and the dust that falls from it, as the saw mows through, clouds the workmen's clothes and settles in red drifts along the track and on the outlines of the carrier. Not a single bit of this rarely colored sawdust is wasted. The chemical factories use it in their I r ill '■ i B I 'i i^- 166 FOREST LEAVES. manipulations for making certain medicines and correctives, and the dyers count it of value. In cleaning furs, also, all the dust and the Je/?ns from this wood that can be pulverized are of use. For manipulating white furs the sawdust from the light-colored woods, like satinwood and birch, is in demand, and where the dark fur skins are in question the darker dust is used. The San Domingo mahogany is not bright- colored like either its rose-tinted or vermilion- hearted cousins, but it has a fine chintz pattern checkering its heart, all freckled in brown and ecru, on a very smooth cream-tinted surface. New-sawed rosewood is sold by the pound in- stead of by the foot, but it is so hard and work- resisting that it is rapidly being abandoned for the softer woods. ' ' The solid-panelled rosewood doors in the old mansions of New York are not likely ever to be duplicated," said the mill man. ^< We get less and less rosewood each year, and it is now only used for making musical instru- ments and rare cabinets, or exceptionally fine tables and tabourettes. The furniture -makers and house-builders to-day have not the patience to bother with the hard woods when the others, more amenable to work, yield results just as satis- factory. Most of our cedar now is used for cigar- boxes and chests for storing clothing. '' Nothing from this mill is ever thrown away; even those wabbly -looking slabs, outside pieces, that you see piled in the corner there, are already sold. Billiard cues, policemen's clubs, dies that the print- ers use, will be made of them, besides other arti- cles. Since veneering has come into vogue and the furniture -makers have found out so many ways of using it, machinery has been brought out for making it better and more expeditiously than ever before. That machine that is cutting up the African wood has been only just put up. It can manage a longer log by four feet than the old machine just back of it, and can take care of a log that is thicker and heavier. Each piece of veneer is dried separately in the racks outside before it is ready for sale. The steam is turned on at night in the drying-room, and does the work in two or three days." — JVew York Sun. weights and classified them. In all hardwoods excepting soft elm, butternut, black ash, bass- wood, Cottonwood and poplar, it has been the usual custom of dealers in computing freight charges, to figure dry stock at four pounds and green stock at six pounds per foot, and make allowance as in their judgment the character of the wood and locality might warrant. Hard- woods in the South, particularly oaks, are harder and closer grained than in the North, and hence heavier. The table presented below is about a general average, and needs only a slight adjustment in a few of the hardwood i)roducing states. The fig- ures given are in pounds per looo feet ; Lumber Weights. T N making this table, says the Hardwood Rec- \ ord, we appreciate the fact that it won't ex- "^ actly fit everywhere, owing to the difference in texture of the same kind of timber in different localities. In some cases where there is a wide difference in weight, as, for instance, between northern and southern oak, we have given two Dry. Ash, white, 3200 Ash, black, 3000 Basswood, 2200 Beech, 35oo Birch, 3500 BuUernut, 3^00 Cedar, 2P^ Cherry, 3500 Chestnut, AP^ Cottonwood, 2800 Cypress, 30°^ Elm, rock, 4000 Elm, soft, 3000 Cum, 3500 Hickory, ' • 45^0 Maple, hard, 4000 Maple, soft, 35^0 Oak, white, northern, 4000 Oak, white, southern, 4200 Oak, red, northern, 35o<^ Oak, red, southern, 4000 Poplar, 2800 Sycamore, 3CXK) Walnut, • • 4000 Yellow pine, 3CXX) Qreen. 5000 4500 3500 5500 5500 5000 5500 6000 4000 5000 6000 5000 5500 7000 6000 5500 5500 6000 5000 6000 4000 4500 6000 M Leaves of Trees as Fodder. R. J. C. MONAGHAN, United States Consul at Chemnitz, France, says that the '' Scarcity of hay is compelling Euro- pean farmers to feed leaves to their cattle. France leads in this movement. The French recommend exclusively the leaves of the hazel, aspen (tremb- ling poplar), ash, elm and willow. The yield of the leaves of these trees to 100 parts is : Kind. Protein. Aspen, 4 Ash, 4-4 Elm, 4-7 Willow, 4-9 Hazel, 5-8 Extracts. 26.7 26.3 24.6 25 26.3 Wood pulp. 7-3 5 7 7 5 5 6 4 8 Ashes. 2 3.8 31 2.7 2.1 a The leaves, after being gathered, are spread on the barn-floor to the depth of 3 to 4 inches, FOREST LEAVES. 167 \ and are turned once a day. They dry in from three to five days, according to the weather. When dry they are piled up ready for use. It is profitable, before serving, to prepare each day's supply twenty -four hours beforehand. There is mixed with the leaves to be served each day a small amount of chopped-up turnips, leaving the whole to ferment. Just before feeding, clover hay or lucerne is sometimes added. This food has been found especially good for milch cows. " Young shoots and branches of trees with their new leaves are picked off every five years and fed to sheep. These animals are very fond of the aspen because of its resinous and sweet buds. Willow leaves and bark mixed with oats are re- garded as a very pleasant, nutritious, and strength- ening food for horses. ''It is not good to feed the leaves green; in fact, the cattle prefer them dried. Again, they should be served only with other fodder. The bitter and astringent juices, even in the dry leaves, unfit them for wholly taking the place of hay or other foods ; they are a good auxiliary, especially at a time when other foods are dear. When the leaves are young they contain a large quantity of nitrogen. As the season advances this grows less, as do also their nourishing properties. When to begin to harvest the leaves is therefore an impor- tant point. Farmers who have experimented say that July and August, when the leaves are full grown, is the best time. '' Experiments were made with potato leaves, but the results were unsatisfactory. They should be used only in times of the greatest scarcity, and only then to save the live stock. The potatoes, robbed of their leaves, suffer much more than is made up by their leaf value for fodder. Bush Fires in Australia. THE AustraHan mail brings details of the bush fires in Victoria, the occurrence of which in January was cabled from Mel- bourne. All the county of Buln Buln, which con- tains large tracts of forest, was one mighty con- flagration, and has been changed from one, of the most prosperous and contented dairying districts in Victoria into a vast wilderness of ashes. Ex- cepting for the tall, gaunt tree-stalks charred from root to crown, the face of the country for miles around has been swept so clean, says the Arirus, that one would think a blade of grass had never grown on it. Of the homesteads, only the chim- neys remain, like tombstones in a cemetery. Here and there lie bodies of once valuable stock. How the fire originated is not known, but where a continent is a tinder-box, such catastrophes need no explanation. And '' when a bush-fire has once taken hold of a timbered country it scorns," as the Australasian explains, *'all efforts to ex- tinguish it ; fanned by the hot wind, it sweeps along the grass with tongues of flame, flares among the scrub, and leaps with prodigious bounds from tree to tree. Such on a vast scale was the scene of terror and of grandeur which the residents of the devastated district have witnessed. Working in heat like the blast from a furnace, bounded by volumes of pungent smoke, and with the roars of flames in their ears, they fought for their lives and the lives of those dearest to them." An eye-wit- ness declares that the flames jumped from branch to branch and from tree-top to tree-top, sometimes over as much as fifty yards of intervening space, while the whole atmosphere seemed to be ablaze. "■ It looked as if the smoke was charged with some kind of gas, for, as it travelled before the wind, it seemed to break out into great sheets of flame, ig- niting by its touch everything it came in contact with." And the sun and sky were blotted out by the dense black pall of smoke that almost blinded and suff'ocated all whom it overtook. The destruction of living animals and all sorts of property was of course enormous, and only de- vices of ready promptitude and pluck averted ter- rible loss of human life. The Manchineal Tree. DR. J. T. ROTHROCK, Forestry Commis- sioner of Pennsylvania, has prepared the following article warning our soldiers against the injurious eff'ects of the manchineal tree : *< The manchineal tree grows along the seashore of Cuba and the West India Islands generally. It is from forty to fifty feet high, has oval, pointed, toothed, shining leaves, which are from three to four inches long. When the fresh leaves are pulled off" a drop of milky juice comes from the leaf stem. The fruit, which is very tempting, is yellowish-green, fragrant, and somewhat resembl- ing an apple in shape. If bitten into, it makes the mouth very sore, and may produce serious results. *' After handling any part of the tree, root, leaves, or fruit, rubbing the eyes may cause them to become seriously inflamed. Mucous mem- branes, such as the red margin of the lips or eyes, are particularly subject to its poisonous eftect. <*It is said by many of the natives to cause poisonous eff'ects even if the tree is not touched, but by simply being in its neighborhood. Many 1 i ^ ii »>'i ', ii 168 FOREST LEAVES. it persons are alleged to have been injured from being under the tree during a shower, when the drops of water fell upon them from the tree. Some persons are more sensitive to the effect of this poison than others. In fact, there are a few who are not affected by it at all, just as is the case with our poison oak or poison ivy, the chief difference being that the manchineal affects the mucous membranes, above alluded to, more than the skin proper, whereas the poison ivy affects the skin much more frequently than it does the mucous membranes. *^Many persons of experience in the tropics assert that it is unwise to camp near this tree. If poisoned by the manchineal, and beyond reach of a surgeon's help,, the best thing to do is to wash the affected part freely with salt water. This tree is sometimes called by the natives the man- zanilla. ' ' ^_ Thinning Trees. THE great beauty of many trees lies in the horizontal spread of their branches. In laying out ornamental tracts, trees have to be planted closer together, for immediate effect, than would be desirable at a later stage. They require thinning out after growing together for a number of years. But this is seldom thought of by the planter. When the necessity for thinning arrives, he cannot do it, as it sacrifices trees he has learned to love. Henceforward they have to go on struggling with each other as best they can. After the trees have journeyed well on toward maturity there is nothing gained by thinning. Trees advanced in years will never assume a pretty horizontal spread of branches. To cut away mature trees does not benefit those left, but rather places them in an ugly light. It is better to leave them do the best they can together. One cause of the short lives of many trees is the strug- gle with each other for the scant supply of food. In this case, though thinning will do little good, a liberal surface -dressing of manure will work wonders. — Meehans' Monthly. — H. B. St. Clair, a member of the Capitol Building Commission, has returned from a visit to Northern Arizona. Mr. St. Clair visited Chalce- dony Park, at Holbrook, to ascertain whether the agatized wood could be used in the new capitol building as stair trimmings or bases of pillars. His impressions were entirely favorable. It is the intention to place in the capitol building all the various kinds of building material to be found in Arizona. — Los Angeles Times, Swedish Forestry. MR. JAMES DOUGLASS, in a paper en- titled ^* Notes on the Stockholm Expo- sition and the Iron and Steel Trade of Sweden," says that the most interesting exhibit was that of the Kopparberg Company, a concern which traces back its active history to the thir- teenth century. Enormous quantities of wood are consumed as fuel in melting the copper and iron ores produced by this company and manufac- turing the crude materials into finished blooms. The company's operations extend over three provinces. Thev own 736,000 acres of forest- land, which is traversed by 1,700 miles of lake and water-courses. At the Munkfors works an area of 200,000 acres supplied first-class wood for pulp, second-class for lumber, and third-class for the manufacture of about 30,000 tons of metallurgical products. The Crown forests, which cover some 8,000,000 acres, or one-sixth of the forest-land of Sweden, are scientifically cut over and preserved, and the forest-domains of the large iron companies are also scrupulously husbanded, only the increase being cut. A very large tree is seldom seen in Sweden, as it is found most economical to cut spruce and pine after forty years' growth, when the butt has attained a thickness of from eight to ten inches. . The sawdust from the mills, bark, twigs, and every particle of combustible vegetable matter, is made into gas in producers. —Arizona has the largest virgin pine forest in the w^orld. It stretches from near Flagstaff for 170 miles southeast, reaching New Mexico, and having an average width of forty miles.— Z^^ Angeles Tunes The meeting of the national *'Park and Outdoor Association ' ' was held at Minneapolis, Minn., June 2 2d to 25th, inclusive. Forestry was prominently brought forward on June 24th, by the following papers: -Tree Planting on Public Streets," by Charles M. Loring ; -The Esthetic Side of Forestry," by B. E. Fernow, and -Park Woodlands and Plantations," by J. A. Pettigrew. Several of the other papers also made allusions to trees. Mr. E. J. Parker of Quincy, III., told of a Chicago man who had spent $2,000 in moving the finest tree in Cook county to his cemetery lot, and there having it planted as his monument. Mr. P. H. A. Baisley, of Detroit, described 250 acres of natural forest on Belle Isle, and declared his intention of so keeping it. \ ii 1 Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. id. BY J. T. ROTHROCK. COPYRIGHTED, 1898. «ll ' |i COPYRIGHTED, 1898. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. id. BY J. T, ROTHROCK. TRUNK OF BLACK BIRCH-SWEET BIRCH-CHERRY BIRCH. (Betula lenta, l.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. BLACK BIRCH-SWEET BIRCH-CHERRY BIRCH. (Betula lenta, l.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. V/ Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. io. BY J. T. ROTHHOCK. Hi COPYRIGHTED, 1898. U '. ' BLACK BIRCH-SWEET BIRCH-CHERRY BIRCH. (Betula uENTA, l.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. ' I I COPYRIGHTED, 1898. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. io. BY J. T. ROTHROCK. TRUNK OF BLACK BIRCH-SWEET BIRCH-CHERRY BIRCH. (Betula lenta, l.) CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE :' I i (I (! ( I, II it FOREST LEAVES. 169 Black Birch, Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch. (Betula lenta, L.) (Sargent, Silva N. A., Vol. IX., p. 50, t. 448.) THIS was one of our very valuable species of trees, but owing to this fact it is now one of our scarcest. It is at present most fre- quently seen clinging on steep, rocky ridges and mountain sides, where its hard surroundings have reduced it in size and produced a misshapen, crooked form, which but poorly indicates what it is on those richer grounds from which it is now almost wholly exterminated. The trunk bark of the black or cherry birch is often much like that of the wild cherry, though the resemblance is strongest when the birch has grown on a fairly good soil. The difficulty of distinguishing between the trees is greatest in winter, though at this time one may find, in the birch, bud masses of young flowers which are to develop the following season. Those of the cherry do not appear until in the month of May or June. In addition to this, if you chip out a small bit of bark from the birch the odor is at once character- istic. A similar bit from the wild cherry gives that peculiar prussic acid odor which is also recog- nized in peach leaves. Of course when the leaves appear the diagnosis is easily made, for those of the black birch are ovate, or between that and oblong. They are also more or less taper-pointed, shining green on the upper surface, dull on the lower, almost as broad as long, and sharply and irregularly toothed. The leaves of the wild cherry are thicker, more narrow, lance-shaped, only about half as broad as long, and with minute, regular, incurved, cal- lous-pointed teeth. The fruit of the cherry is just what its name would indicate ; that of the black birch is a dry, scaly, oblong cone, about an inch long and half an inch in diameter. They are therefore smaller, and, one may add, darker colored than those of the yellow birch, which was described in the last issue of this journal. The scales making up the cone of the black birch are a little over a quarter of an inch long and those of the yellow birch are nearly half an inch in length. Male flowers of the black birch, like those of the yellow, appear in elongated clusters, well- formed the autumn before they are wanted, and open up in the following spring. They are from two to four inches long, and usually there are sev- eral on or near the tip of the young branches. Most of our valuable trees have but a single danger to contend with. The black birch, in ad- dition to its great value as a lumber, also yields abundantly what is sold for ' ' oil of wintergreen. ' ' Hidden away in the secluded parts of our moun- tains one constantly meets the shanties and the ** stills" of those who are engaged in its produc- tion. The young trees, mere saplings, are cut up for the purpose. At first the business was lu- crative. It seems to be less so now. There is a danger that it may become so again because of the increasing scarcity of the material upon which to operate. Thus will be destroyed in great part not only the less important product, the oil, but the greater one, the lumber. The black birch with us seldom attains a greater height than seventy feet or a greater diameter than two feet. It is a smaller tree than its relative, the yellow birch. Here it is used only as lumber for furniture and for the production of oil of win- tergreen, though in Nova Scotia it furnishes a strong, but short-lived, ship timber. The wood of the heart is mahogany-colored, that of the sap is light-brown or somewhat yellow. It is a tree of wide range along our Atlantic seaboard, growing from Newfoundland to Florida, but not growing west (apparently) of Kentucky and Tennessee. Its physical properties are thus given by Pro- fessor Sargent: Specific gravity, 0.7617; per- centage of ash, 0.26; relative proximate fuel value, 0.7597 ; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 47.47 ; relative strength, 10. Chinese Oil Tree. ¥R. GEORGE F. SMITHERS, Consul at Chungking, China, gives the following account of the Chinese oil tree in the Consular report, taken from E. H. Parker's work, <^ pounds). The cake manure is chiefly esteemed in the cultivation of the best tobaccos in the northern parts of Szechuen. Inhere are two varieties, known as the autumn (ch'in) and fire (hwo) cake, the latter containing less oil and being a trifle cheaper than the former. The chief uses of the t'ung oil are to varnish boats, feed lamps, varnish houses and furniture, make umbrellas and water-proof cloth, and manu- facture the best ink. This is done by obtaining the soot resulting from the combustion of lamp- wick grass {Cypenis difformis, Linn) and t'ung oil in a small furnace. Of late years it has also been used for building forts, forming with tripar- tite earth (sau-ho-tu) of lime, sand, oil and clay, a material almost as tough as granite. In the district of Nau-Ch'uan there are said to be two subspecies, one a small tree, the fruit of which has only two '' figs." The other kinds have four, six and eight ''figs," or lobes, each containing two kernels. The nuts are also distinguished as the round and flat. The flower of the white nut is white, that of the yellow nut red, and that of the mouse -colored (ma) speckled (tsa). The crushing of the t'ung oil is done in the following way : The kernels, having been removed from the husks, are first ground in a stone mill, and then steamed in a wooden tub until they become soft. They are in this condition placed within twenty- four iron hoops, about 18 inches in diameter and half an inch in thickness, and separated from each other by about i inch, the whole resembling a huge screw or sausage. This is then placed hori- zontally in a sort of hollow horse, or strong wooden frame, and an arrangement of wooden blocks and wedges is laid across one end of the sausage, the other resting against the inner end of the horse. Two of the wedges are very much longer and stronger than the other blocks, and are strongly capped with iron at the ends facing the operator. One, thick at the inner and very thin at the outer end, is driven in so as to compress the cake ; whilst the other, thick at the outer and thinner at the capped end, is used to release the cake when ready. A battering-ram, strongly capped with iron, swings from a beam of the building, running at right angles to the direc- tion of the ram and parallel to the direction of the horse with its sausage-like contents. A man swings the ram twice or thrice backward and for- ward, and finally brings down its heavy cap with great force on the iron head of the wedge, which, advancing, of course tightens the blocks and scjueezes the pulpy mass. The oil drops down into a sort of gutter running round a basin or cis- tern, and is conveyed away by bamboos to other receptacles. Twelve cakes, each about i^^ inches in thickness, and weighing each about 14 catties ( 18 pounds), are taken from the twenty-four iron hoops. Before being used as manure, these cakes are once more triturated. The local retail trade in the t'ung oil is conducted at the rate of 20 ounces to the pound. Decrease of Stream Flow in New Jersey. i ry^HIRTY years ago, at Pleasant Mills, in Atlantic county, N. J., there was a supply of water ample to drive half-a-dozen paper- mills like the one built there. One of three small streams yielded a surplus when an old-fashioned water-wheel furnished the power. Now all three streams and the greater Mullica river are thrown together by canals and dams, and with the latest machinery cannot keep the same old mill running on full time during dry seasons. Forest fires have so cleaned up contiguous forests, burned out cedar swamps, and denuded the surroundii>g country, that water sinks into the ground or runs quickly away as it falls, there being no carpet of vegetable formation to hold it and no foliage to prevent rapid evaporation. An immensely valuable mill privilege has greatly depreciated, thousands of acres of wood, swamp and timber land have been ruined by fires that have been accidentally set or maliciously started. All this can be restored by a few years of intelli- gent care and prevention of forest fires. A State forester, with active co-operation in every county, could accomplish a great deal and restore vast forest areas, in time, to their original value and beauty, benefiting water supply, game propaga- tion and climatic conditions, worth many times their cost, to say nothing of the value of the wood and Wxwh^x.— Daily Union, Atlantic City, N. /. -The Meterosideros Liicida, or Southern Rata of New Zealand, is a small tree, from thirty to sixty feet high. Its timber is tough, and is much used in shipbuilding. The Rata in England is a greenhouse shrub. FOREST LEAVES. 171 Lumbermen and Forestry. MR. W. WILLARD ASHE, Forester for the State of North Carolina, in an article in the Northwestern Lutnberman, bear- ing on this subject, says : In the first place, the feeling of antagonism that the lumbermen claim those advocating for- estry evince towards them does not exist, at least not among those who are best informed of the changes needed, and most earnest in their advo- cacy of improvement. Undoubtedly the cause of better management has been afflicted with a cer- tain number of fanatics, who claimed that the axe meant destruction, and the saw -mill ruin ; and that, too, at the outset, when cool reason was most in need ; closely followed, too, by the tree-plant- ing enthusiast, who went to the other extreme in advocating general tree-planting as a means of remedy. Tree-planting undoubtedly has to be done in some cases, and even in the United States, as in many parts of the prairie States, but it is to be undertaken by farmers as a possible source of fuel and small timber for their own use ; at least that is all that can be hoped for at pres- ent from such plantings. The lumberman has nothing to do with planting, however, and it is surprising that such a thing should be seriously considered, when most of our forests reproduce themselves so freely from seed with only the slightest assistance, whenever the conditions are favorable. And there may indeed be some places where it would be ruinous to cut the timber, as is claimed. But if it is to the lumberman's advan- tage to cut it, he should proceed. If the damage to the community is irreparable, the municipality or State interested should secure possession of it for its own protection. This much I can say : That for the lumberman neither tree-planting or letting timber stand and rot is forestry ; but his everyday business is. That is, cutting trees for the money that is in it, no matter in what way it is done, or what may be the consequences ; whether ample precautions are taken against fires, or no such precautions; whether means are taken to secure a valuable re- crrowth or no means to obtain one. It does not matter ; it is forestry. It may not be the best sort of forestry, but it is one sort ; and just so long as it pays best it is the best forestry, at least for the lumberman. And just so long as the lum- berman cuts timber so long is he to that extent a forester ; for cutting timber is as much a part of forestry as cutting wheat is a part of agriculture. It is true, it is said, that tree-planting is bemg done on some of the large estates of this country, but I am in a position to know that in each case it is not done as an advisatory forestry measure, but rather as a means of heightening or securing some natural beauty of the landscape, and that the necessity for it is cesthetical and not economi- cal. There are places where I advocate planting, as on abandoned hillside fields, to prevent wash- ing and gullying, but it is as a protection for soil, and not for any anticipated returns from the tim- ber of the trees. Nor is it to be expected that the production of merchantable trees, the size and age of the large yellow poplars, will ever become a feature of any forest management. Nearly all trees grow much faster in youth than in old age, and after they have reached a certain size and age the rate of growth, and the total amount of wood that is yearly formed, materially decrease. When trees have reached this age, if at that time they com- mand sufficient market value, is the time when the forester of the future will decide that they shall be cut, and a new crop started in their place. But the great problem to-day before those in- terested in forestry, not only those interested in the forests of the future, but also those which at present have merchantable timber in them, is forest protection. The greatest danger which threatens the forests, both the mature timber and the im- mature, is fire. The amount of timber that is destroyed by fires, including the merchantable timber, the value of which is easily reckoned, and the young growing stock, of which no account is taken, is enormous, and will probably exceed in value what is legitimately cut by the lumbermen and converted into lumber. The amount of young growth destroyed will fully equal the mer- chantable timber in value. This is a matter in which the lumberman is vitally interested. There are many kinds of timber which are not seriously injured by fires ; there are many lumbermen who have escaped any loss at all on this score. But there is no reason why all should not be interested in any movement with one of its chief objects in view the stopping or lessening such unnecessary waste. Stringent laws will never prevent it until there is a public sentiment to enforce it ; and if the lumbermen, the class that is chiefly interested, cannot give it their support, no other people as a class can be expected to. In the eastern United States the perpetuity of the lumber industry will certainly largely depend on the protection of the lumbered lands. Too often, when it is too late, it is realized that on account of better facilities for handling, or ability to use smaller material, or the increase in value of stumpage, lands lumbered fifteen or twenty years ago could again be cut at a good profit if they had not been burned. So far as maintaining the proportion of valuable FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 173 til: |i ' h i m 172 trees in a young growth is concerned, or increas- ng the proportion, especially in mixed woods, thftTsamat^terwhich only a skilled person can rSulate one who thoroughly understands the re- Sonship of the various trees to each other and he exac conditions under which they best grow. But S respect to those trees which grow nearly unm xed with other kinds, as the spruce, hemlock and Southern pines, and to a less extent white Sne >m.ch can be done undoubtedly by jud.cious cuUing to secure a very valuable regrowth of the tre" From measurements of the rate of growth hat' I have made, I believe that in the case of the rap dly-growing Southern pines, any m,ll which S'hls^n viel a supply of t.-ber^^^^^^ f, twenty years can, by correct cutting f nemetual i no extra expenditure, turn this into a pepetua^ j suDDlv Undoubtedly the supply of spruce can , be geatly lengthened by the same method of cu - dnf and that of white pine to some extent, , Lough not so largely as in the case of the ^cn th; em Dines The young trees, when the cover is Sroff by the rUoval of the old tre^ so tha they secure full light, make rapid M:o^^ th b. every case promising young trees should be spared and, instead of cutting them for f'dways, cordu- roy roads, causeways, ties for ogg.ng rail. ay heds and saw -blocks for trees to be felled across uees of ot£r less valuable kinds should be select- ed or crooked or defective ones. it is protection and less waste, and more sys- tematic Ld rational cutting that those advocating forestry most earnestly desire, and not tree-plant^ ing or letting mature timber stand and go to decay. Report of the Forestry Division of Pennsylvania for 1897. ii' THE Annual Report of the Department of | Agriculture for 1897, part i, has been is- sued, an 8vo. volume of 897 pages, bound in cloth, containing, besides the general review of the Secretary, reports by the heads of the d visions of Economic Zoology, Forestry, Dairy and Food, Veterinary, as well as the results of tobacco experi- ments and 'special investigations. The ,>ort.on in which our readers will be particularly interested Ts that prepared by Dr. J. T. Rothrock, Commis; sioner of Forestry. It states that the work thus ^accomplished has been done f^K^d"-^- lines and the public has placed the seal of its ap pSon legislation which a few years ago would have been regarded as radical A fi/^J it ^^^J the best policy to dispose of the State lands to settlers'but now it is recognized that the good of the greatest number requires a certain portion of the soil should remain as public property, to be nanaged for the public in order that the natural laws upon which the prosperity of the State de- pends be not violated. He then explains the ad- vantages and causes leading to the change in sen - inent which has .resulted in the rebate of taxes on growing timber, the acquisition of lands sold at tixes- sales by the State (such portions of which as are not suitable for agriculture being allowed to grow up in young timber and pro- tected from forest fires), the imposition of a pen- alty if County Commissioners fail to erret out the originators of forest fires, as well as the authorization of peace officers to arrest Jithout warrant persons suspected of starting them. He ITso quotes from the official reports of <-ermany, sho^N^g that the forests in the Dukedom of Olden- furg from 1886 to 1896 have yielded annual in- comes over expenses of from $12,000 to $35.°oo. Saxony-Gotha%895-.896, ^owed a net anmial profit of $233,646 or $3-^5 per acre Saxoy J. 1. K. —From the line of the West Branch of the Sus- quehanna River to one thousand seven hundred feet above tide, thriving clumps of white pme and hemlock are growing at intervals, to show how strong the reproductive tendency is. 174 FOREST LEAVES. FOREST LEAVES. 175 Publications Received. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. III. By Nathaniel Lord Britton, Ph.D., and Hon. Addison Brown. 588 pages, 4to, bound in cloth, illustrated. Published by Charles Scrib- ner's Sons, New York, and for sale by all book- sellers. Price, $3.00. This is the third and last volume of this valu- able and comprehensive work, comprising de- scriptions of the various families and species, from Apocynaceae (Dogbane) to Compositae (Thistle). Dr. Nathaniel Lord Britton, Director-in-Chief of the New York Botanical Garden, and Emeritus Professor of Botany in Columbia University, and Hon. Addison Brown, President of the Torrey Botanical Club, are to be congratulated on the succcessful completion of this work, which has required years of labor to compile. The number of species figured in the whole work is 4,162, comprising 177 families and 1,103 genera. This includes all the new determinations to January i, 1898. At the beginning of the volume is a gen- eral key of the orders and families, while at the close is a glossary of special botanical terms, a complete index of all the Latin names, and an English index of the popular names of the various plants. In these volumes each specie, as wxll as the leaf and fruit, is briefly and tersely described, its botanical and common names given, and also its range of growth ; each of the descriptions being accompanied by plates showing the stalk, flower and fruit. It is a complete reference -book for the botanist, and a valuable addition to any library. Report on Examination of the Forest Reserves. By Gifford Pinehot, Mareh, 1898, //. 118. This most important document has remained, for w^ant of room, too long unnoticed by us. It defines the boundaries of the forestry reser- vations ordered by the General Government, de- tails the destruction by forest fires, gives the rela- tion of the forests to water-flow, as well also as the relation l)etween mineral, agricultural and pasture-lands and the reservations. Under head of Administration Mr. Pinchot has presented a carefully digested plan for the care of these lands in the interest of all the industries in- volved. This, he admits, is not an ideal plan in the final plan, but rather a tentative one, based on the financial j)ressure of the times. Still it is a good plan, and infinitely better than anything we have had up to date. It involves a total expendi- ture of $70,000 annually. A mere pittance com- pared with the good likely to be accomplished. We cannot, for want of room, follow in his de- tailed statement of the features and administration of each of the reservations. He calls attention to thirty -one species of trees as giving character and importance to the reservations. Mr. Pinchot has given us a carefully prepared paper, which would vastly simplify the legislative problems growing out of reservations if it were carefully read by those whose duty it is to provide for them. We have before us the Third Annual Report of the Chief Fire Warden of Minnesota. Naturally this deals largely with the relations of fires to the forests of that State. It is encouraging to note that while he estimates the value of the standing timber of the State at $100,000,000, he enumerates only 66,020 acres as burned over, and places the total amount of damage for the year 1897 at $22,455. Certainly this is a small matter as compared with the damage hitherto done each year in Pennsylvania. It is to be noted, however, that he distinctly mentions that 61 per cent, of the forest fires were extinguished or controlled by fire wardens and the citizens who assisted them. Under head of ' ' Outlines of a Few Lessons in Forestry," Mr. Green has contributed eight pages to Mr. Andrews' report, for use of the teachers of the State. It is a distinct, helpful addition. There is also brief allusion to what is being done in forestry in other countries, and also in the States of our own L^nion. His allusion to our own Commonwealth is pleasant and encouraging. Thus : *' But it was reserved for the State of Pennsylvania, the past year, to make a most important forward movement in forestry. She advanced all along the line on the double-quick." Mr. Andrews then quotes approvingly and in some detail the laws passed at the last session of our Legislature. Whatever Mrs. Cornelius Stevenson does, she does well. Her Fourth Annual Address as Presi- dent of the Civic Club is just what we might ex- pect from this gifted lady. It outlines with great clearness the many direc- tions in which the Civic Club has reached out for better home, municipal. State and General Gov- ernment life. It is amazing into what a number of fields the keen scrutiny and wise suggestions of the Club has entered. Surely the;-e is hope for the future with such a power at work. The friends of forestry all over the State have cause for congratulation, first, because the Club has already so frequently lent us its cheerful assist- ance, and, second, because of friendly mention in Mrs. Stevenson's address. ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES MADE BY THE NEW Autoglyphic Process FOREST LEI^VE^. o<||>o THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF nA% •■Oi^'n^MED Vn HIGHEST fl&O'' OF THE SEND FOR CIRCULAR. FORESTRY SCHOOL AT BILTMORE, N. C. For circular and infonnation apply to C. A. SCHENCK, Ph.D. Forester to the l^iltmore Fstate. Pennsylvania Forestry Association LE^WIS' LEAF CHART. PART If NOW READY. No. 1. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 2. Annual-fruited Oaks : White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3. Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c. No. 4. The Chestnuts and Beeches. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of cash price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered in large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, $6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 West Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. The attention of the advertising public IS called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, 1012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. '^ " . . 7.00 30.00 60.00 1 " . . 12.00 50.00 100.00 176 FOREST LEAVES. RHODODENDRONS. The glory of every place possessing Rhododendrons is their superb bloom in the latter part of May and early June. The magnificent coloring and huge clusters of flowers in so many shades of pink, violet, rose, purple, and the delicate creamy- white, give them the first place among the evergreen shrubs. Even their foliage is beautiful and most eifective in the dull winter months, when their glossy green leaves add a beauty to the otherwise bare shrubbery. The great decorative value of Rhododendrons is now fully recognized, and every year increases their popularity. , We take great pleasure in inviting all admirers of Rhododen- drons to visit our Nurseries during the latter part of May and very early days of June, and we feel sure it will afford great pleasure to every one who sees our fine collection of over five thousand plants in the beauty of full bloom. Single specimen plants, bushy, well furnished, and well budded, at $1.00, $1.50, $2.00, $3.00, $4.00, $5.00, .00, and $7.50 each. Hemlock Spruce. Too much cannot be said in praise of this fine native evergreen. Its form is conical, with somewhat pendulous and very graceful branches, while the foliage is fern-like and delicate. A valuable tree for the lawn, and it also makes a fine hedge plant. SINGLE CLUSTER RHODODENDRON-BLOOM. xa to i8 inches, $o «5 each ; $i 75 per 10 18 to 24 inches, 35 each ; 3 50 per 10 a to 3 feet, 50 each ; 4 00 per 10 3 to 4 feet, 75 each ; 6 00 per 10 5 to 6 feet, I 00 each ; 8 00 per 10 American Holly. This is one of America's most beautiful evergreens. Its foliage varies very little from that of the English Holly, and its rich clusters of scarlet berries make a good substitute for flowers in the winter shrubbery. It is hardy in almost any locality, and to insure safety in transplanting the leaves should be removed from the plant at that time. Plants, twelve to eighteen inches, 50 cents each ; $5.00 per dozen ; 125.00 per 100. Andromeda Catesbcei. One of the best shade-supporting plants and very useful for ma.ssing as undergrowth. It is a hardy Evergreen Shrub, with stems of dark green and leaves of bronze, coloring beautifully during the fall and winter seasons, and in the spring it bears a sweet-scented white flower, blooming very early. Plants, six to twelve inches, 25 cents each ; $2.50 per dozen ; $20.00 per 100. Large plants 50 cents each ; $35.00 per 100. White Pine. One of the most stately and valuable of evergreens ; tall, straight, and handsome, with slender glaucous leaves. ^15 00 per 100 20 00 per 100 35 00 per 100 50 00 per xoo 65 00 per 100 la to 18 inches, 18 to 24 inches, a to a^ feet, . . 'X'Yz to 3 feet, . . 5 to 7 feet, . . $0 35 each ; $2 00 per 10; $15 00 per 100 50 each ; 3 00 per xo ; 75 each ; 5 00 per 10 ; X 00 each ; 7 50 per 10 ; a 00 each ; 15 00 per 10. 20 00 per 100 35 00 per 100 50 00 per 100 flflDOHf^fl flUI^SEl^IES, CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA, WILLIAM WARNER HARPER. Philadelphia, October, 1898. No. II. Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 25 North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second class matter. CONTENTS. Editorials '77 How Manila Hats are Made 179 The Scarcity of Hickory 180 Summer Meeting of the American Forestry Association 181 New York State College of Forestry • *^i Vegetation and Scenery in the Metropolitan Reservation of Boston 182 Scandinavian Forests *°2 Yellow Poplar 183 The Red Spruce (Picea nigra, Link, rubra, Engelm.). (Sargent, Silva N. A., Picea rubra, Link.) ^84 Forestry in Wisconsin ^85 Lafayette Arbor Day *86 Sanitary Relations of Our Highlands to the Stale 186 New Publications '9o F Subscription, $1.00 per Year. The attention of Nurserymen and others is called to the adzumtages of Forest Lbavbs as an advertising medium. Rates will be fur- nished on application. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, FOUNDBD IN JUNB, 1886, Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enact- ment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both Slate and National. Annual tnember ship fee. One dollar. Life membership. Fifteen dollars. Neither the membership nor the work of this Associationis intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names X.o A. B. IVeinier, Chairman Member- ship Committee, 512 Walnut Street, Phila. President, John Birkinbine. Vice-Presidents, Herbert Welsh, Howard M. Jenkins, James C. Haydon, Wm. S. Harvey, Richard Wood. General Secretary, Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock. Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John P. Lundy. Treasurer, Charles E. Pancoast. Council at-Large, Mrs. Brinton Coxe, Rev. Alfred L. Elwyn. Finance, \f ."6. Harvey, Chairman; William L. Elkins, Dr. Henry M. Fisher, W. W. Frazier, Charles E. Pancoast, J. Rodman Paul, and Herbert Welsh. Membership, Mherx. B. Weimer, Chairman ; Mrs. Henry J. Biddle, Edwin Swift Balch, Charles Chauncey, Charles W. Freedley, Joseph W. Johnson, and Dr. Samuel Wolfe. Law, Hon. W. N. Ashman, Chairman ; Henry Budd, Henry How- son, and Henry C. McCormick. Publication, John Birkinbine, Chairman : F. L. Biller, J. C. Brooks, B. Wiiman Dambly, and Dr. William P. Wilson. Work, Dr. Alfred L, Elwyn, Chairman ; Mrs Brinton Coxe, Howard M. Jenkins, William S. Kirk, and Richard Wood. County Organization, ^a.mue\ Marshall, Chairman ; Eugene Ellicott, Dr. J. Newton Hunsberger, and Charles G. Ogden. Officb of the Association, 1012 Walnut St., Philadelphia. EDITORIALS. AMIIJARITY with the various phases in the history of the movement for forest protection encourages the belief that one of the causes contributing to the advances made is what may properly be styled the *' common sense " of the advocates of forest reform. While enthusiasm has been exhibited, and this enthusi- asm has often been maintained under most dis- couraging conditions, there have been few in- stances brought to our notice where it has not been controlled by discretion. The Pennsylvania P'orestry Association in its infancy announced that the organization was not formed to quarrel with those who make use of the forest resources, and it has among its mem- bers some of the large lumber operators of Penn- sylvania and of other States. The Association has studiously avoided unnecessary antagonisms, but has fearlessly condemned the useless destruc- tion or criminal waste of forest products. In urging legislative action, those who control the policy of the Association have refrained from any affiliations with political parties or factions, and have asked that measures advocated receive support because of the good offered to the entire community. Reference is made to the Pennsyl- vania Forestry Association because we are best acquainted with its work, but similar endorsement could be given to the policy of other forestry organizations. We urge all friends of the forests to continue in the line of effort outlined above. Trees are given by the Creator to man for his use, and the abuse or waste of these blessings is criminal, but true forestry means the judicious utilization of the forest growth. Forest preservation is for the good of the whole people, and is not a question for political parties to use as a means to obtain or hold power, or for factions within parties to employ to advance 178 FOREST LEAVES. selfish interests. It is necessary that every friend of forestry should watch the course of future legis- lation, so as to guard what has been secured, for selfish motives may cause attacks upon some of the laws made to protect our forests. The realization that so few mistakes have been made in the advocacy of forest reform while gratifying, should not make us careless as to the future. Nor should the fact that political pitfalls have been avoided keep us from being alert to the possible entanglements which may be at- tempted by those who expect to gain personal ends by the use of organizations which have en- rolled many of the best citizens. J. B. J|C ?j^ ^j> *^ ^^ A St. Louis man congratulates himself upon being the patentee of a tree disfigurer described as follows : ^ ^ The construction of this sign and hanger consists of gas-pipe tubing, with clamp around the trunk of the tree (bolted), the length of the pipe or arm projecting flush with the foli- age of the tree, supported by either an upper or lower brace of same material and fastenings. The sign proper is five feet in diameter, made of gal- vanized iron." The inventor, in advertising this sign, says : ** Owners of vacant lots often object to the erec- tion of a high bulletin-board on their property, because it obstructs the view of the lot, thereby making it unsalable. The tree sign not only removes this objection, but, on the contrary, beautifies the appearance." The patentee proposes improving on nature by scattering through the foliage of our trees signs painted in striking colors, setting forth the claims of various patent medicines, bicycle sundries, cheap clothing, etc. These signs are round disks, placed ^* flush with the foliage," and supported by iron clamps, which, if secured sufficiently to withstand wind- pressure, will damage the trunks or principal branches of the tree thus beautified. Thus, besides off'ending the eye, the signs will necessarily throttle the tree growth. When the advertising agent who had appro- priated roofs and sides of buildings bespattered paint on rocks in picturescjue localities, we felt that he had reached the limit. But the genius which will scatter through our forests, our parks, or along our roadside shade trees gaudy signs, is entitled to be considered the patron saint of landscape desecrators. A drive or ramble through one of our parks will surely be more varied, even should it be less attractive and enjoyable, if the authorities permit these circular signs, placed ^^ flush with the foliage " of the trees to beautify them. Undoubtedly, had the brilliant mind which suggested these tree signs been consulted when the Creator designed the trees, he would have pro- vided by nature for accommodating the adver- tisement on every tree. But he was not con- sulted, and the trees, as nature made them, are things of beauty, of comfort, and of utility, which should be protected against desecration. J. B. *^ *^ ?j^ n^ *T^ General Daniel H. Hastings, Governor of Pennsylvania, as authorized by the last Legisla- ture, has appointed four of the five members of the committee to examine and select three forestry reservations of not less than 40,000 acres each, one at the head-waters of the Delaware River, one at the head-waters of the Susquehanna River, and one at the head-waters of the Ohio River. It is expected that the fifth member will soon be ap- pointed, and it is hoped that this will be done shortly, so as to enable the committee to select the lands and make its report as soon as practi- cable. The four members appointed are as follows, the first three being members ex- officio : Dr. J. T. Rothrock, Forestry Commissioner and Secretary of the Pennsylvania Forestry Asso- ciation, needs no introduction to our readers. His eminent fitness for the position is well known, and his intimate acquaintance with the forested and cut-over lands throughout the State will be of great value. Dr. George C. Groff*, President of the State Board of Health, is at present in Porto Rico, where his good services have given him the rank of sur- geon in the army. He is supposed to determine the relation of the lands selected to the public health. Major I. M. Brown, Assistant Deputy -General, has long been associated with the land Office, and the knowledge gained will make him familiar with the titles to the land, value, etc. The engineer member is Mr. Albert Lewis, of Bear Creek, Luzerne County, a member of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, a prominent lumberman, a man of great executive ability and energy, and known to be favorable to the forestry movement. His appointment gives general satis- faction. ***** Among the signs of promise that multiply from month to month we have to call attention to the fact that owners of timber land are commencing to seek the rebate in taxes which the passage of the bill, introduced during the last Legislature by the Hon. Ziba T. Moore, now renders possible. Let every owner of timber land remember that if he has an acre of ground which has on it fifty trees that at six feet above the ground haveadiam- FOREST LEAVES. 179 y ' } eter of eight inches, that he can receive annually | from the Commissioners of his county a sum equal I to 80 per centum of the taxes he has paid for that \ year, provided that this per centum shall not j exceed forty-five cents per acre. This law embraces any area up to and includes fifty acres. It may be said that in money value this is small return. We do not think so. It is not for one year, but for as long as the owner allows these trees to stand. For fifty acres it would aggregate twenty-two dollars and fifty cents annually. Or in ten years it would mean $225.00 cash in hand, with the trees still remaining as an available asset. For less than this sum many a fifty -acre tract in this State has been despoiled of trees which re- quired half a century or more to attain this growth — and when the trees were gone there was no income. The law specifies no method of obtaining the money beyond ** making due proof" that the con- dition of the trees entitles the owner to the rebate. What that method shall be will depend greatly upon the Commissioners ; but it may be wise to add that no County Commissioners will be justified in intentionally making the proof so difficult as to defeat the purpose of the bill. This question is already opened in several of the counties of the Commonwealth. For years our agricultural community has been i seeking relief from the burden of taxation under i which they labored. This law was introduced and passed in their interest. It is to be hoped the farmer will force it into the publicity it de- serves. It is a rational law under any circum- stance, and is particularly commendable because of its fitness for existing conditions in this State. J. T. R. ***** The Commissioner of Forestry has recently been adding to the lands already purchased for the State. On July 30th 3716 acres were purchased at Treasurer's sale in Pike County, and on Sep- tember 20th 3482 acres were obtained in the same county at Commissioners' sale. The last has be- come the property of the State, with no chance of redemption by its former owners. The purchases thus far made in this State since June 13th aggregate 48,865 acres. * ijc ;H * * As this issue of Forest Leaves goes to press telegraphic reports from various portions of the country announce widespread destruction of for- ests by fire. Colorado, Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin dispatches state that great conflagra- tions are destroying valuable timber in each of those States, and in some cases houses and settle- ments are sacrificed with the loss of life. The immediate money damage will be measured by millions of dollars, but under the most favor- ah\e conditions generations must pass before the timber can be restored. Great areas of blackened tree trunks will be added to the enormous territory already full of relics of former greatness. The conserving influences of forest cover and forest floor have been lost, and freshet and drought will alternate with greater severity. Probably the growing crops fed by irrigation ditches hundreds of miles from some of the burned timbered areas will suffer, and the farmers lose by this devastation of the forest. J. B. How Manila Hats are Made. THF acting French Consul at Manila says : ** There are no hat factories, properly speaking, in the Philippine Islands. Hat making is a ' family industry,' to which the natives in certain provinces devote themselves when the work in the fields does not keep them out of doors. The men, and even the women and children, devote a part of their spare time to this kind of work, which is very well adapted to their indolent disposition. And, it might be added, the time spent in making one of these articles seems exces- sive. *' The fibres which are employed in the making of what are called Manila hats, and which are also used in making shirts, matting and cigar- cases and other articles in use in the Archipelago, are secured from *buri,' a kind of palm very plentiful on the islands. The very tender leaves from the tops of the trees are used, and there are two methods employed in their preparation. '* I. The top of the palm, after being cut off*, is opened, spread out and dried in the sun. When it is dried the spines are removed by means of a * bolo,' or pruning-knife. The central rib of the leaf is separated, and the leaves are then smoothed and rolled out by means of a very smooth i)iece of bamboo. The manipulator then plaits or inter- weaves these leaves with one or another, accord- ing to the size he wishes to give the mats, or whatever it may be he is making. With the ribs which are removed are made brushes and ropes. ** 2. The same method is employed in sepa- rating the leaves and the ribs, and the leaves are placed in vinegar till they shrivel up. Then they are dried in the sun. Once dried, they are put into flowing water for twelve hours and then dried again ; once more they are soaked, this time only a little while, after which they acquire a beautiful white color, and they are left exposed to the dew. ** These operations completed, the natives pro- 180 FOREST LEAVES. ceed to flatten them out by means of sticks of bamboo prepared for the purpose, and to roll them and braid them for making hats of various shapes and sizes, which are put on the market by the piece or dozen. *^ When the workman has finished this sort of a woof of the desired size, he commences the hat at the brim, then passes to work on the crown. The ends of the braids are sharpened into points so that they can be more easily interwoven one with another by means of a little piece of bone. The j time an ordinary hatmaker requires to make a hat varies according to the height of crown and width of brim. On an average four hours are necessary for the making of an ordinary hat, about six hours for a large one, and as much as eighteen hours for one of a very fine quality. **From ^buntal,' which is the fibrous part of the heart of the ' buri,' there is extracted by hand a certain (juantity of delicate fibres, which serve equally well in the making of hats, shirts, and cigar-holders. This work, which requires much more time, is usually done by the women, who, to protect their fingers, cover them with a sort of long thimble of hide, which permits them to roll up the fibres as they are extracted. They take out thus as many as twenty fibres, one after an- other, and wash them thoroughly in a mixture of water and vinegar, in equal parts, and then dry them in the sun. After being thoroughly dried, they are selected according to their fineness and whiteness, and are stretched and rolled on a small spindle, whence they are removed as needed." The chief countries to which the output is sent are China, United States, England and Singapore. The Scarcity of Hickory. THE condition of the hardwood lumber market in respect to the supply of hickory indicates that this wood is not now avail- able in sufficient quantity to meet the natural de- mand. There is practically no stock of hickory in dealers' hands anywhere, and so little at the mills that it is getting to be very difficult for users of it to get together what they need. The larger consumers no longer rely ui)on the market to fur- nish what they require already manufactured ; they contract it from the mill people in advance of cutting, and even then are obliged to travel over a good deal of country to get what they want. Of course the trouble with hickory is that it is nowhere very plentiful, and as it has always been used more or less, the supply of it, never large, js so nearly used up that its scarcity is beginning to be noticeable. It is a wood that is widely distributed, but is always scattered, never forming more than a comparatively small percentage of the forests in which it is found. It is a slow grower, so that reproduction does not sensibly increase the supply. It is evident from present conditions that some other material will have to be used in place of hickory to a very large extent. Rock elm is al- ready taking its place for many purposes, and for others jjecan is accepted as the next best thing, and a very satisfactory substitute. No doubt the use of both woods will be extended as hickory becomes still more difficult to obtain. It will doubtless be found in the case of hickory, as of some other woods, that there are many uses for which it has been considered indispensable whose peculiar recjuirements may be satisfactorily met with other w^oods, or even with metallic substi- tutes. It is an article of faith with many people that nothing can equal hickory for the spokes of light carriage-wheels, but it is noticeable that the motor cycle builders do not use it, preferring the suspended type of metal wheel with spokes of wire. The durability and initial strength re- quired for this service must be even greater than that needed for horse-propelled vehicles, and if they are better for that, why are they not also ac- ceptable as substitutes for the old wooden wheel ? This is merely referred to as showing incidentally the possibilities in the way of substitute devices and materials that may in the future render us independent in a measure of many varieties of wood. Meanwhile the important thing for the lumber- man, and especially the saw-mill man, to bear in mind is that any hickory which he may have or be able to get into his possession is decidedly a valual)le asset, and one that should not be parted with unless for a satisfactory «////>/ />n> quo. The firm and higher prices ruling for hickory are not the ordinary temporary fluctuations of the market, due to a passing scarcity, but one indicative of the fact that hickory is not to be had, as formerly, in (quantities sufficient to meet the demands of anybody who could be induced to use it. The practice hereafter should be to reserve the stock for those to whom it is most necessary, and w ho can therefore afford to pay the best prices for it ; and generally, no doubt, it will be found the best ])olicy to cut it to order. Stock dimensions are for lumber that is in common use, and is available for a large variety of purposes ; stuff that is scarce and only used for a few things can always be more profitably handled if cut on order into just the sizes and shapes the user finds best suited to his requirements. — St. Louis Lumberman, FOREST LEAVES. 181 " \ Summer Meeting of the American Forestry Association. THE special summer meeting of the American Forestry Association was held at Boston, Mass., August 23d, 24th and 25th. On the morning of the 23d reports were presented by the representatives of the various States present, indicating the advances made, and in the after- ternoon the party visited West Medford to inspect the Middlesex Fells. A short session was held, and in the evening the party returned to Boston. On the 24th, General Appleton gave an im- promptu illustrated lecture on the Yosemite Val- ley and the City of Boston. A meeting was held at Horticultural Hall on the 25th, Dr. B. E. Fernow presenting a paper on ^*The New York State College of Forestry," and Prof. William R. Lazenby read a paper on **The Need of Forestry Experiment Stations." Papers of Mr. Allen Chamberlain on ** Means Which a Forestry Association Can Employ to Ad- vance Practical Forestry," and Prof. W. J. Beal on **The Next Move in Favor of Forestry in Michigan," were read by title. After remarks by Messrs. Ashe, Cary, Fernow, Francis, Bowdich, Olmsted and Egleston, Dr. Schenck read a paper on ** Forestry as Applied to Reservations Used as Parks." After some general remarks and an announcement of the meeting to be held in Omaha in September, the meeting adjourned. The North Carolina Geological Survey has issued Bulletin No. 6, entitled *' Timber Trees and Forests of North Carolina," by Messrs. Clif- ford Pinchot and W. W. Ashe. This report con- tains 227 pages, and is embellished by numerous illustrations of some of the various native forest trees and maps showing the distribution of the different varieties. The first portion of the report contains a key for the determination of the larger North Carolina forest trees, the general arrange- ment of size and shape, of leaves, fruit, etc., being briefly set down, followed by the name of the tree, enabling one who is unfamiliar with the various species to recognize them. The differ- ent species are then taken up in detail and de- scribed, their range given, and in some instances indicated on maps, while illustrations of some of the more important trees accompany the descriptions. Mr. Ashe contributes a statement of the various forest regions of the State, giving an account of the soils, present condition of the forests, and suggested improvements. The whole forms a valu- able treatise on the forests of North Carolina. New York State College of Forestry, at Cornell University. JN a recent issue we noted that such an institu- tion as the one above named had been de- cided upon. The full announcement lies before us. It will open with the College year at Cornell University. Two things strike us as particularly notew^orthy. First, that an attempt will be made to furnish a full, elaborate course in forestry for those w^ho desire it and are able to pay for it. Second, that for those who are unable to take such a course of study, shorter, more elementary ones are provided. This is as it should be. We are of the opinion that the shorter courses will be for the present the best patronized. We think this is unfortunate, but, nevertheless, great good must come even from this. It will be a gain to the country at large to have those who have even a passing knowledge of forestry scattered among Our people. They will be the pioneers who will develop a better condition of affairs and make a larger de- mand for advanced knowledge. To-day the forest owner finds great difficulty in hiring men whom he can trust to thin out his woodland. There is an utter lack of knowledge upon even so simple a matter as this. The Cornell school will supply, before long, men to whom the friend of forestry can trust his acres. Beside this, it will do much more. It will lead to a development and application of forestry practice specially suited to our climate, soil, trees and commercial wants. At present its faculty proper is made up of Jacob Gould Schurman, A.M., D.Sc, LL.D., President. Bernard E. Fernow, LL.D., Director of the College, Dean of the Faculty, and Professor of Forestry. Filibert Roth, Assistant Professor of Forestry, Forest Manager and Instructor in Timber Physics and Technology. The Instructor in Silviculture and the Sui)erin- tendent of the College Forest remain to be ap- pointed. In addition to the above, thirty other members of the Cornell Faculty give general instruction to the Forestry students. A school so well launched and officered cannot but be successful. It may have its tribulations, to start with — new educational enterprises usually do ; but there is need for it, and it will earn success for itself and do a good work for the country at the same time. J. T. Rothrock. 182 FOREST LEAVES. Vegetation and Scenery in the Metropoli- tan Reservation of Boston. 7\ FORESTRY report, written by Charles /^ Eliot, 82 pages, bound in cloth, and ^ profusely illustrated. Laurson, Wolfe & Co., Boston. This excellent paper on the Metropolitan Reservation, already previously de- scribed ill Forest Leaves, was the last report written by Charles Eliot, being published with the approval of the Metropolitan Park Com- mission by D. L. &: J. C. Olmsted. It gives a record of the condition of the reservations in 1896 as regards vegetation, and a treatise on the methods of controlling and changing the vegeta- tion in the interest of scenery. The principal types of vegetation are those dependent chiefly on topographical conditions and those dependent chiefly on the interference of man, the first mentioned being subdivided into (i) the summit, and (2) the swamp, and the latter into (3) the coppice, (4) the field and pasture, (5) the bushy pasture, and (6) the seedling forest. Each of these various types is taken up in detail and discussed, the illustrations aiding the explanations. If the suggestions made are carried out, the future vegetation and scenery of this beautiful Boston Park system should be greatly increased. From Col. Wm. F. Fox, Superintendent of the New York State Forests, we have received the very handsome report of the ** Fisheries, Game and Forestry Commission*' of that State, The volume is in every way worthy of the great Com- monwealth from which it comes, and is a model which other States might well follow. It has 521 pages and 84 beautiful illustrations, most of them full page and some of them colored. It must have been a very expensive book to publish, but it would be a mistake to suppose that the money was therefore not well invested for the State. The fact is that just such publications do more than anything else to encourage the feeling among the citizens upon which the proper protection of woodlands and water ways depends. Such books have in a double sense an educational value. First, they familiarize us with the natural objects of which they treat and convey accurate knowl- edge upon them, and in the second place, they vastly encourage healthful desire to be among them. This is the most certain guarantee for their proper care by the State. Aside from all the general attractiveness of the volume there are full business statements as to cost of and income from the various divisions of the commission's work. J. T. R. Scandinavian Forests. THE forests of Sweden cover 46,663,404 acres, or about 45 per cent, of the total land area of the kingdom. The lumber produced from these forests is of excellent quality. The habitat of the growth being so far northward, the annual increment is slow and the grain of the conifers is consequently fine and comparatively firm. The slowness of the growth of the woods of Sweden militates against rapid reproduction when once the timber has been cut off. How long the present rate of cutting can continue is a question of grave importance, not only to Sweden but to the United States and Canada, as the lum- ber of the two last countries named is a direct competitor in the European markets with that of the eastern hemisphere. The opinion is held generally that the amount of lumber now annually cut largely exceeds the growth of the forests, and must result at an early period in the rapid dimin- ishment of the total supply. More than one-quarter of the entire wooded area of Sweden, or 14,300,000 acres, belongs to the crown. This is valued at J 13, 588,000, or at nearly $1 an acre. In 1888 the crown timber lands yielded an income of $335,000. These royal timber preserves are managed with scrupu- lous care. All Sweden is divided into forest dis- tricts, and these, in turn, into sub-districts called revirs. Each district is under the supervision of a chief forest inspector, and each revir is guarded by a forest ranger and a number of underkeepers. The crown forests are managed on the principle that the increase alone may be cut, and that the forest itself — the capital stock, so to speak — shall stand forever on all crown lands unfit for cultiva- tion. Furthermore, the government has entered on an extensive and practical system of planting forests on desolate and uncultivated areas. These excellent official measures have had a marked effect on the owners of private forests, teaching them by example the feasibility and profit of forest preservation and culture. Especially is this true of large proprietors, many of whom are now managing their timber lands as sources of in- come. Under these influences it is probable that the forests of Sweden, to a considerable extent, will remain in perpetuity despite the onslaught that is being made upon the forests accessible to the Baltic ports by the numerous mill operators on that coast. The forests of Norway cover 19,175,000 acres, or about 25 per cent, of the total land area of the kingdom. Since 1875 the forests have been con- siderably reduced. Woodlands owned by the state or communities are estimated to cover 2,500, - FOREST LEAVES. 18^ ■^ I 000 acres. The value of public and communal forests is estimated at $4,000,000, though occupy- ing only i2j^ per cent, of the aggregate forest ground of the country. In recent years the de- crease in the forest resources of Norway has alarmed the government, and it has purchased extensive tracts from private owners. A system of rational forestry has been devised and put in practice, by which it is hoped to arrest the decline in total supplies. It is proposed to restrain by law the disposal of private forests and the cutting of young trees. This matter has been taken up by the legis- lature.— T/ie Northwestern Lumberman. Yellow Poplar. MR. C. A. SCHENCK, Ph.D., Forest As- sessor to the Government of Hesse- Darmstadt, and Forester of the Biltmore estate, has published a valuable pamphlet, entitled **Our Yellow Poplar." It contains twenty valu- able tables and notes in regard to the poplar in Western North Carolina, showing the merchant- able lumber in poplar logs of different diameter, 12, 14 and 16 feet in length, in feet B. M., the percentage of various grades of lumber sawn from logs free from defects, with one or two, and also with three and five defects, as well as from cull logs, as well as the lumber value of these logs in dollars and cents. ' The next set of tables are particularly interest- ing, giving the merchantable contents of a sound tree in feet-board measure according to the age of the tree. This shows that under average con- ditions of growth trees less than 140 years old, and under poor conditions of growth trees less than about 220 years old, are not fit for the saw. Trees scabng 1,000 feet B. M. can be grown only in the course of at least two centuries, and the annual growth of a tree from its 1 50th year on, generally speaking, amounts to about 10 feet B. M. The folly of cutting immature trees is strongly instanced, showing that the volume in- crement of a tree does not run parallel to the diameter increment. A diameter increment of 2 inches corresponds with a volume increment of about 125 feet B. M. in cases of trees 18 inches through, and of about 250 feet B. M. in the case of trees about 27 inches through. The market value of poplars at diff'erent ages is given, as well as the annual interest on poplar stumpage i)er tree. Dr. Schenck sets down the five following rules in regard to the poplar tree in Western North Carolina : 1. A tree is financially ripe for the axe when its annual increment no longer yields more than 3 per cent, interest on its stumpage value. 2. The better the conditions of growth and the smaller the logging and milling expenses are, the sooner the tree is ripe for the axe. 3. The annual interest on the stumpage value of a poplar tree furnished by its annual growth is very high whilst it is young — certainly more than 8 per cent, in the case of trees less than 120 years old. 4. With the advancing age of a tree the annual interest on its stumpage value decreases. It stands above zero, however, as long as the tree lives un- damaged. 5. The value of a tree is increasing at the rate of at least i y^ per cent, under good conditions, when the tree is 200 years old ; under average conditions, when the tree is 250 years old ; under poor conditions, when the tree is about 300 years old. He gives a table showing the amount the wood- owner who allows immature sound poplar trees to be cut loses for each tree, and states that un- der average conditions of growth, from its i6oth to 1 80th year the tree would yield 6 percent. ; from its i8oth to 200th, 4j^ per cent, compound in- terest. The age of economic maturity for this tree is in the neighborhood of 210 years, when its increment will be about 3 per cent. The following extract is taken from the Wilkes- barre Record of August 23d : **C. W. Richards showed me a girdled and peeled elm tree which, by its fresh, green appear- ance, caused me to wonder. Three years ago, wishing to kill it, he girdled it ; but as it refused to die, two years ago he took off about eight inches of bark all the way around it, and still it i seemed to flourish ; so this spring he peeled the whole trunk for six or eight feet, and still the leaves are green. I did not believe a tree could survive such girdling and peeling even one year. Now, I would not dare to say that it will die next year." The above brings to mind a case which oc- curred a few years ago on the grounds of the University of Pennsylvania. A slippery elm had been ** barked" clean around the stem for a dis- tance, vertically, of more than a foot. A coat of paint was immediately placed over the raw surface and the tree promptly recovered. It was apparently but little retarded in leaf or wood- producing, and so far as I know is still alive. J. T. ROTHROCK. 184 FOREST LEAVES. The Red Spruce (Picea nigra, Link. rubra, Engelm.). (Sargent, Silva N. A., Picea rubra, Link.). BEYOND doubt we have yet much to learn concerning the spruce trees of Pennsylvania. ^ Our other cone-bearing trees are well enough known so far as their specific distinctions go, but the spruces still remain in an unsatisfac- tory condition. This is certainly due partly to variations which cross over from species to species. Thus, take the illustrations found in the admir- able work of Britton and Brown, vol. I., page 55. I find, on the upper part of the tree, branches having the characteristic, many-leaved form which is figured for the black spruce. On the lower branches of the same tree I find what he has fig- ured as the red spruce. The scales of the cones are those figured as belonging to the black spruce, though Professor Sargent considers the tree as a red spruce. These scales are neither lacerate, undulate or two lobed. Neither shape nor size of cone appears, so far as I am yet able to deter- mine, to furnish any constant distinguishing fea- ture. The illustration in this number shows that the bark of the trunk is neither slightly roughened nor nearly smooth, but is distinctly rough. Pro- fessor Sargent says : ^ ^ The leaves of the red spruce are dark-green and lustrous ; branchlets stout. Cones often two and a half inches long, and straight at the base ; usually falling during the first winter." Of the black spruce he writes : '* Leaves are bluish-green, branchlets slender; cones about an inch long, broadly ovate, and prominently incurved at the base, sometimes re- maining on the tree for ten or twelve years." I find myself unable to rest content with these de- scriptions as sufficiently distinctive. What are we to infer ? That the gentlemen named, and who have carefully studied quantities of material, have no warrant for the distinctions they have made between the red and black spruce ? Undoubtedly not. The two types can usually, but not always, be distinguished. Each varies across the lines which ordinarily limit its charac- ter, and invades the grounds of the other. The red spruce type is more common in high grounds and the black spruce in wet grounds in this State,)though in Bear Meadows, in Centre County, there once stood a magnificent forest of red spruce on wet, swampy ground. These statements are not made as a criticism, but rather to show the non -scientific reader the difficulties which sometimes beset the scientific writer when he attempts to describe a tree so that it can always be recognized. It may be said that we have in Pennsylvania both the red and the black spruce. The latter is more common in the northeastern portion of the State. In Pike County it is probably more common than red, and is found there growing in swamps in association with the white pine. As a lumber-producer in this State it is of far less im- portance than the red. The illustration shows the general outline of our typical, forest -grown, red spruce. It is emi- nently social in character, and hence we find it has formed a tall, straight stem as it struggles, along with its fellows, up into the sunlight. It prunes itself of lower limbs as the trunk length- ens, and thus leaves the small knot behind, to show where the limbs had been. Though mixed with hemlock, beech, birch, or maple, it is usually the predominant tree, and gives character to the forest in which it is found. To describe one specimen which we have be- fore us, and which Professor Sargent considers should be regarded as the red spruce, we should say : Branchlets short and stout, distinctly and almost evenly pubescent ; leaves obtuse, light rather than dark -green, from a fourth to half an inch in length, stout and densely placed on the branchlets ; or (describing another specimen from the same tree) branchlets slender, pubescent in lines ; leaves pointed, slender, lighter green than the above form, averaging almost half-an-inch in length, and not densely placed on the branchlets. The cones seldom remain on tree more than a single year. Taking a number, I find they are oblong to oval, from an inch-and-a-quarter to an inch -and -three quarters in length, scales entire, with hardly a trace of irregularity or erosion on their margins. It is very clear that the depths of this spruce problem have not been fully sounded. Professor Peck has written a very admirable paper on the ** Spruces of the Adirondacks," which I have seen and studied with advantage. Leaving out the white spruce, I am almost led to think that it were wise to consider the other species pro- ])osed for the eastern United States as forms of one exceedingly variable species. This statement I make with a full appreciation of the value of well-recognized differences. Concerning the size of the so-called red spruce in Pennsylvania, I have careful measurements, made by Mr. Wm. L. Kohout. The average size of twelve mature trees in Wyoming County was : diameter, 22^ inches; height, 813^ feet. No doubt there have been, and still are, larger speci- mens. I am reliably informed of trees of this species, which grew in Bear Meadows, Centre County, and have a diameter of three feet across the stump. Of course such trees are rare. J ♦ •, > V COPYRIGHTED, 1898. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. ii, BY J. T. ROTHROCK. I I COPYRIGHTED, 1898. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi. No. ii. BY J. T. ROTHROCK. TRUNK OF RED SPRUCE. (PiCEA NIGRA, Link. Var. rubra, Enqelml.). (Picea rubra, Link, in Sargent Suva, N. A.). WYOMING COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. flED SPRUCE. (PicEA NIGRA, Link Var rubra, Engelml.). (Picea rubra, Link, in Sargent Silva N. A.). WYOMING COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. COPYRIGHTED, 1898. Forest Leavf:s, Vol. vi, No. ii. BY J. T. ROTHROCK. I I COPYRIGHTED, 1898. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. ii. f) BY J. T. ROTHROCK. I ^ TRUNK OF RED SPRUCE. (PiCEA NIGRA, Link. Var. rubra, Engelml.). (Picea rubra, Link, in Sargent Suva, N. A.). WYOMING COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. RED SPRUCE. (Picea nigra, Link Var rubra, Engelml.). (Picea rubra, Link, in Sargent Silva N. A.). WYOMING COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE FOREST LEAVES. 185 •o THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE Pennsylvania Forestry Association The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, 1012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, $6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 'West 'Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. RATES. I inch, . % page, . 1/ *< (( insertion. $1.00 4.00 7.00 12.00 insertions. $4.00 17.00 30.00 50.00 insertions. $8.00 34.00 60.00 100.00 192 FOREST LEAVES. RHODODENDRONS. The glory of every place possessing Rhododendrons is their superb bloom in the latter part of May and early June. The magnificent coloring and huge clusters of flowers m so many shades of pink, violet, rose, purple, and the delicate creamy- white give them the first place among the evergreen shrubs Even 'their foUage is beautiful and most effective in the dull winter months, when their glossy green leaves add a beauty to the otherwise bare shrubbery. ^ The great decorative value of Rhododendrons is now tully recognized, and every year increases their popularity. , We take great pleasure in inviting all admirers of Rhododen- drons to visit our Nurseries during the latter part of May and very early days of June, and we feel sure it will afford great pleasure to every one who sees our fine collection of over five ^nnnrNORON BLOOM thousand phiuts iu thc bcauty of full bloom. s;:;r.::::;::: «:;, »^ r™...d, »a „„ ««, « .,.», ...», ...». ^a.™. «.»,, «.». l!l>tj.OO, and $7.50 each. . • 1 • ■ ^f +!,;« finp mtive everereen. Its form is conical, witn for the lawn, and it also makes a fine hedge plant. 12 to i8 inches, i8 to 24 inches, 3 to 3 feet, . . 3 to 4 feet, . . 5 to 6 feet, . . $0 25 each ; $1 75 P" ^o*. $^^5 00 per 100 35 each ; 2 50 per 10 ; 20 00 per 100 50 each ; 4 00 per 10 ; 35 «> P^r i«> 75 each; 6 00 per 10; 50 0° P^"^ ^°° 100 each; 8 00 per 10; 65 00 per 100 American Holly. This is one of America's most beautiful evergreens. Its foliage varies very little from that of the English Holly, and its rich clusters of scarlet berries make a good substitute for flowers m the winter shrubbery. It is hardy in almost any locahty, and to insure safety in transplanting the leaves should be removed horn the plant at that time. Plants, twelve to eighteen inches, 50 cents each ; $5.00 per dozen ; $25.00 per 100. Andromeda Catesbai. One of the best shade-supporting plants and very useful for ma^ssing as undergrowth. It is a hardy Evergreen Shrub, with stems of dark green and leaves of bronze, coloring beautifullv during the fall and winter seasons, and in the sprmg it bears a sweet-scented white flower, blooming very early. Plants, six to twelve inches, 25 cents ern'h ; $2.50 per dozen ; $20.00 per 100. Large plants 50 cents each ; $35.00 per 100. White Pine. One of the most stately and valuable of evergreens ; tall, straight, and handsome, with slender glaucous leaves. 12 to 18 inches, ... $0 35 each ; $2 00 per 10; $15 00 per 100 18 to 24 inches, ... 50 each ; 3 00 per 10; 20 00 per 100 a to 2% feet, 75 each; 5 00 per 10; 35 00 per 100 a/, to 3 feet, 1 00 each ; 7 50 perio; 50 00 per 100 5 to 7 feet, a 00 each ; 15 00 per 10. WHITE PINE. CHFSTNUT HILL. PHILA., PA. WILLIAM WARNER HARPER. fcHtMINUI niui-, ^a-^kr Vol. VI. Philadelphia, December, 1898. No. 12. Published Bi-Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 25 North Juniper St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Officc as second class matter. CONTENTS. Editorials President's Address Report of the General Secretary of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association for the year ^^9^- — An Attractive Island J^^^ni^E^ndlorVi^PennsyW^ The Rights of Tree Owners Established . ...... ...^...^•••|j^—---—^^ Government Assistance in the Management of forest ^»n^s^...^.. Honey Locust. (Gleditschia triacanthos, L. Sargent, b.lva N. A., Vol. iii., p. 75. t- » • • ••••• • • • •••• ■•• 125, 126) OnVof OuVn^w Forest Laws in Operation PinusCembra... Fall Arbor Day Forest Fire Notices Olive Culture r- t^ . The New York State College of Forestry.. .....^.• New Members of Pennsylvania Forestry Association ••••*••••••• ••••••••* »•••••••• ••••••••••••••••■ » •••••••••• •••••••• ■••••• ••••• • »•••••••••• ,94 195 197 198 198 198 200 201 202 202 203 203 203 204 206 Subscription, $1.00 per Year. The attention 0/ Nurserymen and others is called to the advantages of FoRBST Leaves as an advertising medium. Rates wtll be fur- nished on application. The Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Founded in June, 1886, National. .. ^ j n 1 A nnual membership fee, One dollar. 1 Life '''''«^^^''^'^'>j;i^^tn"nor thrwork of this Association is intended ship Committee, 512 Walnut Street, Phila. ^;^:^!:l^&''^ M. JenUins. James C. Haydon. Wm. S. Harvey. R'<;»;f^'-ost wholly to me if he have no jiroperty to which the law can give me a claim. He may repeat this more than once, as numerous records of the courts in this State will show. If the land-owner has ' here any ade \i But I beg to assure you that it is not. There are ; many just such cases to be found in the more ^ sparsely settled portions of this very State. | In other words, the laws relating to the unseated j lands of the Commonwealth need a thorough re- ; vision before the land-owner and timber-grower j can expect to become very enthusiastic over his forestry prospects. j In my judgment the case is an urgent one. 1 have no doubt but that a legal remedy can be j promptly found, if we go to work cautiously and judiciously, but earnestly, and with due regard to equity. I think I can say that some measure of relief from this intolerable condition will be pro- posed this coming winter, and I trust that our rapidly growing organization will recognize fully its power to aid in the movement when once it is started . , The progress of the forestry movement over the entire country, so far as the States are concerned, is distinctly hopeful, though the General Gov- ernment has as yet failed to respond to it as fully as we might reasonably have expected. It is be- yond doubt that those who come after us will justly condemn the neglect at Washington to safe- guard the National forests of the West, upon which the industries and water-flow of those re- gions depend. . On the other hand, we may note with pleasure that Minnesota, Wisconsin and Massachusetts are | now all advanced towards that condition of public ^ sentiment which will secure a more rational treat- | ment of their forest resources. New York, by virtue of the natural segregation of her remaining i forests, has been in a position to precede all the other States in setting apart public reservations, and to do so on a scale commensurate with the importance of the interests and industries which they are destined to protect. In addition to this. New York has already es- tablished, at Cornell University, a school which promises to give sound, thorough and practical instruction in the science of forestry, as under- stood abroad, with such necessary modifications as may be rendered important by our own Govern- ment and climate. It should also be remembered that a school on a more modest, but still efficient basis, has been established on the Vanderbilt estate in North Carolina. i • • These statements naturally lead to the inquiry as to whether, in view of our advanced legislation in this State, we may not expect that very soon there will be established here some satisfactory course of forestry instruction ? It would seem to be one of the necessary duties of our State Col- lege It is certain that, with some very slight addition to the facilities and the teaching force of our great University in Philadelphia, a satis- factory course could be established there. It is quite within the limits of possibility that extensive areas, well suited to the practical work, might be had. It would not be an excessive demand if we were to request that our State should do as New York has done, that is, furnish suitable grounds on which the practical part of the science of forestry might be taught and illustrated, provided some well-equipped institution of learning would under- take to provide the teaching force. It is quite certain that there is no more neglected or more important branch of education than this now remaining in the country without some ade- quate provision being made for it. Nor is there any form of education more essential to the future interests of the Commonwealth and the ( ountry i at large. We may, therefore, confidently assume that it will not much longer be unprovided for. 1 This Association would be ungrateful to the I Chief Executive of the Commonwealth, and also to the last General Assembly of the Common- , wealth, if it failed here to recognize the fair and liberal spirit in which they approached and assisted the forestry legislation asked for. We believe i that time will place its full approval upon this, i We have no reason to anticipate any less interest on the part of the next Administration or Legisla- "Tdesire to thank this Association for the aid which it has given to me in my double relation to it. J. T. ROTHROCK, General Secretary Penna. Forestry Association. An Attractive Island. l\ T Nebraska, Forest County, Pa., there is a aA small island, formed between the creek "^ and the mill dam, containing perhaps less than two acres of land, which is beautifully tim- bered the richness and variety of trees and shrubs giviiiR a fine idea of the diversity of growth in a district noted especially for the pine and hemlock trees which far exceed all others. Upon this little island were counted twenty-six different varieties of trees and shrubs. One, a thorn-covered trunk, I could not name, and a third variety of oak. I his most interesting collection of f f.^/^ .X'^^^^^s protection and preservation. A list of the trees ire • chestnut, alder, beech, hemlock ironwood, red" oak, white oak, cucumber, juneberry birch, silver birch, elm, blackberry, basswood, button- wood, sumac, elderi laurel, rhododendron, butter- nut, walnut, willow^ witch hazel and grapevine— Tionesta Democrat,\ -.jBmsmmtmtUt 198 FOREST LEAVES. Treasurer's Report. The report of the Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association for the year ending Decem- ber I, 1898, was as follows: To balance on hand December i, 1897, Cash, donations and subscriptions, Cash, donations to fund for Forest Leaves, . Cash, annual dues to December I, 1 898, Cash, sale of Forest Leaves and advertise- ments, ....••• Cash, Life Memberships, .... Cash from County Branches, . . Rent and office expenses paid by City Parks Association, ...••• By cash, sundries, postage, office rent, etc., Pubhcation of Forest Leaves, . Assistant Secretary's salary, Expenses of meetings, . List of members, . . . • Expenses of Membership Committee, Balance on hand December I, 1 898, Dr. $224 47 374 00 662 00 889 00 448 48 420 00 35 50 82 50 $3^35 95 Cr. ^372 35 926 06 600 00 76 50 85 00 148 50 927 54 $3135 95 Charles E. Pancoast, Treasurer. Report of the Council of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. IT has been customary at the annual meeting to review the work of the past year, and the progress made in 1898 is certainly encour- aging. One of the most gratifying evidences of the in- creasing interest in matters pertaining to forestry is the growing observance of Arbor Days, both Spring and Fall, especially by the schools, whose pupils will in later years put in practice the pre- cepts now imparted. The lumbermen are also interesting themselves in forest preservation, several prominent dealers uniting with our Association, and they are com- mencing to realize that if this State is to continue as a large producer of timber the wooded lands must be conserved and reforestration practiced. Nu- merous examples might be quoted of once pros- perous towns which are now almost deserted, owing to the exhaustion of the timber supply. This vast industry, which once paid out annually $20,000,000 to the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, is certainly worth preserving. The wood-pulp mills are also interested in main- taining and continuing the particular timbers which constitute the raw materials of their valuable manu- factures. Our State is also noted as being the largest mineral producer in the United States, contribut- ing annually 100,000,000 tons of coal and enor- mous quantities of iron ore, cement rock, petro- leum, stone, etc., for all of which a cheap supply of mine timber is a necessity. Inquiries from mining engineers who have become members of our Association as to the best trees to propagate from which to obtain the props, stulls, etc., needed in mining mineral underground, show that they appreciate the importance of this question. The farmers, whose springs are becoming either intermittent or entirely dry, the owners of prop- erty located along our river courses who are alter- nately threatened by deluge and drought, profes- sional men who are uniting themselves in the cause of forestry, all evidence the need of a true forestry policy, which is now being inaugurated in Penn- sylvania, and is set forth in detail in the report of the General Secretary. The Association during the past year has added to its roll 225 new members, has lost from deaths, resignation or being dropped from the roll 59 members, making a net gain of 156, and bringing the grand total up to 1283. The advance of the Pennsylvania Forestry As- sociation has acted as an object lesson to other States, who have shaped their laws and aims after our own. While congratulating ourselves on the advances made and aid given by the press throughout the State, it should be borne in mind that it is now doubly essential to see that the laws which have been enacted are properly enforced and carried out, any amendments which might be needed passed or hostile legislation defeated, and the citizens of our great Commonwealth still further interested in this important problem. F. L. BiTLER, Secretary. t^^ The Rights of Tree Owners Estabhshed. THE verdict awarding damages to Dr. John Marshall, of the University of Pennsyl- vania, for the cutting down of trees upon his property in Berks County, Pa., has revived interest in this case, proving that in Pennsylvania the owner of trees has rights. Dr. Marshall is to be commended for the energetic manner in which he has attempted to assert his rights, and his at- torneys, Messrs. Henry D. and Herbert R. Green, of Reading, have zealously presented his claims. Although we have' referred in a previous issue to the criminal suit, we feel that our readers will be interested in a resume of this, as well as in a statement concerning the status of the civil suit. Employees of the American Telephone and 1 <^ a FOREST LEAVES. 199 Telegraph Co. (Long Distance Telephone Co.), in November, 1895, informed a neighbor, who was in charge of Dr. John Marshall's property during his absence, that they proposed cutting down the trees in front of the house. The neigh- bor cautioned the men not to do so, because the owner valued the trees very highly, and because they had no right to cut them. About dusk the same evening three men went upon the property and cut down 68 trees. The neighbor obtained the names of the men, and within a few days legal action was begun against them for wrongfully cutting down the trees. Warrants were served, and the men were brought before a magistrate for a hearing, when it was discovered that they had given fictitious names. However, the rightful names were at once substituted and the cases went on. Upon conviction in the Magistrate's Court an appeal was taken to the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, where the case was tried and a verdict of conviction was found by the jury. The Telephone Company asked for a rehearing of the case on the law points which was granted by the Judge. The law points were then argued, and subsequently the Judge handed down a decision denying application for a new trial. The case was then appealed, and in due time the Superior Court affirmed the decision of the lower court, and the three defendants were fined the full fine allowed by the law, namely, $50 apiece, of which, according to the Act of Assembly, one-half went to the School District in which the offence was committed, and the other one-half to the owner of the trees. After the criminal suit was finished a civil suit for damages was begun, and the state- ment of the case as given by Dr. Marshall's at- torneys shows how far the case has progressed. John Marshall ^ vs. The Amer. Tel. & Teleg. Co. J \ In the Court of Common Pleas of Berks Co. No. 63. Jan. 5, 1898. The above proceeding, for the recovery of dam- ages, was instituted under the Act of Assembly approved June 2, 1891, P. L. No. 170, which is entitled ^* An Act providing for the recovery of damages to trees along the public highways by telegraph, telephone and electric light compa- nies. > > Section i provides that **It shall be lawful, whenever any telegraph, telephone or electric light company shall have erected its poles and lines along any turnpike, public road, street, lane, alley or highway in this Commonwealth, for the owner or owners of land adjoining said turnpike or public road, who may claim to be damaged by the erec- tion or maintenance of said lines by reason of the cutting of trees, whether planted in the said turn- pike, public road, street, lane, alley or highway, or on enclosed or unenclosed land adjoining the same, to petition the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which said damage is alleged to have been committed, whereupon the said Court shall appoint three impartial men, citizens in the county in which said damage shall be alleged, as viewers, who shall, after having been duly sworn or affirmed to the faithful performance of their duties, assess the damage done, if any, to the petitioner, and shall report the same to the said Court at the first week of the next regular term thereof after the said appointment, which report shall, upon its presentation as aforesaid, be confirmed nisi ; and if no appeal be entered to the same on or before ten days from the Saturday of the week in which the same is presented it shall then be confirmed absolutely, and judgment entered by the Prothono- tary of the said Court upon the same against the said company. ' ' In accordance with the provisions of the above section a petition was presented to the Court on January 3, 1898, due notice of the intended ap- plication having been given to the counsel for the defendant company, and the Court thereupon appointed three viewers, who went upon the prem- ises, in the presence of counsel for both plaintiff and defendant, and assessed damages. The report to that effect was presented to the Court, confirmed nisi, but before its confirmation absolutely an appeal was taken by both plaintiff and defendant from the award of damages made by the viewers. Subsequently it was agreed by counsel that the case should be '' put at issue under the form of an action of assumpsit, and that the same be tried under the general issue of non-assumpsit, without further pleadings, the right to amend to both parties and the plaintiff taking the affirmative of the issue, including the proof of his title." The case was placed upon the trial list for the week commencing Monday, October 17, 1898, and was tried before a jury on Wednesday and I'hursday of that week. The jury rendered a verdict of $737.00 in favor of Dr. John Marshall, the plain- tiff. Reasons for a new trial were thereupon filed by the defendant telephone company, and a rule for a new trial obtained, which is still pending and undetermined. Subsequent to the above, a notice of another case has been brought to our attention. The shade-trees along the sidewalk of Mr. Harvey Brandt, of Norristown, Pa., were torn down by the borough officials in order that they might reset the curb. Mr. Brandt brought suit against the borough, and the jury which was appointed, awarded him $200 damages. Mr. Brandt was not satisfied by this verdict, and will appeal to court. Government Assistance in the Manage- ment of Forest Lands. ¥R. GIFFORD PINCHOT, Forester of the United States Department of Agri- culture, has issued a circular offering the aid of the Government in determining methods of making profitable private forest lands. In this circular Mr. Pinchot asserts that — The private forest lands exceed in area those of the States and the Federal Government combined, and their preservation in productive condition, as regards both timber and water supply, is of vast importance to the nation. As a rule, however, the treatment they receive is calculated to destroy their value rather than to sustain or increase it. The reason is evident and natural. These lands, like other private property, are held by their owners for the returns they yield, and the owners as yet have scarcely begun to understand that it pays better, as a rule, to protect a forest in har- vesting the timber crop than to destroy it. A knowledge of how to bring about this desirable result is still more restricted, while trained men capable of advising forest owners in the matter are very few indeed. For these reasons the Division of Forestry has undertaken to provide a series of practical exam- ples of improved treatment of private forest lands, in which the present interest of the owner and the protection and improvement of the forest shall have equal weight. The one is essential to the other, for the productive value of forest land is the only consideration that will lead to its pres- ervation by the great majority of private owners. The object of the present undertaking is to show that improved ways of handling timber lands are best for the owner, as well as for the forest, by as- sisting a few owners to make trial of them and then publishing the methods and results for the benefit of all. Forest lands in private ownership are mainly of two kinds : small holdings, for the most part farmers* wood lots, and larger areas, chiefly valu- able for lumber. The Division is prepared, so far as its very inadequate appropriation will per- mit, to lend its aid to the owners of each kind, on receipt of applications stating the situation, area and character of the forests for which working plans are desired. Applications will be considered in the order in which they are received, but precedence may be given to the lands most likely to furnish useful examples. A working-plan once prepared will not be put in effect unless it is satisfactory to the Division of Forestry and to the owner. The conditions upon which the Division will undertake necessary investigations and give assist- ance are stated in the two agreements accompany- ing the circular. Large bodies of forest land in almost every wooded portion of this country have come into the hands of private owners, and are held by them chiefly for their value as sources of timber. Much of this land, probably the greater part of it, is in hilly or mountainous regions where the preserva- tion of the forest is of importance for both wood and water, while the destruction of the lowland forests, except when they give way to agriculture, would bring with it the loss of a plentiful spring of national wealth. The harvest of the timber crop on these private timber lands is commonly accompanied, under the usual methods of lumbering, by the destruc- tion of the forest when merchantable trees pre- dominate, and in any case by severe and needless injury. Fire follows the lumberman, in spite of the precautions he very often takes, until in many places it is thought to be inevitable. These are misfortunes from which the owners of the forest land are the first but not the only losers, for .in the aggregate the loss is of immense public con- cern. It is to prevent these public and private losses that the Division off*ers its assistance, real- izing fully that they must continue until the suc- cess of some of their number proves to the great mass of timber-land owners that improved and conservative methods of lumbering will pay. A specimen memorandum agreement, such as this Division, through the Department of Agricul- ture, is prepared to make with owners of timber land, so far as its resources will permit, is ap- pended. Second growth and partly devastated lands will be considered, as well as virgin forest. We commend this offer of the Department of Agriculture to owners of forest lands, and trust that the suggestion of co-operation may meet with a hearty response. It is a step in the right direction. J- B. y — A movement has been started in Berkshire county, Mass., for the preservation of Graylock, the highest and most beautiful mountain in the State. It is proposed to make a park of the peak. The mountain covers an area of about seventy square miles, and is the source of eighteen pic- turesque brooks. » - '!> ' \ « summtitm COPVRIQHTEO, 1898. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 12. BV J. T. ROTHROOK. i COPYRIGHTED, 189S. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi. No. 12. BY J. T. ROTHNOCK. TRUNK OF HONEY LOCUST. (Gleditschia triacanthos, L, Sargent Silva, N. A., Vol. 111., p. 75, T. 125, 126. GLEDITSIA TRIACANTHOS L, BRITTON & BROWN, VOL. II., P. 260.) LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. HONEY LOCUST. (Gleditschia triacanthos, L., Sargent Silva N. A., Vol. iii., p. 75, t. 125, 126. GLEDITSIA triacanthos L., BRITTON db BROWN, VOL. M., P. 260.) ft LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. COPYRIGHTED, 1898. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 12. BY J. T. ROTHROOK. HONEY LOCUST. (Gleditschia triacanthos, L., Sargent Silva N. A., Vol. mi., p. 75, t. 125, 126. Gleditsia triacanthos L., Britton & Brown, Vol. 11., p. 260.) LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. i\ \} 1\ 1 COPYRIGHTED, 1898. Forest Leaves, Vol. vi, No. 12. BY J. T. ROTHROCK. TRUNK OF HONEY LOCUST. (Gleditschia triacanthos, L., Sargent Silva, N. A., Vol. T. 125, 126. Gleditsia triacanthos L, Britton & Brown, Vol. 11., p. 26O.) LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. III., P. 75, INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE FOREST LEAVES. 201 ii c, Honey Locust. (Gleditschia triacanthos, L. Sargent, Silva N. A., Vol. iii., p. 75. t. 125, 126.) THERE are few trees found in the eastern part of Pennsylvania which attract more general notice than the Honey Locust, if it be of anything like full size. In the summer its light, feathery foliage attracts the eye. In the winter the ragged, diverging spines, which were, to a certain extent, hidden by the leaves during the summer, command attention. Then, too, the long, curved or twisted pods give distinctive character to the tree. It is, how- ever, by no means common east of the mountains in Pennsylvania. In fact it is by no means sure that it can be fairly considered as a native of this region. Professor Sargent says: **Itis the characteristic tree of the barrens of middle Ken- tucky and Tennessee, reaching its greatest devel- opment on the bottom lands of the lower Ohio River basin." Still it has to be reckoned with in Pennsylvania. I have watched its steady ad- vance for almost half a century. My attention was first called to it growing on the banks of the Juniata. Evidently it was a waif there. Probably the parent tree, or parent seed, had been brought to the eastern side of the mountains by some un- known person or cause. It, however, produced pods which contained mature, viable seeds, and these were scattered, by the spring floods, down the valley of the river and stranded on rich, allu- vial soil, where growth commenced. So I have watched its steady advance from McVeytown down to Duncannon ; it becoming each year more common and apparently more conspicuous. In his paper on the '* Flora of the Lower Susque- hanna," Professor Porter has enumerated about thirty species of plants, which have thus descended the Susquehanna, via the West Branch, from the Ohio basin. It is probable that, among others, the Honey Locust has also crossed this divide, and is slowly extending its range seaward. The proper statement then is, the tree is probably native in Western Pennsylvania, but probably in- troduced, recently, by some unknown person or cause into the eastern half of the State. Describing it, I would say it was a tree, as seen here, from fifty to eighty feet high, and having a maximum diameter of two and a half feet. The bark of the trunk is smooth, rather than flaky, though to a limited extent it is split under the influence of tension by increase of girth in the trunk. Large spines, which are hard, woody, several inches long, and have from two to three, five, or even seven diverging, sharp points, are conspicuous on the trunk and larger branches. These spines are abortive branches, as one may recognize by noting that the zigzag con dition of some of the branches is caused by each alternate branch growing, and each other one alternating is reduced. One branch on the right of the trunk illustration shows this. No tree of our region presents so threatening an appearance. Its smaller branches have, in a tree grown in good soil and in an open space, something of the elastic grace, swing and droop of a typical elm. There is an absence of kink and angles such as we note in the walnut and persimmon branches. The leaves are compound ; indeed we may say they are simply or doubly compound, and made up of many leaflets, each of which may be from three - fourths of an inch to an inch and a quarter long, and about one fifth as broad as long. These leaflets are blunt at tip and oblique at base. The flowers, which are inconspicuous in size, are yellowish-green, and appear in July, and seldom have both pistils and stamens present and perfectly developed in any one corolla. The pod is black, curved, and often a foot or more long. It is so thin when dry that it often curls. ''The seeds are bedded in a soft pulp, which is sweet while still fresh, and in that con- dition is used (in the Southwest) to produce a domestic beer by fermentation, but later this pulp is said to become very sour." The pod matures with us in September. The Honey Locust is most commonly seen in Eastern Pennsylvania as an ornamental tree. There can be no doubt that it has the merits of being conspicuous, hardy, and a rapid grower. On the other hand, its hard spines are more or less of a menace, and sometimes do injury to do- mestic animals. Thus far we have made but little use of the wood, which is strong, durable, and capable of receiving a good polish. The heart-wood has a warm, reddish-brown color, while that of the sap is lighter in color. It is probable that the wood will be in larger demand in the future than it is now. Michaux says that it is never used by the carpenter or wheelwright, and only by the farmer when he can get nothing better. Professor Sargent, how- ever, has a better opinion of it. It is now found growing in Western New York, Ontario and Michigan, Eastern Kansas, Eastern Nebraska, Indian Territory and Texas, Georgia, and at Tampa, in Florida. Its physical properties, as stated by Professor Sargent, are: Specific gravity, 0.6740; per- centage of ash, 0.80; relative approximate fuel value, 0.6686; weight in pounds of a cubic foot of dry wood, 42 ; relative strength, 81. 202 FOREST LEAVES. Our illustrations are of the honey locusts grow- ing in front of the home of Mr. G. L. Buck- waiter, in Lancaster County, Pa. He says they are just about fifty years old. Measurement showed that the taller one was 76 feet high and had a circumference at 4 feet above the ground of 7 feet and 10 inches. J. T. ROTHROCK. Pinus Cembra. One of Our New Forest Laws in Operation. ON pages 178 and 179 of the October issue of Forest Leaves attention was called to the law which granted a rebate of tax on each and every acre (up to fifty acres) on which there were fifty trees which, at six feet above the ground, were eight inches in diameter. The law is a good one, it is equitable, and it comes as a relief to every farmer who has such land and who will take the trouble to secure what the law allows him. Quite recently Chester County has been added to the list of counties in which this law has been recog- nized. Mr. Richard G. Park, of Cloverly Farm, just north of West Chester, had an estimate made of his wooded area which came within the pro- visions of the act. He then made satisfactory proof of his claims before the county commis- sioners, who at once allowed the rebate. Mr. Park has rendered a public service in pre- senting his claims, and the county commissioners have been faithful to the law and to the interests of the county in promptly paying the claim. Already this law has been recognized in several counties, and we may anticipate that next season will find every county of the State in line for it. Let every farmer or forest owner, who can, take advantage of it. Who will be the next ? J. T. R. Allegheny County claims to have been the first to apply for a rebate, as will be seen from the fol- lowing extract from the Pittsburg Press : ** The first person to take advantage of the act of Assembly, approved May 25, 1897, providing for the preservation of forest trees, was W. J. Tenner, of Leet township. ** Mr. Tenner came before the county commis- sioners and stated that he owned 80 acres of tim- ber land which comes under the act, and wanted his tax reduced as provided by the law. After hearing the case the commissioners decided that he was entitled to the reduction on 50 acres, and allowed him $20 reduction. The land is assessed at $200 per acre and the millage is 2^ mills." The timber owners in the other counties of our Commonwealth will soon also claim a reduction on their timber lands. WHILE visiting the '* Gartner Platz" or gardener's market in Munich, at one of the stalls, among many herbs and seeds, we noticed a bag of small, dark-brown nuts. These were labelled ** zirbel-nusse," and sold for parrot-food at 40 pfennige a pound. These little almost egg-shaped nuts are surrounded by a hard shell and are quite edible, being sweet and rich in oil. They are naturally relished by birds. We recognized them later as the seeds of an ex- tremely interesting tree (/^. Cembra^ which we had seen two years before in the Bernese High Alps. From further inquiry we learned that these nuts are relished by the natives of the mountains of Central Europe, and also Northern Russia and Siberia, where P. Cembra grows, just as the seeds of its namesake, P. Cembroides^ are eaten by the Indians of Northern Mexico. Although similar in many respects, yet under what extremely differ- ent conditions these two trees live ; the one high up on the Swiss mountain sides, in the neighbor- hood of the snow line, amid avalanches and gales ; the other inhabiting the warmest, dryest slopes and ledges of the mountains of Northern Mexico ! Besides being rather closely morphologically re- lated, they are alike in that they are both able to endure extremely adverse conditions. P. Cembra is quite closely related to the white pine. It has five short, stiff needles to the sheath ; and the wingless nuts, which are a little larger than peas, are formed, usually two to a scale, in the stiff, hard cones. In spite of wind, cold and snow, although ' gnarled and dead in parts, it lives on and per- forms a most important function in preventing avalanches and landslides. On the Wengern Alp, two years ago, we visited a nursery of young P. Cembra trees which the Swiss foresters were schooling to the exigencies of steep mountain sides and high altitudes. These little trees were soon to be planted in some inhospitable spot where, if they should survive, they would spend the long years of their lives in battling with the elements. P. Cembra grows much better in the lowlands, and although never a rapid grower, and although the seeds must always be protected from mice, squirrels, etc., it can be easily raised in the gar- den, where it will form, especially while young, a beautiful, ornamental and shade tree. As with all other trees which grow under adverse condi- tions, it is not that Wi^y prefer such habitats, but that they can endure them. I have been told that P. Cembra is slowly disappearing from the mountains of Switzerland, and unless planted and FOREST LEAVES, 203 ^ i* < 4 . r cared for by the Swiss foresters it may, in time, succumb. John Gifford. Munich, Bavaria. [Our readers will be interested to know that Mr. Gifford is now at Munich, where he expects to take his degree as Doctor in the Forestry School, spending the Spring in Denmark, where the best forestry methods are being practiced. — Ed.] Fall Arbor Day. THE last issue of Forest Leaves contained the announcement of Dr. Nathan C. Schaeffer, Superintendent of Public In- struction, appointing October 19, 1898, as Lafay- ette Arbor Day. This day, which is appointed principally for the country schools (as a number are closed when the Spring Arbor Day occurs), was quite generally observed throughout the State, the exercises con- * sisting usually of suitable recitations and readings, interspersed with music. The schools in Philadelphia, having celebrated Spring Arbor Day, did not participate. Forest Fire Notices. ^ X/OREST fire notices are being posted in the forests of different States as an aid to forest protection. They are good, and no doubt will be of service. The text of the one issued by the Chief Warden of Minnesota was given in the August, 1896, issue of Forest Leaves, page 150. The one given below is the form adopted by Dr. C. A. Schenck for use in the counties of North Carolina adjacent to the Biltmore estate. The Pennsylvania Legislature should authorize similar ones for our own State. Maine and New York, as well also as Canada, are posting notices of similar import in their forests, and report favor- ably as to the results. ** forest fires. * ' Forest fires destroy the vegetable mold cover- ing the ground. In this mold rests the fertility of the forest and of the lowlands. It also acts as a reservoir and as a filter of spring water. ** Forest fires kill thousands of seedlings which soon would be valuable. Stoolshoots will never form healthy trees. ** Forest fires cause the rain water to run off above ground, carrying the fertility of the soil into the rivers and the ocean. ** Forest fires interfere with the quality and steady flow of spring water. It is a fact that after repeated wood fires fevers are increased. Olive Culture. By George Eakins. ** An olive orchard is a gold mine on the face of the earth." — Italian proverb. IT is only within comparatively recent years that the true value of the olive in California has come to be appreciated. Trees planted a century ago had long suffered neglect. The beauty and profit of olive culture had not yet been demonstrated to the new colonists. Then came a change. Capital awoke to the fact that in this climate could be raised a fruit superior in size and flavor to the Italian importations. Care of the grand old trees — many of them a century old and still bearing — began to take the place of neglect ; new olive plantations sprang up • the industry assumed a definite business aspect ; until to-day the growth of the olive on the Pacific slope is of enough importance to cause the European producers grave apprehension. Italy produces annually 70,000,000 gallons of olive oil ; the market value of this oil in Italy is not less than $120,000,000, and that means more money than the value of all the wheat exports of the United States in 1883, and twice the value of the wheat exports of 1888. The demand for pure olive oil is increasing, and the consumption of the California product will become greater when the American people are educated up to the fact that every bottle of alleged olive oil imported to this country is adul- terated from 45 to 95 per cent. Pure olive oil and ripe olives pickled are most wholesome and palatable articles of food. Those whose chief experience of the olive is the large im- ported berry, pickled green and fit only to be used as a condiment, know little of the value of the ripe ohve as food, nutritious as meat and always deli- cious. Often the Spanish and Italian peasants make a regular meal of a handful of dried olives and a piece of bread — and an excellent meal it is. For medicinal purposes pure olive oil is now found to be superior to cod-liver oil, being at the same time palatable and free from subsequent nausea- ting effects. To quote an eminent physician : "• It reconstructs the tissues undergoing waste, and by its nutritious food-like properties sustains with- out unnatural stimulation, and repairs without dis- turbance to the vital forces.*' Consul Hathaway states that lately an olive tree was carelessly destroyed in the vicinity of Nice, which had a positive record of five centuries, and .measured 36 feet in circumference. Prof Aloi informs us that the production of the largest olive trees of Sicily sometimes reaches 264 gallons yearly ; the trunk of one of those trees 204 FOREST LEAVES. measured 26 feet 4 inches in circumference at 5 feet 9 inches from the ground. Five hundred olive trees were planted at San Fernando Mission in California about the year 1800. There are now left 450. In 1881 the trees were severely pruned, the branches being entirely lopped off and made into firewood. They commenced bearing again the second year after being pruned, and the crop gradually in- creased, so that it now amounts to upwards of eighteen tons annually. According to tradition, gigantic olive trees yet seen around Tivoli were already old when Romulus traced with a plow the wall of Rome. Since then, mighty rulers, pow- erful empires, have arisen and disappeared. But the old olives, untouched by vandal invaders, re- spected by the hurricanes of thirty centuries, are there, covering nearly an acre of ground each, vigorous and productive as in the days of Christ. The average life of the tree, however, is be- lieved to be 250 years — which is long enough. Production increases until the age of 40 or 50 years. It remains then about the same from year to year, if properly managed, with a perceptible improvement in the oil. The New York State College of Forestry. OUR readers are aware of the effort being made in connection with the Cornell Uni- versity to give technical and practical instruction to those who elect to become expert in forest management. This important depart- ment has been placed under the direction of Prof. B. E. Fernow, late Chief of the Division of For- estry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and to bring the project before our readers we make the following excerpts from a paper read by Mr. Fernow. We give this effort our cordial endorse- ment, and trust it will receive the encouragement it deserves. J- B- It may be set down as an axiom that the em- ployment of any specialist in a technical art comes, as a rule, when the economic conditions are ripe for such employment. In the United States the exploitation of all resources has, as in every newly-settled country, been carried on without the technically-educated specialist. Until 1870 or thereabout mining engineers were a rarity, and the exploitation of the soil by agriculture has only just begun to be considered an art. Agricultural rapine is still largely the practice, just as the natural resources of the forest are, and will be still for some time, the object of the lumberman's rapine. It was the recognition that an interest existed in the preservation of certain favorable condi- tions which induced the State of New York to take a first step with regard to her forest resources thirteen years ago by ceasing to dispose of the forest lands which the State had unwillingly ac- quired through non-payment of taxes by the owners. A further recognition of the importance of this interest followed two years ago by estab- lishing the policy of land purchases for the in- crease of this area, under which policy one million dollars was expended last year, and half a million is at the disposal of the Forest Preserve Board this year, while it is expected by further purchases to increase the State forest property to three mil- lion acres, more or less. This year a further logical step in the pursuit of this State policy was made by establishing a forestry school for the professional education of the managers of this State property and an experimental forest area, in which the method of managing the property might be developed and elaborated. It became apparent that before a rational forest management could be secured, it was still necessary to educate the people first to a true conception of what that involves, that an object lesson was needed in order to show that forest preservation did not mean '' Woodman, Spare that Tree," but ** Woodman, cut those trees judiciously," In other words, that forest utilization and forest preservation by means of forest reproduction were not incompatible. Governor Black, taking interest in the proposi- tion, conceived the idea that such an experiment, requiring a long time of continuous, unchanged policy, had best be removed from the ever-chang- ing influences of politics, and should be entrusted to a strong and stable educational institution. Cornell University was selected to undertake the experiment. A bill was drafted and intro- duced into the Legislature early in February, was passed and received the Governor's signature in April, and on the i6th of that month, by action of the Board of Trustees, the University accepted the responsibility and established the college by election of the writer as its director. For the present there are three teachers of for- estry provided at the new College, namely, the director and two instructors, with the possibility of using the manager of the demonstration or col- lege forest to assist, although the distance of the latter would make such participation of the mana- ger in educational lines possible only during sum- mer courses and on excursions to the school forest. In spite of the present deficiency in the faculty, which is on account of the deficient appropria- tions, the courses of studies announced have been made full, comprising twelve courses, the expecta- tion being that no students for the senior year FOREST LEAVES. 205 ( I will be ready before the deficiency in the faculty may be supplied under increased appropriations. The course of studies leading to the degree of Bachelor in the Science of Forestry has been made to cover four years. In this course the first two years are entirely given up to studies of the fundamental sciences, while forestry subjects and supplemental studies are left for the last two years. This arrangement has the advantage that forestry students may lay their foundations at any other institution, and also, should any entering upon the course for some reason desire to aban- don their purpose, they will not have wasted any time on the specialty, but find themselves pre- pared for any other study involving natural sci- ences as a basis. While these full courses are designed to equip, as completely as may be, managers of large properties on which wood -cropping is to be car- ried on as a business, the College will also en- deavor to satisfy other classes of students who desire only a more or less cursory knowledge of the subject or some of its branches, such as stu- dents of political economy or owners of timber lands, who wish to practice at least silviculture. Finally, the requirement of the law which pre- scribes that the College shall impart the results of the management of the demonstration forest, will be construed to mean that the function of the College is to pull up the stumps of ignorance re- garding forestry wherever they present themselves. The University Extension spirit will prevail. Finally, it may also establish summer schools, designed to educate foremen and under-foresters in the principles of forestry, an educational move which is as much needed as that for the training of forest managers, for which the College is originally designed to provide. The demonstration in the Adirondacks, as far as forest regulation and administration is con- cerned, may be made to form a pattern for almost any other region. As far as silviciiltural methods are concerned, its teachings will be applicable not only to the entire Adirondacks, but to a large part of the New England forest areas, in which spruce is or has been the principal timber tree. The leading thought in the management of a forest property is permanency, for it contemplates the devotion of the soil to the continued pro- duction of a crop which it takes a century, more or less, to mature. Hence all plans and all oper- ations'must take into consideration a long future, and all preparations must be made, as for a stable, permanent conduct of a business, unlike those of the lumberman, who exploits the forest only as a speculation, who is not in the business of forest or wood production, but is a mere harvester, the difference being similar to that between the breeder of cattle and the butcher. We have to deal in the Adirondacks with a mixed forest of hardwoods, birch, maple and beech, in which spruce forms a prominent ad- mixture, sometimes at high elevations, the latter occupying the ground almost exclusively. We come to the conclusion that, all points con- sidered, the spruce in these mountains is the most valuable timber, with the other conifers desirable concomitants, the hardwoods, although now in preponderance, being less readily marketable. Hence we formulate our silvicultural policy : the management is to be based for spruce. To carry out this policy it is evident the hard- woods must be numerically reduced, the condi- tions for the reproduction of spruce made favor- able, and the young growth of spruce favored by subduing its competitors — operations which re- quire the highest skill of the silviculturist. A study of the market, of its requirements and possibilities of change, is most essential for the successful forest manager. A further formulation of silvicultural policy is as to the kind or system of management under which the reproduction is to be secured. There are two general classes possible. Cutting away the old growth and planting a new crop just as wanted appears the simplest system. The other class of management for reproduc- i tion, which depends upon natural seeding from I the trees on or near the area to be reproduced, offers several methods, among which the method of selection, in which mature trees here and there selected through the forest, or certain parts of it, are taken, resembles most the lumberman's present method, except that he is influenced only by the i marketableness of his trees, while the forester keeps ! foremost the benefit to the young growth that is left. j One of the most difficult and important ques- ' tions to be determined, especially with regard to : financial results, is the rotation, i.e,, the age, to which the crop is to be allowed to grow before utilizing it. There is a choice as to when to har- vest it, into the making of which a number of considerations enter. Where reproduction from seed is expected, the age at which frequent and prolific seed production takes place, maturity in the sense accepted for animals will set the lowest limit; finally, how- ever, since the business of forest production is mainly carried on for financial results, the finan- cial rotation must be determined, i.e., that time at which it pays best to harvest the crop. Quan- tity of production as well as change in quality, both of which are variable with age of the crop and market conditions, influence its choice. A 206 FOREST LEAVES. series of measurements of the rate of growth of the wood crop, and calculations based on them and on cost of production and administration and consideration of market requirements, present and conjectured future ones, lead to the adoption of this regulator of the time element in reproduction. A demonstration and experimental area, as the proposed school forest is to be, will, to be sure, entail many operations which in a mere business forest might be dispensed with or delayed to a more opportune time. When this experiment is established, and has demonstrated that rational forest management is possible in this country as well as in the older coun- tries, the constitutional bar will undoubtedly be removed and the entire State holdings placed under proper technical administration, with the students from the State College of Forestry for its managers. [The latest advices show that thirty -five students were participating in the courses of the College of Forestry of Cornell University. — Ed.] New Members of Pennsylvania Forestry Association. s INCE the June issue of Forest Leaves, the following persons have joined the Pennsyl- vania Forestry Association : Adaire, Alexander, Albright, Edwin, Alexander, William, Anderson, W. C, Archbald, Hon. R. W Austin, Esmonde H., Baer, Mrs. George F. , 1414 Palmer St., Philadelphia, Pa. 458 Hamilton St., Allentown, Pa. Chambersburg, Pa. 400 Biddle Ave., Pittsburg, Pa. Scranton, Pa. 605 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 1 501 Mineral Spring Road, Reading, Pa. Baker, George Fales^ M.D.y 18 18 Spruce St., Philadelphia^ Pa. Balderston, Mrs. E. M., 1620 Mt. Vernon St., Philadelphia, Pa. Blanchard, John, Brengle, Henry G., Bricker, Owen P., Brown, George Frank, Buck, Frank, Buckley, Edward S. , Bellefonte, Pa, 505 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Lancaster, Pa. Titusville, Pa. 1505 N. 5th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 1508 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa. Christian, Samuel, 4504 Frankford Ave. , Philadelphia, Pa. Clark, Charles D Clark, W. H., Comegys, B. B., Cramp, Charles H., Craven, John J. R. 221^ Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa. 706 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 421 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 507 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 2106 Green St., Philadelphia, Pa. Dahlinger, Charles W., 518 Fourth Ave., Pittsburg, Pa. Dale, Roscoe, Scranton, Pa. Dulles, Wm., Jr., 141 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Early, Robert Morris, 611 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Elliott, Mrs. Alexander, 5th and Washington Streets, Huntingdon, Pa. Ellison, Mrs. Rodman B., «♦ Linden Shade Farm,*' Bryn Mawr, Pa. Erben, Miss Helen, 218 East Ave., Rochester, N. Y. Evans, S. W., Jr., 4625 Paul St., Frankford, Philadelphia, Pa. Farrand, William H., Faust, R. J., Fay, V. B., Fletcher, George A., Gazzam, Joseph M., Geary, A. B., Gest, John B., Giekyson, H. H., Morton, Pa. Mount Union, Pa. Biltmore, N. C. 216 N. 34th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 812 Girard Building, Philadelphia, Pa. Wallingford, Pa. 327 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Box 658, Phoenixville, Pa. Gilbert, Mrs. Lyman D., 203 N. Front St., Harrisburg, Pa. Green, A. B., Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N. Y. Grier, Isaac X., Danville, Pa. Hancock, James Denton, Franklin^ Pa, Hay, James, 25 S. Water St. , Philadelphia, Pa. Hertzog, D. M., Uniontown, Pa. Hinckley, Watson D., Warren, Pa. 3025 Centre Ave., Pittsburg, Pa. Doylestown, Pa. 1218 S. loth St., Philadelphia, Pa. Ridgway, Pa. 57 Johnson's Park, Buffalo, N. Y. Lewisburg, Pa. Bridesburg, Philadelphia, Pa. Lock Haven, Pa. Lewisburg, Pa. H16 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa. Franklin, Pa. Ashland, Pa. Glen Mills, Pa. 281 S. 4th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 4406 Chestnut St. , Philadelphia, Pa. Biltmore, N. C. 1 810 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pa. Uniontown, Pa. II 16 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa. 1307 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa. Scranton, Pa. Bristol, Pa. Ithaca, N. Y. 608 Court St., Reading, Pa. 3602 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Sheip, Henry H., The Frontenac, Broad and Oxford Sts., Philadelphia, Pa. Snyder, W. Frederick, 434 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Spiegel, Charles A., 545^ Main St., Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. Staake, William H., 501 Franklin Bld'g, Philadelphia, Pa. Thayer, Mrs. M. Russell, 1824 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pa. Thompson, Henry B., 1305 Rodney St., Wilmington, Del. Third National Bank, Philadelphia, Pa. 229 West Upsal St., Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. 526 Drexel Bld»g, Philadelphia, Pa. The Bartram, Philadelphia, Pa. 422 S. 44th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 626 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. House, Mrs. W. H., James, Henry A., Kay, Robert G., Kline, M. S., Lathrop, Miss M. E., Leiser, Andrew Albright, Lenning, John B., Leaher, John B., Linn, Philip B. , Marshall, Mrs. B., McCalmont, Robert, Minogue, James F., Okie, F. E., Page, S. Davis, Parke, Fleming, Peabody, G. T., Perot, T. Morris, Playford, R. W., Remsen, Edward H., Richardson, Charles, Ripple, Col. Ezra H., Rogers, J. W\, Rowlee, Prof. W. W., Sassaman, Edwin, Scott, Robert M., Wagner, Gen. Louis, Weygandt, C. N., Williams, Ellis D., Wing, AsaS., Wolbert, Charles E., IVood, George, Wood, Horatio C, M.D., 1925 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Italics indicate life members. We also regret to chronicle the loss by death of several members who were prominent friends of forestry, their names being as follows : Ayres, Bucher, 805 N. 17th St., Philadelphia, Pa. Blakiston, Presley, 2042 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Pepper, William, M.D., 181 1 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa. Scranton, Edward S., Betz Bld'g, Philadelphia, Pa. Troutman, Miss, 1627 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa. FOREST LEAVES. 207 ILLUSTRATIONS OF TREES MADE BY THE NEW FOHEpT LEI^VE^. Autoglyphic Process OF oo THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE -A. r r- . HUrADBUEHHl .V'JlSV^pHED IN HIGHEST «!'"' ELPHIA SEND FOR CIRCULAR. FORESTRY SCHOOL AT BILTMORE, N. C. For circular and information apply to C. A. SCHENCK, Ph.D. Forester to the Biltmore Estate. LEWIS' LEAF CHART. TAUT 1, NOW JtEAJ>T, No.l. Biennial-fruited Oaks : Black Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No! 2. Annual-fruited Oaks : White Oak and allies. Price 50 c. No. 3. Southern, Pacific, Hardy Foreign and some extinct oaks Price 50 c. No. 4. The Chestnuts and Beeches. Price 50 c. Sent on receipt of cash price, in tubes, or boxed when ordered in large quantities. In the latter case, send for wholesale prices. I Price of whole series of Charts, illustrating one hundred species of our best trees, $6.00. Please subscribe for the series. GRACEANNA LEWIS, 121 West Washington Street, Media, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Forestry Association. The attention of the advertising public is called to the advantages we offer as a medium. Address, 1012 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. I inch, 'A page, V2 " (( RATES ■ I 6 insertion. insertions. $1.00 $4.00 insertions. $8.00 4.00 17.00 34.00 7.00 30.00 60.00 12.00 50.00 100.00 208 FOREST LEAVES. RHODODENDRONS. SINGLE CLUSTER RHODODENDRON-BLOOM. The glory of every place possessing Rhododendrons is their superb bloom in the latter part of May and early June. The magnificent coloring and huge clusters of flowers in so many shades of pink, violet, rose, purple, and the delicate creamy- white, give them the first place among the evergreen shrubs. Even their foliage is beautiful and most efi'ective in the dull winter months, when their glossy green leaves add a beauty to the otherwise bare shrubbery. The great decorative value of Rhododendrons is now fully recognized, and every year increases their popularity. We take great pleasure in inviting all admirers of Rhododen- drons to visit our Nurseries during the latter part of May and very early days of June, and we feel sure it will afford great pleasure to every one who sees our fine collection of over five thousand plants in the beauty of full bloom. Single specimen plants, bushy, well furnished, and well budded, at $1.00, $1.50, $2.00, $3.00, $4.00, $5.00, ^6.00, and $7.50 each. Hemlock Spruce. Too much cannot be said in praise of this fine native evergreen. Its form is conical, with sf)niewhat pendulous and very graceful ])ranches, while the foliage is fern-like and delicate. A valuable tree for the lawn, and it alt-o makes a tine hedge plant. 12 to i8 inches, $o 25 each 18 to 24 inches, 35 each 2 to 3 feet, 50 each 3 to 4 feet, 75 each 5 to 6 feet, 1 00 each American Holly. This is one of America's most beautiful evergreens. Its foliage varies very little from that of the English Holly, and its rich clusters of scarlet berries make a good substitute I'or flowers in the winter shrubbery. It is hardy in almost any locality, and to insure safety in transplanting the leaves should be removed from the l)lant at that time. Plants, twelve to eighteen inches, 50 cents each ; $5.00 per dozen ; $25.00 per 100. Andromeda Catesbasi. One of the best shade-supporting plants and very useful for massing as undergrowth. It is a hardy Evergreen Shrub, with stems of dark green and leaves of bronze, coloring beautifully during the fall and winter seasons, and in the spring it bears a sweet-scented white flower, blooming very early. Plants, six to twelve inches, 25 cents eaeh ; $2.5() per dozen; $20.00 per 100. Large plants 50 cents each ; $35.00 per 100. White Pine. One of the most stately and valuable of evergreens ; tall, straight, and handsome, with slender glaucous leaves. 12 to 18 inches, . . . $0 35 each ; $2 00 per 10; $15 00 per 100 18 to 24 inches, ... 50 each ; 3 00 per 10; 20 00 per 100 a to 2% feet, .... 75 each; 5 co per 10; 35 co per xoo 2j^ to 3 feet, I 00 each; 7 50 per 10; 50 oo per 100 5 to 7 feet, 2 00 each ; 15 00 per 10. $1 75 per 10 a 50 per 10 4 00 per 10 6 00 per xo 8 00 per 10 ^15 00 per 100 20 00 per 100 35 00 per 100 50 oo per 100 65 00 per 100 WHITE PINE. fl^DOHt^fl flUHSEHlES, ( WILLIAM WARNER HARPER. CHESTNUT HILL, PHILA., PA. \i 'j\