Ea oersyre sy] in ora aan 3 wy Svan ~ oe regen OP | selene Se hale rap me . : pers I Leone i on “ eort eee Sein stare . ni ~ la val pete e™ | PENAL TI SG maar er aes Sai Fe aie | een et ee Oe ee res age na eer re a Sn an er HANDBOUND AT THE wks. e UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS = 5 @ a Sore FAC one Dy Ne pllereedi Digitized by the Intereian Archive UNTHRROT W with funding from Microsoft ‘Corpdtation http://www.archive.org/details/americanforestsOSnatiuoft f My m7 (Pigs ea Dy haar a ‘ i, minhy i ai rh ve : ry . : a aa ‘ al i ate RECEIVED FACULTY OF FORESTRY MAR {989 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO fy i ( ah ae ¢ 4 Berni The Forester A Monthly Magazine Volume V. 1899 Published by The American Forestry Association. CORCORAN BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D. C. ( MARY 1262 % py, S eisiry o> S44 olay Ce ESIC c Oba, Aaegnes eee 217 hieyement of Perseverance, An........... 189 visapility of Forest Culture ....::......... 131 FESR ote ee aciep Pea Sae ESE igs oekint Sunice a sence 245 WoyeV "EE Sow sone aa oneRBcGnod hy REOHUC SEE Pee a aaa 12 ES acer ote c eens ence cis nessa hoes Soesipes Be Ska Eriterprises eAitih core. cose ccccrscies see 6s 217 miperova Dollar. THE: ccc .secncc.csesasieess 245 erican Forestry Association, Annual WR CLINI Oli sade estcis uae 9 VERVE, ceconohbadgononenco Sonne) 13, 129, 162, 189, 238 » IPTG SBE cos csnonvconnasocooscadSnontconsoncconobop 89 Hein OKest ReSEnvVieS..c..cresessceasc se 79 lESOtare LO O35 OO) O2 TOS LTO, Tr4), £15, 137 LOI 1O2) Log, 212. 26i, 264,265 ROU S EEN aTH ONS cooccoeo Gonannbodseoaanedle 213 esota’s Park for the People—a sym- FOSUII Of VAC WS 2a ccascces cc tisarseaeseees- ss 222 esota’s Proposed New National Park 204 PGI aanet ea nese seis sede ectoe wht ethan eae’ 114, 239 AMO IMAL PHINGSc..s Hi. C. Putnam, of? Eau Claire, and Ernest Bruncken, of Mil- waukee. The report calls attention to the mis- apprehension which still widely prevails as to the meaning of the word ‘‘forestry.”’ That art or profession is not synony- mous with arboriculture, which is merely a branch of the subject. Neither has it anything to do with the growing of orna- mental trees in parks. business of utilizing forest lands for profit. It is simply the — The improvement of prevailing | 1899. forestry methods is urged by the com- missioners, not on sentimental grounds, but as a matter of dollars and cents. The report next calls attention to the fact that there are in the State large tracts of land which will return better profits if used permanently for raising wood crops, than if converted into agricultural land. It should therefore be the policy of the Government to pro- mote this use rather than the clearing of these lands for farming purposes. The immense extent of the lumber and allied industries in the State is referred to, and it is urged that if the thousands of men who now derive their support from these industries were thrown out of em- ployment on account of the permanent disappearance of their raw material it would be nothing short of an economic revolution in the State. Finally, the commissioners say, it should not be for- gotten that ‘‘a wise legislation should consider whether Wisconsin cannot in the future derive such revenues from its forests as will help to bear the expenses of government which will otherwise have to be met by taxing the people.” After this introduction, the subject is divided into three heads of discussion: Fire protection; the relative advantages of publicand private ownership of forests; and the steps necessary and practicable to attain the object of reform. ‘‘Without some effective system of fire protection there is no hope of placing the forest industries of the State upon a stable basis. It is clearly as much a duty of the public authorities to prevent forest fires as to prevent and extinguish fires in cities.”” The system of fire war- dens inaugurated by the last legislature, although it has done some good, is not sufficient. Many local wardens either do not understand their duties or neglect them. There should be proper super- vision. The commissioners recommend that the State pay one-half of the expense of the fire police. The report discusses the question whether there is likelihood of private capi- tal being invested in timber lands for per- manent management, and arrives at a negative conclusion. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, II The opinion is expressed that Wis- consin lumber concerns could not com- pete with those of other States if they were to conduct their business on any different principle than that now pre- vailing of cutting at once all the mer- chantable timber on their holdings, though there are reasons why this seems questionable. The management of timber lots on farms is considered and the report in- sists that it is the duty of the State to assist farmers, by proper instruction, to prevent the constant deterioration which these small forests now usually suffer. The conclusion is reached that the State must either allow its lumber, wood, and allied industries to decay, or take the supply of the necessary raw material into its own hands. This naturally leads to a consideration of the public lands still existing in Wis- consin. According to the report of the land office the whole amount of the State land remaining unsold on the 30th day of September, 1898, was 367,000 acres. This is nearly all forest-covered, and not well fitted for agriculture, and is widely scattered. The legal status of these lands is discussed, and attention called to the constant deterioration of the growing timber on them by reason of fires, windfalls and consequent insect damage. The report urges that the sale of these lands be stopped temporarily, and the merchantable timber thereon be cut and disposed of as soon as practica- ble. A number of objections which might be raised to the permanent reten- tion of these lands by the State are dis- cussed and shown to be ill taken. The lands owned by the United States Gov- ernment in Wisconsin, which are some- what larger in extent that the State lands, are of substantially the same character as the latter. The commissioners recom- mend that an effort be made by the State authorities to have these lands ceded to the State by the Federal Government. The most difficult part of the forest problem is the disposition of the Pine lands from which the merchantable tim- ber has been removed. Of these there are many hundred thousand acres in the 12 THE FORESTER. State. Practically all of them are capable of being restocked with pine at reasona- ble expense. This can be done only by public authority which will not look to immedi- ate profit. As long as they remain un- cared for the fires prevent the natural re- production, Withouthumanintervention these immense tracts will for the most part become vast wildernesses, unfit for agriculture, yet yielding none of the val- uable products of a forest. Most of these lands are owned by private parties, although a considerable portion is owned by counties under tax titles, The idea that all of these lands will eventually be taken up by agricul- tural settlers isa mistake. Occasionally a settler may be found who makes a miserable living on even the poorest of these lands, but he must of necessity always remain poor, unambitious and ignorant. The simplest way to dispose of these lands and make them of use to the people would be for the State to pur- chase them. How this isto be done is yet to be determined. Itisstated bythe com- missioners that several large owners of cut-over Pine lands have intimated their January, willingness to cede large tracts to the State if the latter will take steps to re- stock them. After outlining the manner in which the rational management of the State forests should proceed in the future, the report gives a general view of the com- missioners’ plan for a State forest depart- ment, as proposed in the bill which will be submitted to the Legislature together with the report. A State superintendent of forests, an assistant, and other subor- dinate officers are to be appointed. The sale of State lands shall be stopped, and the same shall be surveyed. All dead and down timber, and such other timber as the superintendent may deem expedient, shall be sold as soon as practicable. Also audit all accounts. The superintendent is to build roads and “make necessary improvements on the lands under his care, but must not incur an expenditure to exceed $110 without authority. Thesuperintendent appoints the local fire-wardens, and has the supervision over them. The department is to establish model forests and ex- periment stations in different portions of the State. The Lumber Industry. Commenting on the proposition of the Forest Division to aid timberland owners in the formulation of plans for their most profitable management, the Vorthwestern Lumberman says: «Probably the scheme will result in calling attention to the work of the de- partment to a greater extent than for- merly. It appeals directly to the pockets of forest owners, which is about as strong an address as can be made to the aver- age American or the average man of any nationality for that matter. If the offi- cers of the Forestry Division can, through the workings of their new plan, interest a considerable number of woodland own- ers to the extent of forcing on their minds that there is a better way to handle for- ests than to slaughter them, they will have accomplished a good work. When a few shall have become interested, the influence will spread until an intelligent forestry system shall become prevalent throughout thecountry. But itis doubt- ful if the services of the department agents will be much required by the lum- bermen who own lands that they intend to denude as rapidly as they can cut and sell the timber. Anything that shall hamper speed in this process will likely be turned down as an unwarrantable in- terference. Yet here and there is a tim- ber owner, not a lumberman, who will listen to any proposition that promises to add to the value of his holdings.” This enterprising lumber trade journal will have to revise the judgment above expressed. Fourteen lumber camps are 1899. now cutting timber under plans prepared by the Division, while plans have been made and accepted for over 100,000 acres in the Adirondack region alone. It is estimated by Wisconsin lumber- men that this winter’s cut will exceed former years by anywhere from 100, 000, - 000 to 150,000,000 feet. The wages that will be paid this winter for chopping are placed at about $215,000 per month, and from 2,000 to 3,000 more men wil] in all probabjlity be employed this year in the woods about the head of the lakes than last year. Lumbering in Northern Michigan and on the upper peninsula has been at its height, and thousands of men have been plying. the axe with vigor. Skilled woodsmen have held out for $24 to $26 per month, and even when the op- erators decided to pay these prices it was hard to secure men enough to recruit the crews to the desired number. Two years ago wages in the woods ran from $14 to $18 per month. There is a good demand for log scalers on the headwaters of the Mississippi, in northern Minnesota. This must either be due to an unusually large amount of logging going on in that district, or else scalers of experience have suddenly be- come very scarce. It has even been said that this scarcity may affect the log cut the coming winter. The shipments of lumber from Ban- gor, Me., this year are reported to be about 35,000,000 feet less than the ag- gregate amount shipped last year. This is said to have been in a great measure due to the war. It is hoped that there AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 13 will be some demand for Maine: lumber for shipment to Porto Rico and Cuba. The Government has been buying some timber and lumber for use in Cuba. The creosoted lumber called for in the bids is to be used for a wharf at Triscor- nio, a village of 500 inhabitants on the shore of the harbor of Havana. The wharf will be between 300 and 4o0 feet in length, insuring thirty feet of water, sufficient for large steamers. The tim- ber is subjected to its treatment of cre- osote to enable it to resist the ravages of the teredo worm. Representative Bromwell, of Ohio, has introduced a bill in Congress to grant salvage for logs found adrift in navigable waters of the United States. It pro- vides that the owners of such logs shall pay 25 cents cach for logs less than 30 inches in diameter and 50 cents for logs over 30 inches. Bunches of 50 logs, in raft, are to cost the owner $5 in salvage, and ro cents for each log over that num- ber is to be charged. An enthusiastic writer on a Mobile newspaper says that ‘the forests of Ala- bama are inexhaustible.” This is a very popular mistake and one that has been made by others in a better position to judge intelligently than are the editors of secular newspapers. If the writer in question had first known his neighboring State, Georgia, had been practically exhausted within a commercial period scarcely exceeding a quarter century, and that inroads upon forests are grow- ing, not shrinking, he probably would not have made that sort of statement, especially as it is very clear that he thereby could hope for no good to come from it to his clientage.— The Timberman. 14 THE FORESTER. January, Technical Improvements. The Bavarian state railroads have been experimenting with a process of harden- ing railroad ties by chemical treatment, the object being to produce a chemical union of the wood fiber and the preserva- tive. It consists of a double baking of the wood, a treatment with oil of vitriol and sulphate of iron, after which the wood is given a bath of chloride of lime, milk of lime being added, at a tempera- ture of 112 to 257 degrees Fahr., ata pressure of about forty pounds to the square inch. The theory is that the first baking destroys the germs of fermenta- tion and induces the chemical union of the preservative with the fiber of the wood, the second baking hardening the wood and rendering it a non-absorbent of moisture. It is reported that hardening takes place to a remarkable degree, while the preservative effect compares favor- ably with the processes already in use. The American Wood Fire-Proofing ‘Company, of 11 Broadway, New York, is building works at Newark, N. J., and presently will be prepared to fire-proof woods for naval, marine, and otherstruc- turaluses. The cost of treatment, so the company claims, will be generally moderate, depending in particular upon the nature of the wood treated. The process is protected by letters patent and is said to be the only insoluble treatment which, with a second treatment, the albumen bath, seals the pores and makes the wood almost proof against the ele- ments, thus greatly increasing its dura- bility. The company will sell territorial rights or royalty privileges, in such latter cases superintending the building of nec- essary apparatus. Fire-proof wood made so artificially is not altogether a new thing, but the treatment employed by this company, on account of its insoluble and sealing processes, seems to have reached the limit of performance in the premises. The strength of the wood is not appreciably affected by this process, but the treatment affords a foundation for more effective polish than is attain- able without it. Forest Administration. U. S. Indian Agent Wisdom, of Mus- cogee, I. T., who has supervision of the agency for the five civilized tribes, re- cently issued the following instructions relative to the cutting of timber in the Indian Territory: Until permanent allotments have been made and patents issued therefrom to the individual Indians, no one is authorized to buy or sell tim- ber off any place in the Cherokee Nation un- til final disposition of the land or claim in said nation is made. On December 10 the Committee on Indian Affairs in Congress decided to appropriate $45,000 to continue the ex- amination and estimates of the timber on the Chippewa reservation in Minne- sota ; $10,000 to be immediately avail- able, with the proviso that the work shall be finished within the current year. Land Commissioner Hermann states that he has issued orders to Chief Seelye, of the Chippewa Pine Estimating Corps, to hurry work in order that the Pine may be put on the market at the earliest pos- sible moment. The commissioner has formally instructed Superintendent Ross to resume dead and down timber opera- tions in the ceded portions of the Chip- pewa reservation. The regulations of last year will govern in operations in the year to follow, with the following modi- fications to be applied to future con- tracts: All dead and down timber is. to be marked and none other than marked timber is to be cut; all green trees re- moved for road-cutting purposes are to be accounted for at green timber price, the amount to be placed in the Indian 1899. fund inthe Treasury. Boom sticks also to be accounted for in this way, and only small trees to be used for this purpose. Accounts of supply men are to be sub- ject to inspection by Superintendent Ross and Indian agent to prevent over- charges. The Commissioner of the General Land Office has issued instructions to the forest officials and rangers on the reserves in Colorado to co-operate with State officials in the enforcement of the game laws of that State. ° The right of the Government to pros: ecute criminally persons grazing sheep in all forest reservations, except in Wash- ington and Oregon, is sustained in a decision rendered by the Attorney Gen- eral. The forest reserve officials of Wash- ington and Oregon met at Tacoma, Washington, on the 27th of December to discuss the question of sheep grazing in the reserves. It was practically decided to allot the pasture district lying in the Mount Tacoma reserve in well-defined ranges, the boundaries being marked by streams and ridges. These ranges will be let at the rate of $5 to every thousand sheep pastured each season, unless there is competition for the same tract between rival growers, when it will be given to the highest bidder. Grazing will be prohibited in the reserves until June 20 to allow the grass to get well started, and the higher altitudes will be reserved until a month later. The settlement of this question is one of greatest difficulty, yet it is left nearly altogether to the discretion of the reserve superintendents, although their plans have to be ratified by the Government. It is believed that the reserves are already pastured to the fullest extent compatible with safety to the permanence of the grazing. The herds are increasing every year, and it has become necessary to formulate a plan for allotting the district AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 15 with definite boundaries for each range, and to prevent too early feeding on the grass in the spring. ° Spoliation on the Public Domain, As news items indicative of industrial activity, the two following press dis- patches are self-explanatory: Rock Sprines, Wyo., Nov. 23.—(Special.) The Oregon Short Line Company has com- pleted negotiations with the Rock Springs Lumber Company for the delivery during the coming year of $160,000 worth of railroad cross- ties for use on its line. The ties will be cut on the headwaters of Green River and floated to the railroad at the town of Green River, where the company has a big log boom. The lumber company has at the present time a large force of lumbermen employed in the mountains get- ting out ties for the contract. ALAMOGORDO, N. M., Dec. 8.—Good authori- ties state that the Alamogordo Lumber Com- pany has taken a contract to furnish a Mexican railroad with sixty miles of railroad ties. A question naturally arises in many minds, when reading such items, as to whether or not all these ties are to be cut from patented lands. Trespasses on the timber of the public domain have been of not infrequent occurence in the past and they may occur again. The following from the Denver Times throws some light on the character of the trans- actions of the lumber company referred to in the first of the foregoing dis- patches: One of the most gigantic steals in the history of the timber traffic of this country is being unearthed at Wells, Uinta County, Wyoming, a new town of 150 miles north of the Utah line. The case is not only large of itself but its ramifications are far-reaching and involve parties high in power in the meshes of mal- feasance in office. Binger Hermann, Com- missioner of the General Land Office, is on the scent and after having been notified by promi- nent men of Wells of the state of affairs ex- isting there, has ordered several inspectors to the scene. That is the first part of the cat- out-of-the-bag side of it. Despite the Com- missioner’s orders, to date none of his inspec- tors have appeared. No reflections are made on the integrity of Mr. Hermann, however. It is the fact that none of the men whom he had ordered to the scene have arrived that led to the upheaval. Briefly summarized, the methods have been as follows: The Rock Springs Lumber Company has located a large 16 THE FORESTER, number of tracts of timber land, paying for it with soldier scrip, Of this scrip they have a great quantity, bought for a song from soldiers who did not use it themselves. The scrip calls for small parcels of land. from 40 to 120 acres each, and reads ‘‘agricultural land”! ‘The fact that it is diverted into other channels is considered sufficient cause for prosecution by the Government, Instead of taking the land in a bunch, it is alleged that the lumber company takes it in various sec- tions, skipping here and there and using their own and the land lying between their tracts indiscriminately. This is very difficult to dis- cover, as the lines are hard to run through the heavy timber and it would involve a great January, ruthless manner. Another count which has been lodged against the company is that it has been buying elk meat at two cents per pound and that a number of hunters have been pro- viding it for the wood-choppers in various camps belonging tothe company. In view of the fact that this was done during the close season for big game, it isa most serious offense, and when taken with the rest of the allega- tions, it seems important that something should be done to thwart the schemers. The inform- ants of 7he 7Tzmes are reliable men and their reports indicate a most malodorous state of affairs. Last fall the Assistant Commissioner YELLOW PINE ON BITTER amount of labor to locate the boundaries cor- rectly. The company has from 150 to 200 men at work at all times and it does a general tim- ber trade, dealing in ties, mining timbers and saw logs. The amount cut annually is im- mense and the loss sustained by the Govern- ment is enormous. In addition to the scrip deals, it is alleged that last winter the company cut much timber on Horse Creek without pay- ing for it even in scrip. Two years ago they cut it around Wells, and the year before that their traffic was carried on along Jim Creek. They made no pretensions save an open steal on those occasions. Mr, Wells, of the town which bears his name, has been threatened by the company on account of the bitter fight he has been making against the members of it. It is said that the country is being stripped of timber in a most ROOT RESERVE, MONTANA. of the General Land Office, acting in the absence of the Commissioner, re- fused to sell to a contractor a large tract of timber on the west slope of the Medicine Bow range in Wyoming, hold- ing that under the law timber cannot be sold from the public lands to non- residents of the State. In making this ruling the Assistant Commissioner was in the right, yet his decision might well have been based on a more sweeping provision of the law. In the Act of March 3, 1875, among other rights con- ferred on railroad companies,‘ is the privilege of taking from the public lands 1899. adjacent to the line of road such timber as may be necessary for the construction of the road. This provision of the statute was literally construed in a sub- sequent ruling of the Interior Depart- ment, thus permitting the use of timber from public lands by railroad companies, or their agents or contractors, for pur- poses of construction only and not for re- pairs. It would seem that the pro- hibition in this case should be based, not on the fact that the contracting tie- cutter was a non-resident of the State in which it was proposed to cut the timber, but rather on the fact that the railroad, for which the supplies were to be cut, was not constructing a new line in the meaning of the law, but proposed to use the supplies so obtained as_ repairs. Indeed, in the present instance, the con- tracting railroad, the Oregon Short Line, 1s not only not constructing a line of road adjacent to the land from which the timber is being cut, but it has no line, either in existence or projection, in the State of Wyoming ! Of the transactions of the lumber company reported as operating at Alamo- gordo, N. M., less is known, but it is AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 17 certain that there is no law that author- izes the cutting of timber to supply the needs of railways beyond the national boundary, and it is no less certain that New Mexico has no timber to spare for such purposes. Every day the neces- sity for a further extension of the forest reservation policy becomes more appar- ent. So long as an adequate super- vision of the public timber lands is lacking, cupidity, dishonesty and law eva- sion willbe manifest. It has indeed been well said that ‘* No good reason can be given for the maintenance of the present reserves which does not also demand the withdrawal and protection of all similar lands held by the Government.” Government officers say: many men throughout the mountains are illegally cutting railway ties on Government land. Recently a mountaineer called at one of the Denver offices to sell ties. When asked if they were broad or narrow gauge ties, he replied that they were not cut yet. Suspicious that everything was not straight, the official dismissed him.— Denver Times. Arboriculture. Tree Planting on the Farm. I am giad to notice the interest mani- fested by so many in the matter of pre- serving our now almost depleted forests. Those of us who have grown old in Indiana have been familiar with a native forest that was truly beautiful for its grandeur and magnificence; and we have witnessed, too, its almost,entire annihilation. In the early settlement of the country trees were regarded as the natural earnings of the farmer. Before the pioneer built his cabin he indus- triously cut away every tree within a stone’s-throw of the site. Years after- ward, discovering his mistake he planted the same kind of trees about his home that in an earlier day his hands had so ruthlessly destroyed. I am now living on the farm upon which I was born. At first the trees were all cut down that were near the house. Many years ago I commenced allowing sprouts of native trees that voluntarily sprang up to grow, and transplanted others. I now live in a grove of native trees of second growth. Ten or a dozen kinds are represented ; some of the trees are quite large. I have had to cut some down, one of which was over two feet in diameter, and madea good sawlog, which I sold to a timber- man for several dollars. This is con- clusive evidence to my mind that timber culture is not a mere dream of a theorist, but that it is practicable, and in my judgment it may be made profitable. I have also on my farm two or three Black Locvust groves that are, and have been for 18 THE FORESTER. years, furnishing all the posts needed on a large farm. This is a convenience that can only be appreciated by those who have to have posts and who have not the money to buy iron posts with—that our friend Haslett recommended so highly. I have urged young farmers to plant Locust groves for shade, for wind- breaks, for beauty and for poles and posts ; but not many of them will do it. In this fast age of steam and electricity people cannot wait for trees to grow. Yet how few there are who do not ad- mire a grove of thrifty trees. In my opinion the State Board of Agriculture could not do a wiser thing than to de- vote a few acres of the fair grounds to tree culture, planting and preserving in it all of the various kinds of trees that grew originally in our forests. It would beautify the grounds and would be one of the attractions for visitors and an ob- ject lesson that would awaken and stimu- late an interest in the subject of forestry. — James N. Hill tn Indiana Farmer. For hedgerows and windbreaks on the dry plateau uplands of eastern Colo- January, rado J. E. Payne, of Cheyenne County, finds the black locust the most accepta- ble tree, with the honey locust second choice. The Russian Artemisia, which was so well recommended, has not done very well. Out of goo planted only four remain on account of winter-killing. The Russian mulberry is more promising and the ash is a slow but sure grower. The sand plum will do, and so may other varieties of the wild plum ; but the most essential thing to observe in tree plant- ing on the great plains without irri- gation is to plow and subsoil or even dynamite the land, and if possible plow diagonal furrows in from higher ground so as to direct flood waters along the tree rows whenever it rains hard, and in this way get the benefit of the mois- ture. wd ee The Newtown (Pa.) Enxterprise says a Hickory tree, 100 feet in height, was cut down a short time ago, on the farm of David Slack, near Penn’s Park, Buck County. Eighty feet from the stump it measured two feet in diameter. It will be cut up into firewood. Sheep-Grazing in Forests. The people of Madera County, Cali- fornia, have been circulating a petition to the Commissioner of the General Land Office praying for a rigid enforcement of the forest reservation rules in the Sierra Forest Reserve, and especially that sheep be hereafter excluded from its bounds. Among other things recited in the peti- tion is the following, which illustrates the determined stand which the people of California have taken in regard to sheep grazing : We memorialize you that sheep owners re- tard the settlement and permanent growth of wealth in the California valleys; that years ago they antagonized the irrigating canals and they opposed the conversion of grazing lands in to wheat ranches; that they once grazed their flocks over the site of Fresno city, now the center of the raisin industry, nestling amid matchless orchards and splendid vineyards, over land there and elsewhere, whose value as grazing lands was $1.25 per acre, but which is now worth from $125 to $300 per acre. Therefore your petitioners pray that the Sierra forests be preserved as nature’s guardians to protect our valleys, so that all lines of industry may be developed side by side. And in the name of the common people of Calitornia, in the name of our genial valley awaiting the wealth of waters that nature has provided for but avarice denies—which valley once baptized with crystal fountains would smile to welcome sheep husbandry along with sister industries—and in the name of labor that looks longingly out across broad acres unem- ployed and is strong in hope and love to build the future homes of the ‘‘ Golden State,” we ask that the sheep be not allowed to range the Sierras and despoil the God-given heritage of forest and stream. A county ‘‘wool growers’ protective association” in Wyoming recently adopted resolutions in which the decla- ration was made that the regulation which excludes sheep from forest re- 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. FEET II,700 RESERVE, ALTITUDE BERNARDINO SAN PEAK, STANDS OF GREYBACK —SHOWING OF SLOPE NORTH Pinus Flexilis. PINE, LIMBER 20 THE FORESTER. serves is the result of ‘‘ false representa- tions made by the American Forestry Association.” It would seem that, by that particular interest and in that locality at least, the American Forestry Associa- tion, in common with the coyotes and wolves of the wilderness and the foreign wool grower under the free trade regime, is regarded as a most deadly enemy of the flockmaster. The American For- estry Association, above all things, has always sought to develop the facts that should be the cause of, and the basis for public action. It has no interests of a private or selfish nature to conserve and has ever advocated what seemed to promise the greatest good to the greatest number. Just why any particular class or interest has a vested right to the use of any part of the national domain to the exclusion or injury of other interests or industries is not apparent. For nearly seventeen years the American Forestry Association has been working for the present and future welfare of the whole people, and the selfish motives of a single class interest will scarcely avail now to change its sense of duty to the more general interests involved. There are good reasons why the grazing of sheep on forest reserves seems inexpedient, and until careful investigation shall result in the development of facts to the contrary, the regulation which has aroused this opposition should be continued in effect. A Better Understanding. There has been within the past twelve months a very noticeable change in sen- timent on the part of many people in the West toward the forest reserve policy of the Federal Government. Perhaps one of the strongest agencies contributing to this desirable result is the report of Mr. Frederick V. Coville, botanist of the Department of Agriculture, onthe sub- ject .of ‘‘Forest Growth and Sheep Grazing in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon.” Mr. Coville’s fair and un- biased manner of presenting the facts developed by his careful and painstak- ing investigation, together with the re- January, commendations submitted, appealed to reason rather than predjudice, and that with telling effect. The result is appar- ent in the many letters received from residents of Oregon, some of whom are sheep owners. They all unite in com- mending the report together with the accompanying recommendations. The Portland Oregonian published the report in full and added its editorial endorse- ment. The following, which is a more recent expression of the Oregonian, is indicative of the present state of public sentiment in Oregon: ‘‘It may be said that there are now fewer violations of the National Park and forest laws of the United States than ever. Cleveland’s reservation proclamation is not working the hardship that people thought it would, and all classes are glad that the Senate amendment to the Sundry Civil Bill, abolishing the reserva- tions, did not prevail.” Among others who have expressed the most cordial approval of Mr. Co- ville’s exposition of the matter are Hon. T. W. Davenport, ex-State sur- veyor, of Salem; Judge J. B. Waldo, of Macleay, who is known as ‘‘the father of the Cascade Reserve,’’ and Hon. J. N. Williamson, of Prineville, who is a mem- ber of the Oregon legislature, a stock- man and sheep owner. At a special meeting of the Stockmen’s Union of southern Wasco County, Ore., the fol- lowing resolution was adopted: Resolved, ‘‘That this Union generally en- dorses the report of F. V. Coville on the Cas- cade Forest Reserve and pledges its best efforts to carry out the suggestions therein witnessed.” (Signed) Bo MALES, Sec y Stockmen's Union. Gradually it is beginning to dawn upon the popular mind that forestry and a forest reservation policy do not com- prehend the setting aside of vast tracts and keeping them from ever becoming fields of human industry. It is wellthat | such views are becoming dissipated, for forestry means use as against abuse of | woodland reserves. The result of the © publication of Mr. Coville’s report is } indeed most happy. . 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 21 The Law and the Forests. Judge Hallett yesterday instructed the jury in the United States Court to acquit H. S. Tomkins, the well-known hard- ware man, of unlawfully trespassing on public land in Custer County and de- spoiling the land of 250,000 feet of lum- ber. The defendant proved that the lumber was used in mines and not for railroad ties. He was accordingly ac- quitted.— Rocky Mountain News (Colo.). During the present term of the United States District Court several convictions have been obtained of men charged with cutting timber on Government land and carrying it away. Albert and George Rutherford were fined $9g0 each and given one day in the county jail for stealing timber in Boulder County. Frank Nice, a neighbor of the Ruther- fords, was given a similar sentence yes- terday by Judge Hallett. J. C. Dallon did not appear yesterday to answer a charge of cutting timber and judgment was entered against him.—Denver Re- publican. Timber Land Frauds. Eleven indictments returned by the recent United States grand jury, which were not made public when handed into court, turn out to be the result of a pa- tient investigation into as big a scheme, if the grand jury allegations are true, to defraud the Government as has been called to the attention of the Land Office in recent years. Thousands of Govern- ment acres in Southern Colorado have been despoiled of valuable timber in a scheme which, it is alleged by the Fed- eral authorities, is as smooth as has ever been concocted. Deputy United States Marshal Crock- er returned from Durango this morning after having placed under arrest Louis C. Jackaway and F. W. Stubbs, of the lumber firm of Jackaway & Stubbs; Louis C. Griffith, S. B. Jackaway, Edward Walker, Robert D. Sisson, E L France, bookkeeper; John W. Miller and William Palmquist. Indictments for two others are in the deputy’s possession, but as the men could not be found the warrants were not served. The nine pleaded not guilty to the charge of cutting timber on Government land when arraigned yesterday before United States Commissioner Pengree at Durango, and were held in bonds of $500 each. The preliminary hearing was set for the first Monday in April. The company, it is alleged by the off- cials, was organized to operate in La Plata, Archuleta, Conejos and Monte- zuma Counties, where the settlements are few and far between and where for- ests of the choicest timber in the State stretch over the mountain ranges for miles upon miles. For ten years the busi- ness has been carried on but under such a clever cover, if the findings of the grand jury are true, that it was not until after months of tireless search that the mat- ter was ready for presentation by the special agents. Extensive sawmills are located fifty miles west of Durango and at various other points adjacent to the Rio Grande Southern Railway. Large lumber yards are maintained by the company in Sil- verton, Durango and Ouray. The busi- ness amounts to tens of thousands of dollars annually and the members of the company are very wealthy. Stacked at the principal mill west of Durango are 4,000,000 feet of lumber ready for shipment. From fifteen to twenty men are employed by this mill as loggers and choppers. The grand jury charges that the com- pany induced men to settle on Govern- ment land, taking up homesteads of 160 acres each and then, when the first pa- pers were filed, purchasing it from them, the purchase price being the pay for the labor expended. These homesteads were never proved, for final papers were never taken out. The company would cut all the timber, haul it to its mills, and the homesteader under another name would N N take up other acres. It is said some- thing like 1o,ooo acres have been stripped of timber in the ten years of the company’s existence, the railroads buying the lumber. The Government Forest The much lamented denudation of the famous ‘‘Presidential Range’ in the White Mountains seems to be in full progress, according to reports emanat- ing from that section. A year or more ago it was reported that a deal had been closed whereby this famous tract passed into the hands of the Bartlett Lumber Company, of Boston, whose mills are at Bartlett, N. H. Forestry enthusiasts held up their hands in horror, and the press of the country printed column after column of editorial comment, pointing the finger of reproach at the authorities of the old Granite State for permitting a transaction which would probably result in the denudation of that world-famed range of mountains. We learn that not less than eight distinct logging crews have been sent into that section to operate during the winter, largely in the interest of the Bartlett Lumber Company. If the intention of the company is to strip the entire growth from this spot—much favored by tourists —their work will undoubtedly bring for- ward loud and prolonged protests from forestry interests, the general public and the press of the country.—Lwmberman’s Review. Timber Cutting in Mississippi. Under the caption of ‘‘A Birthright for a Mess of Pottage”’ Zhe Zimberman has the following to say of the waste of timber in Mississippi : Down in Sunflower and Bolivar Counties, Mississippi, there is a practical exposition of an uneconomical proposition that is so wide in its scope and important in its influences as to merit the serious attention of all hardwood stumpage holding and tapping railroads and hardwood manufacturers. Both of these, as THE FORESTER. January, will demand a big round sum of the men arrested and in the meantime the special agents are investigating further into the matter.—Denver (Colo.) Post. Policy. well as entire communities outside, are in this connection such unnecessarily large sufferers that they should adopt strong measures of re- form. We refer to the getting out of pipe staves and its effect on those mentioned. In the case in point it amounts to a frittering — away of the real and prospective assets of the — railroads tapping the territory named, It re- duces the possible amount of forest product — tonnage to a minimum, indirectly damaging the community and occasioning a loss to the lumberman by depriving him of entrance into a field peculiarly intended by nature to be the scene of his operations. Than the Yazoo bottoms in Mississippi there is, or rather was, probably no finer hardwood timbered section on earth. In that portion of it for miles on both sides of a line drawn from Moorhead, on the Southern Railway, to Dun- can, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley branch of the Illinois Central, there may now be witnessed such operations as in this, as well as numberless like sections, are wiping wide expanses of territory from the map so far as lumbermen are concerned, and all this at little immediate profit and much future loss to those short-sighted entities—the railroads— who could, if they would, prevent it. The story of this locality is that of hundreds of others. Several years ago Eastern parties who had been attracted there settled at Moor- head with the intention of developing the heavily timbered country lying north. In connection with this development a line of railroad has up to this time been constructed from Moorhead to Ruleville, a distance of twenty miles. This road has been recently purchased by the Illinois Central and will be extended from Ruleville to the Yazoo & — Mississippi Valley Railroad, a further distance — of about twenty-five miles. Absolutely the only natural resource of the country traversed is timber, and the most liberal estimate that can be made from the facts is that not toll exceed 10 per cent of as much of this as would be available to the lumbermen will provide revenue for the railroads; and even this per-— centage will not yield returns at all to be com- © pared with those from a like quantity of sawn ~ lumber. j All of this, accompanied by the almost posi-— tive exclusion of lumbermen from the territory, © is the net result of conditions practically created by the railroads, wherein the country 1899. has been recklessly despoiled by the stave producer. To begin with, the very land was turned over to these people by the railroads, who in the end are the chief sufferers. When the development spoken of was first projected, the stave people flocked in and secured pos- session of the land or trees for their purposes, always working far in advance of the actual location of transportation facilities. In their operations only trees of perfect growth and only about 20 per cent of the board measure contents of them are utilized. Traveling ahead, they fell all the choice timber. Of this they utilize in the case of each tree a 13-foot cut only. This is riven into staves, and the remainder—about 80 per cent of the average perfect tree—is left a victim to the always hastening forces of worms and decay. ‘These staves are piled in cribs and let remain, if needs be, for several years before hauling. They are being dried in the mean- time and the freight on them is being largely absorbed by the neighboring air—this is the extent of the neighborhood benefit. The com- munity or the State does not benefit even to the slight extent of the labor employed, which is imported by wholesale from the disappearing forests of Europe for the purpose. Should necessity demand, these staves may in the end be hauled a dozen or fifteen miles for shipment at a comparatively low cost. This is not possible with logs, hence the lum- berman can be and is anticipated in his opera- tions; in fact, he cannot operate. Before the fallen trunk left by the pipe-stave man can be reached—and they are the most valuable things left—they are rotten or worm- eaten. What is left is not sufficient to make an attempt at lumber producing either tempt- ing or profitable. The counties of Sunflower and Bolivar, in Mississippi, are living evidences of this. Less than to per cent of their re- sources are disposed of in such a way as not only to prove unprofitable in themselves, but to render the remaining go and more per cent largly valueless. The country they include is covered with stave cribs, and when the time comes that the atmosphere will cease to ab- sorb the freight, the railroads which held these lands and delivered them into the hands of the alien, in a more than double sense, will receive a paltry freight earning for the short haul necessary to reach the nearest exporting point only, and even the amount of this revenue is more than they deserve, since the rate which produces it is the same as they have fixed upon lumber. Verily, this is a waste of substance that should be inquired into and remedied. Information Wanted. The notable lack of reliable information as to the timber supply of the United States was clearly demonstrated during the discussions that preceded the adoption of schedule D in AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 23 the Dingley bill, While that bill was pending in the Senate a request was made on the De- partment of Agriculture for information cover- ing this point, and in response the Division of Forestry furnished an estimate, which was prefaced by the statement that it was largely guesswork, The remaining supply of White Pine in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota can be arrived at with some degree of certainty, but we have little accurate knowledge of the vast resources of the south and the Pacific coast. It has been suggested that an attempt be made to collect this information in connection with the taking of the Twelfth Census, work on which will begin in 1900. Those who have had experience, however, claim that all such information can be more economically gathered through the appropriate bureau, and in this case the Department of Agriculture, having charge of the Forestry Division, would be the proper medium for the purpose. In fact, the bill providing for the taking of the Twelfth Census, which has already passed the Senate, was prepared with reference to excluding all such intormation because of the tendency to overload the enumerators, who ordinarily have had no practical experience in such work, There is no reason, however, why this work of securing information as to the timber supply should not be taken up by Congress indepen- dent of the Twelfth Census and the work might justas well be begun next yearas the year following. It is stated by a leading lumber- man who is in close touch with the authorities at Washington that should it be demonstrated that there is a public need of such information, there would be no difficulty whatever in se- curing an appropriation from Congress for the Forestry Division to carry out any plan of operations that might be decided upon. That there is a demand for such information is clearly shown by the resolutions adopted at the conference of Northern and Southern mill men held at St. Louis recently. These mill men represented Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Indian Territory, Louisiana and Mississippi, and included in the number were several of the heaviest timber land holders in the country. In the preamble to this resolution, after reciting the need of statistics relating to the timber supply, the opinion is expressed that such statistics can be compiled only by the Government, through some special bureau abundantly equipped by ample appropriation and thus able to employ the expert knowledge required. ‘The resolu- tion therefore urged the establishment of a Bureau of Timber and Lumber Statistics as a part of the Division of Forestry, Department of Agriculture, to be supported by adequate annual appropriations, or that a special appro- priation be made to cover the cost of the com- pilation of these statistics in connection with the Twelfth Census.—/Vorthwestern Lumber- man, 24 THE FORESTER. The following is the text of the reso- lutions above referred to: Resolved, That we, the lumber manufac- turers of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Indian Territory, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, in convertion as- sembled at St. Louis, Mo,, on the 15th day of November, 1898, urge the establishment of a Bureau of Timber and Lumber Statistics as a part of the Division of Forestry, Department of Agriculture, to be supported by adequate annual appropriation, or that a special appro- priation be made to cover the cost of the com- pilation of these statistics in connection with the Twelfth Census, January, A forest fire in Wright County, Mis-— souri (in the Ozark region), burned over a tract of land fifteen miles long and from two to six miles wide. A number of farm houses and other buildings were - burned anda great deal of fencing was destroyed, the owners in several in- ~ stances having to seek personal safety in hasty flight. The progress of the fire was finally checked by timely occur- rence of rain. Recent Publications. ‘ scdescnncdquadepbusduantwadadphata ce sseeesseieus dvccumarsailntyenvabysada 62 A Field for Lumber Capitals ....3..., 21... .c...scsscddenesedecdeonssieaisothsaasd soot pssvadecsone+sne seh sis unensenson 63 Forest Administration: Excessive Timber Land Taxation,............ccccceccsccscsccccsscccscsccccccecs 64 State Associations: A SLSLOY EES hey NS Sa ah age Canada bac cdo oy seeeM be Mace aucldleye vilmcl uses ce sedtaltecaneae ome cMivedss sakes gene 65 O79) Cob ee: 160 Ape MAR IRAN UL Ae CO RS Ls. A UNL AN UA Re UPR ea SS Le der A 65 ING TAS Steet shee ee ot eRe eee cal wety eataume ne meate en grslweu aE aS Un LI 2 ata Mea een Unt One ko eins ata 65 Educational MISEPCECELOH 1 KE GL ESEIY) oc ssvcd sve ceviocs sce cce socs ctisla sae temtap een sme clout auecaols edleals (eae tits une tcl tneauinet satan Gaaele 66 Deckers On POrest TOPs ooo see sci cesedocacovoerpamebavat daw eaney's skpank cde buen Crate darda ule tae us eek Ree 66 Editorial: | Te PRY Pooh 012 nage ais RUG UNE ea LO Be A000 PA RRR a a PU ein et Tal ib ANSE Lae 67 SPOMOSUATOHITG RESET VATION: (1.1) sucev-vecatsecsae vas quetplamtosnwens car eticcews sk sigue scadod ue stunsya asd ueeRCus ened 67 New orest: PR CSenvatiOn tie ick hiss sclcoccicoass coated toaiiacteua coamadsatinctawaldaee ewes suacge cewaaty apt uee Dae 69 PRECEN GIT DUCA OMS iol cele ek ee sso h en eieeoeocobadicacas MMAR nema nes Ne Wace aats cn stage Maeaia Cone Raat Nya tee eemeeeg 70 THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. ORGANIZED APRIL, 1882. INCORPORATED JANUARY, 1897. OFFICERS FOR i899. President. Hon. James Witson, Secretary of Agriculture. First Vice President, Corresponding Secretary. Dr. B. E. FERNow. F, H. NEWELL. Recording Secretary and Treasurer. GrorcE P. WHITTLESEY. Directors. James WILson, CHARLES C, BINNEY, Epwarp A. Bowers. FREDERICK V, COVILLE, B. E, Fernow,. Henry GANNETT. ARNOLD HAGUE. F. H. NEWELL, GrorGE W. McLANAHAN, GIFFORD PINCHOT. GEORGE P, WHITTLESEY. Vice Presidents, : Sir H. G. JoLy pe Lorsinizre, Pointe Platon, Wo. E. CHANDLER, Concord, N. H. Quebec. Joun GirrorD, Princeton, N. J. CHARLES Mour, Mobile, Ala. Epwarp F. Hoszart, Santa Fe, N. M. CHARLES C, GEORGESON, Sitka, Alaska. WarrEN Hictey, New York, N. Y. D. M. Riorpan, Flagstaff, Ariz. J. A. Hoimes, Raleigh, N. C. Tuomas C, McRAg, Prescott, Ark. W. W. Barrett, Church’s Ferry, N. D. AssoTT Kinney, Lamanda Park, Cal. REUBEN H. WarpDeER, North Bend, Ohio. E. T. Ensicn, Colorado Springs, Colo. Witiram T. LitTiz, Perry, Okla. RogsertT Brown, New Haven, Conn. E. W. Hammonp, Wimer, Ore. Wo. M. Cansy, Wilmington, Del. J. T. RotHrock, West Chester, Pa. A. V. Ciusss, Pensacola, Fla. H. W. Frencu, Manila, P. I. R. B. RepparpD, Savannah, Ga. H. G. RussE.u, E. Greenwich, R. I. . M. Courter, Chicago, II. H. A. Green, Chester, S. C. AMES Troop, Lafayette, Ind. Tuomas T, WricutT, Nashville, Tenn. Tuos. H. MacBripg, Iowa City, Iowa. W. Goopricu Jones, Temple, Texas. J. S. Emery, Lawrence, Kans. C, A. WHITING, Salt Lake, Utah. Joun R. Proctor, Frankfort, Ky. REDFIELD Proctor, Proctor, Vt. LEwIs JoHNnson, New Orleans, La. D. O. Nourse, Blacksburg, Va. JouHN W. Garrett, Baltimore, Md. Epmunp S. MEAny, Seattle, Wash. Joun E. Hosss, North Berwick, Me. A. D, Hopkins, Morgantown, W. Va. . D. W. FrReEncu, Boston, Mass. H. C. Putnam, Eau Claire, Wis. . J. BEAL, Agricultural College, Mich. ELtwoop MEap, Cheyenne, Wyo. Cc. C, ANDREws, St. Paul, Minn. Grorce W. McLanauAn, Washington, D.C. WILLIAM TRELEASE, St. Louis, Mo. Joun Craic, Ottawa, Ont. Cuares E, Bessey, Lincoln, Neb. Wma. LitT.e, Montreal, Quebec. A AROLIN RAILWAY WESTERN NORTH C F SOUTHERN 0 E ON LIN ae The og a MARCH, es No. 3 News ce The Minnesota Forestry Association the six months that he was a forest is the oldest organization of its kind in the United States, having been organ- ized and chartered in 1876. The penalty for cutting timber on State lands in South Dakota has been hereto- fore a fine of at least $1,000, but a bill has lately been introduced to reduce the fine to $250 to $500 or imprisonment of not less than six months. Mr. Charles A. Keffer, for the past five years Assistant Chief of the Division of Forestry, has resigned to accept a posi- tion as the head ot the department of horticulture and agriculture in the New Mexico Agricultural College, at Mesilla ark, N:° M- President McKinley formally dis- approved of the act of the Choctaw Indian Council, in the Indian Territory, which prohibited the sale of timber on the Indian lands after January 1, 1899, and required saw-mills to cease opera- tions on that date. Mr. Geo. W. Strand, secretary of the Minnesota Forestry Association, is fur- nishing a series of press articles on forestry topics. They are sent out twice a month to the papers of Minne- sota, and as nearly a hundred journals are publishing them regularly a large circulation is assured for the interesting and valuable matter contained. Mr. John D. Benedict has resigned the superintendency of the New Mexico- Arizona Forest Reservation District to accept a position as Superintendent of Indian Schools in the Indian Territory. Mr. Benedict, who was appointed from Illinois, made a very creditable record as a faithful and diligent official during superintendent and it is to be regretted that a more tempting offer should take him to another field. A bill was introduced into the Minne- sota Legislature, by Representative Brusletten, of Goodhue County, to repeal the forest law of that State and abolish tne fire warden system. The measure was defeated as it deservedto be. Since the enactment of the new forest laws in 1895 Minnesota has been free from the ravages of serious forest fires, though during that time the pine regions of nclenberne States, where no provision for fire prevention has been made, have suffered severely. Henry Weber, of Eau Pleine, Mara- thon County, Wis., stated lately that he had within a short time cut what he be- lieved to be the biggest pine tree ever cut in that county. The tree was cut into eleven logs, most of which were twelve feet in length, which scaled a total. of 6,780 feet. The butt log at the large end measured five feet five inches in diameter. There was no mill in the neighborhood that could saw the butt log, and Mr. Weber intended to split it with dynamite. Great Britain is preparing to expend $800,000 per year for a period of thirty years in the development of the agri- cultural region of upper Egypt by the construction of a series of gigantic irriga- tion works. The arable area of the Nile valley at present is about 10,500 square miles and it is proposed to augment this amount by the reclamation of at least 2,500 square miles of arid lands within six or eight years. Active work on the construction of the first great dam across the river has begun. 50 THE FORESTER. Not long since the representative of a Puget Sound lumber mill sold a small bill of timber consisting of four pieces 18 by 18 inches by 60 feet long, and four pieces 16 by 16, 55 feet long. The whole bill amounted to about one carload, but owing to their length the timbers had to be shipped in two cars, making double freight. The delivered price, therefore, was very high for this class of material —almost prohibitory it would seem—but there is where the Pacific coast pro- ducers have the advantage. Dr. S. A. Knapp, of Louisiana, who recently returned from the Philippine Islands, reports that he saw a section of a mahogany tree that was purchased at Manila by U. S. Consul Williams to be sent to this country. It was between seven and eight feet in diameter and of most remarkable beauty. It is to be made into tops for center tables. Dr. Knapp visited China, Japan and the Philippines as special agent of the De- partment of Agriculture for the investi- gation of the rice-growing industry. A White Oak tree was cut in Knox county, Indiana, in January that is sup- posed to have been one of the largest of the kind ever cut in that section. It measured eight feet four inches at the butt, fifty-three inches at the small end, scaled 7,867 feet, and made four twelve- foot logs. The tree was cut and rolled to White River and loaded on a barge, taken to Mt. Carmel, Ill., rolled to side track and loaded two logs toacar. A silver dollar would have covered the heart of any one of the logs The tree was bought by John S. Dickson, timber buyer for A. B. Mickey & Sons, Prince- ton. The logs will cut quartered oak panels, 27 to 28 inches wide. Until very recently Beech has been used for only a few purposes, such as plane stocks and tool handles. It is now recognized, however, that the wood is admirably adapted for furniture and interior finish. There is some diffi- March, culty, it is true, in seasoning Beech in any thickness above one inch; but this may prove only a temporary limitation, and meantime it can be widely employed, especially when the stock is cut quite thin, making a satisfactory veneer. When quarter-sawed, the wood equals the Sycamore in the beauty of its grain. In the hardwood section of the middle South the tree attains a splendid size, with long clear bole, and there are many mixed forests in which it occurs in abundance. Owners of timber lands in Pennsy]l- vania are interested in a law that was enacted by the last Legislature which provides that the owners of land in that State having on it forest or timber trees of not less than fifty trees to the acre shall be entitled to receive annually from the commissioners of their respec- tive counties during the period that the said trees are maintained in sound con- dition upon the land, a sum equal to eighty per centum of all the taxes an- nually assessed and paid upon said land, or so much of eighty per centum as shall not exceed the sum of forty-five cents per acre. No one property owner shall be entitled to receive said abate- ment on more than fifty acres, and proof must be made that each of said trees measures at least eight inches in diameter at a height of six feet above the surface of the ground, and that no portion of said land is absolutely cleared of said EGeeS- The following editorial paragraph ap- peared in a recent issue of the Phila- delphia Record: It is a pleasure to know that two misde- meanants found guilty of kindling forest fires are languishing in the Huntington County jail. The news ought to be spread abroad in the State as a deterrent to others who, out of willful malice or a mere spirit of deviltry, are guilty of this crime. The yearly destruction of grow- ing timber in Pennsylvania by reason of spreading fires inflicts heavy loss upon owners of woodland property, and makes almost nu- gatory the effort of the State for forest preser- vation. 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 51 Why Lumbermen Should Be Members of the American Forestry Association. The prevalence of forest fires during the past summer has called attention to the necessity of forest protection with unusual torce. The destruction of forests by fire brings losses to many parts of the community, but to none more direct and severe damage than to the lumber interest; and the benefits that would accrue to lumbermen through the protection of forests against fire are correspondingly great. Such protection would mean the preservation of the raw material of the lumber trade on the stump, and in many cases the safety of the private property of the lumberman in the form of mill and machinery, dams, roads or slides, as well as in that of standing timber or logs in the woods. Protection of this kind costs the lumber- man very heavily at times, although the State or Government should rightly bear the cost of an organization to guard against fire in the forest, just as cities maintain fire engines and apparatus and hire firemen at their own expense. The continuation of the lumberman’s business depends first of all on the suc- cess of the attempt to check forest fires. When the productive forests disappear the lumberman will go with them. In many parts of the country this result is nearer at hand than is often supposed, and in the case of individual millmen great hardships are very frequently im- posed by the destruction of their tribu- tary timber by fire. Combined action on the part of all who are interested in the protection of forests and the perpetuation of the lum- ber trade is absolutely necessary before any successful attempt can be made to check this enormous evil. Forest fires throughout the United States are frequent to a degree little understood except by men familiar with the woods, and the magnitude of the task of checking them is correspondingly great. The Amert- can Forestry Association offers the means of united action between the lumbermen of the East and West, the North and South, toward this most necessary end. Organization is absolutely essential in any attempt of this kind, and the estab- lished reputation of this Association, the strong names already on its rolls, and its history of honorable accomplishment, make it by far the best means for the purpose in hand. But if we suppose forest fires to be checked throughout the country, the interests of the lumber trade will still be only partially protected. Destructive methods of lumbering are often not less harmful in their results to the lumber business itself than the severest fires. Lumbermen hitherto have given but lit- tle attention to ways of cutting and getting out their timber which would not destroy the productive value of forest land. In other words, cutting with a view to perpetuating the supply of lumber through the protection and repro- duction of the forest has had little atten- tion from lumbermen until now. Many of those who have considered it have not believed it was practical, but by far the greater number have scarcely considered it at all. Conservative lumbering differs more widely from forest protection, as it is understood by those mistaken friends of the forest who are anxious to have all the trees die on the stump, than from the methods of lumbermen ordinarily used. It consists simply in taking such precautions in cutting and getting out the timber as will insure a valuable second-growth. In the Adirondack for- ests of New York, for example, such lumbering has recently been introduced on two large tracts covering together more than one hundred thousand acres, and during the past fall and early winter fifteen camps were cutting in this way. The reasons which led to the adoption of these methods were strictly business ones, The removal of the old timber in a way to protect and promote the growth of the young trees adds very little to the cost of lumbering, while the increased value of the land After cutting much more than repays the additional ex- pense. The method used in the Adirondacks will naturally not apply to all the forest regions of the United States, but other methods of conservative lumbering can be used with advantage almost every- where. The American Forestry Associa- tion works for the diffusion of a knowl- edge of these methods and for their adoption throughout the United States. In doing so, it seeks to perpetuate, not to destroy, the lumber business of the country, and it is already receiving the support of prominent lumbermen in different parts of the United States. The Association understands thor- oughly the premium set on the destruc- tion of timber by heavy taxation on tim- ber lands, cut and uncut, and is pre- pared to interest itself actively in bring- ing about achange. The possession of an appropriate and effective organ in THE FoRESTER, with its extensive exchange The Douglas Spruce THE FORESTER: March list and its circulation among men of influence, gives it peculiar advantages in any agitation of this kind. Much misunderstanding has existed, and much still exists, on the part of lumbermen and others as to the law and the rules and regulations which govern the National Forest Reserves. It was believed at first that the intention of the Government in making these reserves was to withdraw them from use altogether, and to prohibit the settlement of agricul- tural lands within their boundaries. t Fn fa a= a > 5 | eee ga ran; rae aE Meh EIGN ae No. |Tiches. Inches. Inches.) Feet.|Years.| Feet. Years. Inches. Cub. feet. Peon Peer oe a4 | fot gtio.s| 23/5 99.2 |)... | eee ws. tli Clackamas. ....: Ore, 2 3.0 BRS leravon|fors 22 38.2 sae Sere ig aeis siese Shelburne ..... os Bale 7 | 27s 2 OF2n 2220 32 68.8 15 1.0 9.61 32 Clackamas..... ‘‘ 4 Tes 7.9 O53 | ioe 41 73.5 27 fie eons 4,0 Shelburne’ ..... oC 5 ROME Ses Fok |) wets 38 80.5 | 18 Le 13.8 AsO) jobelburne ..2.- 1% GRO leOn fe ao. 2- om. o| 937 asa 27 tens 16.4 4.2 |Shelburne ..... ce Hae OO" | -1O.4: Qe Onlelas 4o | 85.5 | 18 TS eee eee 7. Ae Shelburne’ <.2.. us 8 8E4b| Sg A6 Fon ale O FOual Ole lal 520 0.8 1Q.1 2.6 Clackamas..... ‘* Oulelo.O; |= 19.2 | 16.6 |) 2.0 83 |138.8 32 1.6 110 sted Rea SP Uy Permeliay.- +s | | | 5 56 ple plots: four near Clackamas, four in the Santiam Valley near Shelburne, and one between Detroit and Permelia Lake. The measurements of the trees which were analyzed on the various plots are summarized in Table No. 1. The annual growth of each tree in diameter and height was worked out separately from the stem analyses, and the average of all obtained by entering the values on cross-section paper and drawing normal curves through them. The rate of growth for each decade was then read directly from the curves. These values are given in Table No. 2. TABLE No. 2. Rate of Growth in Height and Diameter. Average of Nine Trees. an- nual growth. an- nual growth. alee see donee meer safe e tae 6) =) D Years.) Feet. Feet. |Inches.| Inches. ae) TOs sete ©) (6) | .Iy 5 20 33. | 2.3 4.2 | 123 4 30 GEA bora aes 6.6 ~24 4 40 Tone lO GQEO%)| .24 4 50 92) | erk.6 II .4 24 4 60 106 | peace eieshacl 20 5 70 120 | P40 eS rn AI ov) 6 80 WOON 51 16.3 | 163} 8 From this table it will be seen that THE FORESTER. March, the tree reaches its maximum rate of growth in height betweenits twentieth and thirtieth years, during which period it is shooting up two and four-tenths feet per annum. The mean annual growth in height for the first thirty years is one and nine tenths feet, or slightly less than the current annual growth. The rate of growth in diameter is very regular. It reaches its maximum at about the thirtieth year and continues at the rate of twenty- four one-hundredths of an inch per annum until the tree is about fifty years old, when it begins to decrease. It must be borne in mind that these figures of growth do not represent what an in- dividual tree is capable of doing if given favorable conditions of light and grow- ing space, but are the average for all trees both large and small, in a dense forest. The chief purpose in taking the meas- urements of sample plots was to deter- mine the number of trees per acre and the total contents at different ages. Table No. 3 gives a summary of the nine valuation surveys, and shows for each plot the number of trees, the aver- age and maximum diameters, the average height, age and density, and the total contents in cubic feet and cords. No computation of board feet was made be- cause, with the exception of a few speci- mens on Plot No. g, the trees were not of a merchantable size. TABLE No. 3.—Summary of Sample Plots, Showing Yield per Acre at Different Ages. | Boy eller tele tte + | 2 B a ; | © oa Seaicaem| a eI od 3 oe Festa Seng 4S a : cS) Bs = H ‘ | Soins S are ae 2 ye #9 & S Locality. : : 2 |g i/sed|8od| s | s&s 8 seta | | 5 of Bl We deg | Ba ece | Bee | S|. ORAM coos le rc malarial epee cee teem, |S) aes ele No. Acres. Inches. Inches. Years.| Feet. | Ou. ft Cu. ft T |-0.06"|" 242-409 -|--1'8)- 7" >| 23°) 2qt@mimeccen: TO) AsOSScle ee Clackamas . (re. 2 | 0.25 | 7OI | 125 | 2.9 10 22 38.0 | 1,087 | 1.0 | 2,804 | 4,346] ... | Shelburne. ‘‘ 3 | 0.25 | 168 ae Oay7aal LO 32 | 69)0ner.613°). 1,0 672 | 6,451 | 72 | Clackamas ‘‘ 4 | 0.25 | 128)... | 7.1 | 20 | 41 | 74.0} 1,113 |0.8 428 | 4,451 | 51 | Shelburne. ‘“ 5 | 1.0 | 645 Fhe. |) 105) 38 | 81.0] 8,901 | 1.0 645 | 8,901 | 99 | Shelburne, ‘‘ 6| 1.0 | 490] .... | 8.9 | 19 37 | 78.0] 8,036 | 0.85) 490 | 8,036 | 90 | Shelburne. ‘‘ Fale Ole s3 Om eee GLO 2 aio KOMMsIS AIS || G30 || CC) 360 | 7,812 | 87 | Shelburne. ‘ Sel ONES 5 Silas. | 8.9] 19. | 50 | or aoyaen|tors 353 | 6,742 | 76 | Clackamas ‘‘ Opa 2O) ELS Ol wees. | L959 | 40) |) 83 |r390nlm7he8onlon7 150 |17,280 |190 | L. Permelia‘ | 1899. These figures show that on a fully stocked plot. there are between 3,000 and 4,000 trees per acre at twenty years ofage. Asthe trees grow older they re- A GROWTH OF DOUGLAS SPRUCE ABOUT quire greater room for their development, and in consequence many are overtopped and die. While the number of trees per acre falls off with increase of age, there are still 150 trees on Plot No. g at AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, Ey the age of eighty-three years with a density of only seven-tenths (a fully stocked area being rated as one). The most striking feature of the table is the at. WATL- ENG-CO, FIFTY YEARS OLD. large yield in cubic feet and cords. An examination of the last column of figures will show that the mean annual incre- ment is something over two cords per acre. 58 THE FORESTER March, The Collection of Statistics. Under date of December 26 Dr. C. A. Schenck, forester of the Biltmore Estate, wrote to the Worthwestern Lumberman offering some suggestions as to methods of gathering timber statistics. Dr. Schenck holds that to be of permanent use such an investigation should include every tree species. As to the selection of a unit of measurement he would reject as inaccurate all commonly accepted rules for finding contents in board feet and use only the cubic foot. After sug- gesting that much will depend upon the extent to which the investigation is carried—how far up the bole of the tree, and the minimum size of small or young trees to be measured—and also as to what shall constitute a forest within the meaning of such an investigation, Dr. Schenck then takes up the cost of such an investigation as follows: It will be interesting to find out what the stock-t iking of the American forests will cost. The United States has an average width of about 3,000 miles and an average length of 1,250 miles. If the country was traversed on every meridian, and if for the width of four poles lying on that meridian the amount of standing timber, the area of brush land, of agricultural land, of waste land, of prairies, etc., was found out, very complete statistics could be obtained. There will be 60 strips, 50 miles apart one from another. Multplying the result obtained on each strip by theratio ‘‘ dis tance between the strips divided by width of strip,” the amount of timber Jand and the growing stock, the amount of brush land, of waste land, or agricultural land, etc., would appear ata glance. I do not think that the stock taking could be done by ordinary lumber- men, Ihavehadseveral tractsin this neighbor- hood investigated relative to the amount of timber growing on them by _highly-recom- mended lumbermen. The results given in by different lumbermen for the same tract vary by about 500 per cent. I am c nfident that inaccurate results would be ob’ained by the Government statistics as well, if they were taken with the help of averagelumbermen, A thorough scientific way is the only one that will yield the desired result. A combination ef agricultural statistics with the forest sta- tistics will cheapen the entire work very con- siderably, while it will make it more interesting at the same time. The head man of a ‘‘ band of stock-takers” should be a botanist well acquainted with the flora of the region in which he is working. In such places for which maps are not available a geologist and asurveyor should accompany him, Supposing that a band can thoroughly inves- tigate the length of five miles a day, one of the strips above mentioned, being 1,250 miles long, could be done at an expense of about $20,000. As there are 60 strips to be pursued, the total expense would amount to $1,200,000, I think the strip system is more advisable than estimating the standing timber by .coun- ties. In the latter case, the inaccessible parts of the country are necessarily over or under- estimated, and there is little chance that a mis- take made in the plus direction will be elim- inated by another mistake made in the minus direction. The strip system above recommended will compel the band o° stock-takers to visit even more or less inaccessible places. The outcome will be maps showing at aglance for sts, brush land, abandoned fields, cultivated fields, grass lands, ete. Other maps will show the amount of cord wood standing per acre ; again others, the amount of annual regrowth ; finally, and that is for us the most important point, the amount of timber standing in the different States and counties given by species, average size and average quality will be shown by tables and illustrated by maps. In commenting upon this proposition of Dr. Schenck’s, Dr. B. E. Fernow, Director of the New York State College of Forestry, says: One-quarter the expenditure proposed by Dr. Schenck will secure this information with sufficient detail for practical usesin measuring our forest resources. Mr. Henry Gannett, who is in charge of the forest work of the U. S. Geo- logical Survey, takes decided issue with Dr. Schenck as to the means that should be employed in the collection of lumber and timber statistics. In regard to this matter Mr. Gannett writes as follows : « Lukens, G. H. A. Good- win, A. Campbell Johnston and B. R. Baumgardt, were appointed to draft reso- lutions and report a constitution and by- laws. They urged the Executive Com- mittee to secure the membership in the society of all organizations and individ- uals interested in the work ; endorsed the forest school conducted under the aus- pices of the University of Southern California; request the Secretary of the Interior to recognize forestry graduates on forestry patrol; and endorse the es- tablishment of a botanical garden in one of the public parks of Los Angeles. Vice presidents will be appointed for each county in Southern California. Three were named for the following counties: Los Angeles, W. G. Kerckhoff; Ventura, N. W. Blanchard, and San Bernardino, Col. Adolph Wood. The others will be appointed later. Some idea of the scope of the work of the society may be gathered from the committee work provided for in the Con- stitution. The Committee on Forestry shall devise plans for the conservation of our forests, and adjust conflicting in- terests; that on flood waters and reser- voirs shall obtain data regarding suitable sites for storage ~eservoirs, and their cost of construction; that on the distribution of waters shall consider how the waters of this section can be best utilized for agricultural and industrial purposes; and that on legislation shall endeavor to secure such State or National legislation as may be approved by the association. Much enthusiasm was manifest in the meeting. The president spoke of the annual destruction by fires that are de- nuding the mountains of their beautiful forests, which serve not only to increase precipitation, but act as natural storage reservoirs for holding the snows and rain- falls on the mountains. This work of conservation must be taken up at once, he declared, or the mountains will be bare in a few years, and we shall leavea heritage of shame to the next genera- tion. Olaf Ellison spoke of the work that had been accomplished in various parts of Europe, in France about the Bay of Biscay, in the Peninsula of Jutland, and in Sweden and Norway. Capt. S. S. Mullins felt an eager, ab- sorbing interest in this question. He had witnessed the vandal work of shep- herds, who build four fires a day, one for each meal and one at night, if it is cool. They do not, like intelligent hunters, see that their fires are extinguished before leaving them, but leave that matter to chance and to the grossest neglect. Col. Adolph Wood, of the Arrowhead Company, thought that shepherds should be forbidden to take their flocks into or over aGovernment reserve. He consid- ered the subject one of vital, far-reaching interest. A. W. Koebig, Dr. C. G. Baldwin, George H. Peck and others were among the speakers. —Los Angeles Times, Mar. 9. 92 THE FORESTER. Indiana. The Indiana Forestry Association was formally organized at a meeting held in the rooms of the Commercial Club, at Indianapolis, on March 16. Rees The purpose of the new association 1s to awaken public interest in the care of forests and woodlands; to promote the afforestation of land which is at present unproductive and to encourage the plant- ing of trees in public parks, private grounds and along streets and highways. A congratulatory letter was read from Dr: C. A. Schenck, of Biltmore, N.C. It is expected that the association will eventually have a membership of from 300 to 500. John P. Brown, of Conners- ville, was elected president; William H. Drapier, Amos W. Butler, John H. Hol- liday, Albert Lieber, of Indianapolis, and Alexander Johnson, of Fort Wayne, vice presidents; William Watson Wool- len, secretary, and Lewis Hoover, treas- urer; William Watson Woolen and John P. Brown and Alexander John- son were chosen as a committee on forestry, while J. Clyde Power and John R. Pearson were named as a committee on parks. The officers elected were constituted April, an executive board, to have entire charge of the work of the association. It was agreed to hold monthly meetings on the second Saturday in each month. The annual meeting will be held on the Wednesday following the second Mon- day in January next. The present membership comprises the following: John P. Brown, William Wat- son Woollen, James A. Mount, Dr. C. A. Schenck; Biltmore; NimG. 7) |) Clyde Power, John H. Holliday, Albert Lieber, Alexander Johnson, of Fort -Wayne ; A. W. Butler, William H. Drapier, Dr. ]. We Bates, DruGe Ne Woollent rer D. M.. Geeting, Hugene |.+ Barney, ot Dayton, O.; George H. Cooper, Mont- gomery Marsh, Prof. John S. Wright, James G. Kingsbury, Lewis Hoover and John R. Pearson. The following honorary members were elected: J. Sterling Morton, of Nebraska; A. J. Brown, secretary of the Nebraska Forestry Association; Mr. Allen Cham- berlain, secretary of the Massachusetts Forestry Association; Prof. Samuel Green, of the University of Minnesota ; Prof. Ellen Hayes, of Wellesley College, and Prof. William Trelease, director of Shaw’s Botanical Garden, St. Louis. Recent Legislation. Minnesota, ‘‘An act to encourage the growing and preservation of forests, and to create forest boards and forest reserves” has passed the Minnesota House of Repre- sentatives and seems likely to pass the Senate also. This bill profits by pre- vious forest law and contains most of the points which the history of the sub- ject in this country has shown to be most important or most helpful. Some special points deserve mention here. There is to be a State Forestry Board of nine members. The Chief Fire War- den and the Professor of Horticulture at the State University are to be ex-officio members; three other residents of the State are to be selected by the Board of Regents of the University, each of them chosen for his. knowledge of special conditions; and The Minnesota State Forestry Association, the Board of Man- agers of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society, the Minnesota Horticultural So- ciety and the State Fish and Game Com- mission are each to appoint one of the remaining four. There will be a presi- dent, vice president and secretary, ap- pointed by the Board, and an executive committee ; tne State treasurer is to be the treasurer of the Board. The Town Boards of Supervisors and the County Commissioners, respectively, are to be town and county forest boards, which are to have such authority only as is ex- pressly conferred by legislature. 1899. The forest preserves are to consist of tracts (1) set apart by the State for for- estry purposes, (2) deeded, devised or granted to the State for these purposes by persons or granted by the United States Government, or (3) given or de- vised outright by persons. The Board is empowered to accept certain classes of lands deeded by their owners, in which case the lands are to be permanently devoted to forestry pur- poses; to sell dead and down timber and mature timber ; to deed tracts whenever the growth of towns, railroads or need of water-power may demand it; to cut and sell forests or trees or sell tracts with the right to cut and sell timber thereon; but the proceeds of such sales must be divided like the rest of the in- come from the forests. This income is to be divided, at least once in every five years, one-third going to reimburse the State for the expenses of forest manage- ment and for the non-payment of taxes on the tracts deeded, the State receiving one-half and the county and town each one-fourth of this third; two-thirds going to support the educational institutions or systems of the State. As a source of revenue, or for their protection from the fire Board may lease (2) low meadow tracts and (4) other tracts for pasture, when this can be done without endangering the growth of trees. If this bill passes, as it bids fair to do, the State of Minnesota will have joined the good movement for perpetual State ownership and protection of forest lands in which New York and Pennsylvania have already made such noteworthy progress. Indiana Forest Tax Legislation. The General Assembly of Indiana en- acted a law during its late session which has for its object the encouragement of the preservation and proper manage- ment of timber lands in that State. It provides that upon any tract of land in the State of Indiana there may be se- lected by the owner, or owners, as a per- manent forest reservation, a portion not AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 93 to exceed one-eighth of the total area of said tract, which shall be appraised for taxation at one dollar per acre. If the tract is original forest with not less than 170 trees on each acre its owner may avail himself of the benefits of this pro- vision immediately by filing a descrip- tion of the selected tract with the county auditor. If the land owner elects to plant a tract he must cultivate the same and have not less than 170 trees growing onit at the end of three years before he can have his reservation confirmed for the reduced assessment. In all cases dead trees must be replaced by new ones planted so that the minimum number on each acre shall not fall below 170; and it is further provided that no land owner who receives the benefits of this law shall permit cattle, horses, sheep, goats or hogs to pasture upon such reservation until the trees are four inches in diameter. Not more than one-fifth of the full num- ber of trees on any such reservation shall be cut in any one year, except that dead trees may be removed and other trees planted in their places. One section of the law enumerates the trees which shall be considered as forest trees within the meaning of its provi- sions. About twenty varieties of timber, including probably forty or more species of trees, are specified. It would not seem to include the Beech, Sycamore, Cottonwood, Black Cherry, Hackberry and Juniper, all of which are indigenous and each of some economic value, al- though the Kentucky Coffee, Osage Orange, Sassafras and Catalpa are given in the list that will be considered as forest trees within the meaning of the law. It is made the duty of the county auditors to keep a record of all forest reservations. They are also to require owners or agents to subscribe under oath to the extent and description of the land reserved. It is made the duty of asses- sors to personally examine the various forest reservations when the real estate is appraised, and to note upon the return the conditions of the trees, in order that the intent of the law may be fully com- plied with. O4 THE FORESTER. A New National Park. By an act of Congress approved March 2, 1899, a tract of land eighteen miles square, embracing in all 207,360 acres, and including Mount Rainier itself, was withdrawn from the Mount Rainier For- April, est Reserve and dedicated to the pur- poses of a national park, ~It, is to be known as the Mount Rainier National Park. The Mount Rainier Forest Re- serve thus reduced contains 2,027,520 acres. Educational. The College of Forestry recently added to the curriculum of the University of Southern California, was formally opened in the college building at West Los Angeles yesterday morning. The exer- cises and lectures were held in the bio- logical lecture room, and will continue to be given there for the present. After a few remarks by President George W. White the first lecture in the course was delivered by the Hon. Abbot Kinney. In an exhaustive discourse upon ‘‘ The History of Forestry and Its Need in Southern California,” Mr. Kinney set forth the original cause of a study of forestry in the dependence of primitive man upon the forest and its products for subsistence. The nations of Europe have made a science of forestry and it is conducted under governmental super- vision. To Southern California, with its tree- less plains and scant rainfall, this subject is all-important, and this school will meet the want by turning out trained for- esters, who will carry out this work under Government control. Their efforts will be directed to preserving and enlarging the present forest area on our watersheds. At 1.20 p.m, ‘Professor ©) Ps ehallips addressed the students upon ‘‘The Botany of Tree Growth.” In brief he described the method of tree growth and the absorption of moisture from the atmosphere by the leaves and the slow evaporation of the moisture from the soil through the trees. Prof. Laird J. Stabler followed with a lecture on ‘‘Soi] Physics.”” He described the meteorological instruments used in practical forestry and explained the effect of forests on the rainfall.—ZLos Angeles Flerald, March 4. Mr. Peter Barr, a prominent horticul- turist and arborist, of London, Eng., who is visiting Ottawa at present, makes a suggestion that is well worth the atten- tion of the Government. It is the estab- lishment of a School of Forestry for instruction in the propagation and con- serving of the forests. Much attention is being directed to this branch throughout the British Empire, especially in India, where it is a well-organized departmental work, the country being divided into dis- tricts under foresters and rangers. There is no School of Forestry in the British dominions in North America, and Mr. Barr thinks that the Imperial authorities would make a grant for the support of such an institution where thorough in- struction could be imparted in the growth, care and preservation of timber, and that Ottawa is just the place for its location,— Canada Lumberman. 1899. hHeE- FORESTER. PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENT. Tur Forester is published menthly by the American Forestry Association at No. 117 Corcoran Building, Washington, D. C., where all communications should be addressed. The subscription price is One Dollar a year, and single copies are sold at ten cents, Make all checks, drafts, etc., payable to THE FoRESTER. New Members. . Since the last issue of THE Forester the following named persons have been elected to membership in the American Forestry Asso- ciation : Austin Corbin, 102 Broadway, New York, INIG: Whe Sydney Arnold, Box 308, North Yakima, Wash. Wm, J. Roberts, Pullman, Wash. Joel Shoemaker, North Yakima, Wash. Geo. H. Wallis, 333 Bay St., San Francisco, Cal. Douglas T, Fowler, Berkeley, Cal. Ezra F. Stephens, Crete, Neb. Henry O'Sullivan, Indian Lorette, Prov. Quebec. James Dun, Topeka, Kan. Hon, Joseph M. Carey, Cheyenne, Wyo. Hon, Henry C, Dillon, 321 Bullard Block, Los Angeles, Cal. Arthur Gunn, Wenatchee, Wash. Charles H. Baker, Seattle, Wash. Peter Koch, Bozeman, Mont. Henry E. Glazier, Stillwater, Okla. W.N. Wiley, Holly, Colo. Oscar R. Young, C. E. McCormick Building, Salt Lake City, Utah Norval W. Wall, C. E., Colorado Springs, Colo, F, A. Hutto, Stillwater, Okla. Walstern R. Chester, 27 Doane St., Boston, Mass. W.H. Howcott, 838 Common St., New Or- leans, La. E. L. Tebbets, Locke’s Mills, Maine. Fred Larkins, White Springs, Fla. Geo. J. Krebs, Cairo, Il, Richard Thornton Fisher, 44 Brattle St., Cambridge, Mass. G. Fred Schwarz, Department of Agricul- ture, Washington, D. C. Nathan B. Prescott, 28 Boylston Terrace, Jamaica Plain, Mass, C. H. Shinn, Berkeley, Cal. Geo. S. Edwards, Commercial Bank, Santa AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 95> Barbara, Cal. A, Edwards, Commercial Bank, Santa Bar- bara, Call: Ee: H. Frink, 725 State St., Santa Barbara, al. es P, Dunn, Arlington Hotel, Santa Barbara, Cal. Clio L. Lloyd, Morning Press, Santa Bar- bara, Cal. Res) 1a Cal: J. M. McNulty, M. D., Santa Barbara, Cal. D. B. Harmony, cs oe Be Cyballant: ae AG E. M. Pyle, ce S HaC) Roeder; 3¢ ate Jonn F. Diehl, es a i= AS Canant- ct “6 T. R. Dawe, os uC Garrett S. Richards, Be 6 C, A. Storke, OG “ Bennett Fithian, ac ve A. W. Maulsly, es Gr O. A. Stafford, Hope, Cal. D. L. Wiggins, Ashland, Wis. C. F, Latimer, Ashland, Wis. Frederick Abbot, Milwaukee, Wis. Mack Morris, Trenton, Tenn. Winchester, M. D., Santa Barbara, Life Member. Mrs. Edward Whitney, Belmont, Mass. To THE EDITOR: I note in your last issue the patriotic criti- cism which the reviewer of the Bulletin om ‘‘ Measuring the Forest Crop” makes because the cubic foot measure has been employed, at the same time breaking a lance for the American lumber foot. In this attempt the critic recommends and at the same time discredits the usual log rules, which, as is well known, are not really a meas- ure but a complex agreement dependent in part on volume and on usage in conversion. Will you please explain for the benefit of your readers how one can measure trees di- rectly with the lumber foot, and how, for in- stance, a pulpman may know how much a given parcel of land or a lot of logs contains, if the report merely gives the amount of ma- terial according to the Doyle or Scribner rule. Sincerely yours, Wm. B. HowArp. Utica, N. Y., March 31, 1899. In our criticism of Bulletin No. 20 of the Division of Forestry, ‘‘ Measuring the Forest Crop,” by A. K. Mlodziansky, in the March number of THE FORESTER, we did not state that directions for com- puting the contents of trees in cubic feet should have been entirely omitted, but 96 THE :-FORESTER. we. criticised the lack of directions for measuring timber by American methods, namely, the board foot, standard, and cord. These measures will be used in this country for many years, both by lum- bermen and foresters, and any treatise which subordinates them to a method used in some other country and almost never used in America is not complete and can have but little practical value. The report of the Special Committee -of the New York Legislature appointed to investigate as to what additional lands shall be acquired within the forest pre- serve in order to protect the watersheds and for the Agricultural Experiment Sta- tion has been printed under date of Feb- ruary g. It is a document of sixteen pages, chiefly occupied with puffs of the regions visitéd by the Committee. Its April, recommendations are supported by no arguments of consequence and appar- ently by little actual examination. The report as a whole is inconclusive and in- complete. It represents an exceedingly small return for the expenditure of the three thousand dollars appropriated for the Committee which made it. The edition of THE Forester for No- vember, 1898, having been exhausted, it has been found necessary to have a new one printed. Members of the Association and subscribers who may need copies of that issue (No. 11, Vol. IV,) to com- plete files for binding, will be supphed if they notify the publishers to that effect. A limited number of complete copies of Vol. IV of THE Forester are offered for sale. Price $1.00. Previous vol- umes are out of print. Recent Publications. The European and Japanese Chestnuts tn the Eastern United States, Bulletin No. 42, Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station, by Prof. G. Harold Powell, treats of chestnut cul- ture from a horticultural point of view. The history of the introduction of the cultivated va- rieties of the chestnut from France and Japan is briefly sketched and several pages are devoted to a discussion of the value of its fruit as food. Four pages are filled with the botanical con- sideration of the American, Asiatic and Euro- pean types, their similarities and differences. Cultural suggestions include production of va- rieties from seedlings and hybrids; propaga- tion, by budding and grafting; the treatment of the planted orchard and the grove of top- worked sprouts; subsequent care of trees; in- sect enemies and fungous diseases. The merits and advantages of the two introduced species are compared and the conclusion is drawn that the Japan Chestnut is the more desirable for the nut culturist, although the European species is accorded a higher value as atimber tree. A great development for this branch of horticul- ture in the Eastern States is predicted. A list of thirty-six desirable varieties, about equally divided between the two species, with brief descriptions of each, completes the pamphlet of thirty-five pages. It is well illustrated and well written, and serves excellently as an introduction to the subject under consider- ation. Bulletin No. 40 of the Wyoming Experiment Station is entitled Zhe Trees of Wyoming and flow to Know Them, This bulletin of fifty pages was prepared by Prof. Aven Nelson, botan‘st of the Wyoming Station. It is a brief but comprehensive description of the native arborescent flora of Wyoming, and, with Prof, Buffum’s bulletin on the shade and forest trees inartificial plantations, it makes avery complete exposition of the subject of trees and tree cul- ture in that State. In consequence of the great altitude of the mountains of Wyoming and the arid conditions prevailing on the plains the forests are limited in area and it is but natural to presume the list of species included would not be large. Prof, Nelson has listed thirty-one species in this bulletin, although not all of these would be classed as timber trees. Of these eight are conifers, three Pines, two Spruces (Pzcea), the Douglas Spruce (Pseudotsuga), and two Junipers, The de- ciduous trees enumerated include five species of Poplar, two of Birch, one of Oak, three of Maple, and one of Ash and a number of species of lesser importance. The bulletin devotes some space to observations on the growing interest in trees and tree culture, forests and forestry and advocates an extension of theforest reservation system in Wyoming. It is well illustrated with half-tones and drawings of forest scenes, trees, twigs, foliage, flowers and fruits of the species described, and altogether it is a very interesting and instructive bulletin. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. Bump Rock Road, Park and Page Fence Premises of R. B. SYMINGTON, At Cape Cod, Mass. —=aii— In order to preserve the innate beauty of this rustic scene Mr. S. was not willing to have it marred Py even a fence post. He used the : : PAGE “WOVEN WIRE FENCE Nineteen horizontal wires—s58 inches high and pape it to the trees from 30 to 60 feet apart : SEE! It does not Lag nor Sag between the supports. scnstarensseSSuqgesssSteasems = Mipsis S OF STOCK AND PARM- FENCES CONSTANTLY ON) HAND WRITE FOR DESCRIPTION. —aaneeneceettnsnannrnnnwases saennnanananmecsnnsnsaneen Page Woven Wire Fence Co., ADRIAN, MICHIGAN. i THE FORD S Ei H. J. KOKEN TENTH STREET AND PENNA. AVENUE, C. P. HANCOGEK Ze High-Class Designs and Illustrations Half Tone and Line Engraving Brass and Metal Signs Rubber Stamps 7 WASHINGTON, D. C. FORESTRY, SCHG@O@E, At BILTMORE N. C. For circular and information apply to C. A. SCHENCK rh: im. Forester to the BILTMORE ESTATE ae new WIT, TIAIVIE) ear TLLUOITIAIEU v MAY, 1899. No. 5. it : | A MONTHLY MAGAZINE z devoted to the care and use of : i forests and forest trees and q to related subjects. PUBLISHED BY ; The American Forestry Association. ft SSS 0 = SS Price 10 Cents. $1.00 a Year. COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, Entered at the Post Office in Washington, D, C., as second class matter, THE OF IN i TABLE OF CONTENTS. f IMO HRCA TNT Teh a ae eels a Frontispiece 4 Tue New Mount RalniER NaTIONAL PARK. Illustrated. 22... ce snesccssmeeeensecsnene O77 i (By permission of the Director of U. S. Geological Survey.) is THE TRAINING OF PROFESSIONAL FORESTERS IN AMERICA.. ..sss-0- Wi asda aeurelasa tote 103 (A symposium in three papers.) I. By the Director of the New York State College of Forestry. II. By the Forester of the Biltmore Estate. III. By the Forester of the Department of Agriculture. TIMBER TE ROTECTIONUIN I METINNESOTA: 6555 A OUARO ET ONC Tyee ee Ps 1 ae PPREE | PLANTING VIN FOANSAS. 0002110 Cc ON nee Ween CL MERON ih Ute bes fF Raise (NLAHOGANY.?)) OF SOUTH AMERICA 22 2A oe Co ee poy ie PERICRUAINNGER TIN OTS kc Aa A cece tS ny ea eC Man MOR THCOMING WY BARS OOK yc) REIN IS ST eas Sah Sp eee eee Work of the Division of Forestry for the Farmer. Notes on Some Forest Problems. (From advance sheets by courtesy of Secretary of Agriculture. ) A BOLD (STROKE GFOR (TE RRIGATION: 6000 e ee NC RUC ek Tea ent a ale EL COLGRADG A DVICH ee RU! LY Bi NU EO Rae MAE A) hia seed eee a eu Ae COLORADO! VE XPERVENGE ice e000) Ln PA I oe CP ce SALA OS Ae Ua ee RECENT PLEGISEATION: oct CAE MU eek Ray nS nel Oe VACA Cah aa NAG EAE i New York. Missouri. Arkansas. Minnesota. Wisconsin. Canada. DseGiSuATION “PENDING. O00 0 Pen CE CA OTE Red AL nrc aay Minnesota. A Scarcity oF TIMBER AND ITs HINDRANCE .......... Og ae SL ae Mi GPA a es Oe WATER SUPPLY AND FORESTRY vccsossssssssssssssenssssssssstssussessseecepnssese BHR ae rca. AN, NE 3 8 2, EDL GW) 2 VN SRN EMR Ata Ati Ma Re a Rene aon SALAS CUSSED I BY PRGA Ni Special Announcement. Editorial Note. INVER SHURE MTS: tc ce EN RE a0 NST OE on Miscellaneous. Forest Fires. Timber Prospects in Cuba. Utilization of Water Power. Snowslide or Landslide Next ? IRECENT NEUBLICATIONS : 001504 20. a U0) aaa CR a LA 108 109 110 110 Tir Ir2 113 i. 1130 II4 Sone ere orn np fee II5 Je Sine = — II5 116 117 SS ¥ The Forester. WOE, V. MAY, 1899 Non" 5): Meno tount Rainier National Park. Compiled partly from official data hitherto unpublished. {Published by permission of the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey.| The first suggestion for the establish- ment of a Rainier National Park came from two widely traveled foreigners. In 1883 they visited Mount Rainier, the one Prof. Karl Zittel, of Munich, a geologist familiar with all the aspects of Europe, and the other the Hon. James Bryce, a member of the English Alpine Club, and’ a traveler whose mountaineering con- quests included Ararat. Ina joint letter these gentlemen wrote: ““The scenery of Mount Rainier is of rare and varied beauty. The peak itself is as noble a mountain as we have ever seen in its lines and structure. The glaciers which descend from its snow fields present all the characteris- tic features of those in the Alps, and though less extensive than the ice streams of the Mount Blanc or Monta Rosa groups, are in their crevasses and serracs equally striking, and equally worthy of close study, We have seen nothing more beautiful in Switzerland or Tyrol, in Norway or in the Pyrenees, than the Carbon River glacier and the great Puyallup glaciers; indeed, the ice in the latter is unusu- ally pure, and the crevasses unusually fine. The combination of ice scenery with woodland scenery of the grandest type, is to be found nowhere in the Old World, unless it be in the Himalayas, and, sofar as we know, nowhere ~ else on the American Continent. * * #* We may, perhaps, be permitted to express a bope that the suggestion will at no distant date be made to Congress that Mount Rainier should, like the Yosemite Valley and the geyser region of the Upper Yellowstone, be reserved by the Federal Government and treated as a National park.” The hope expressed by these foreign- ers found no response in legislative ac- tion until the winter of 1895. Then a memorial prepared by a committee repre- senting the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Geological Society of America, the Sierra Club of California, and the Appalachian Moun- tain Club, was presented to the Senate by Mr. Squire, the Senator from Wash- ington. In 1897, the action of which this memorial was a feature, led to a bill designed to establish a National Park, which passed both Houses of Congress, but failed of signature by the President. In the winter of 1899 this bill, with slight modifications, was again intro- duced, passed both Houses, and receiv, ing the signature of the President, be- came a law on March 2. The bill provides for a National Park eighteen miles square, designed to in- clude the glacial system of Mount Rai- nier, its parks, and some part of the sur- rounding forests. The boundaries are laid off according to township and range lines of the Government Land Survey, beginning at a point three miles east of the northeast corner of T. 17 N., R. 6 E. of the Willamette meridian. The square, eighteen miles on a side, is broken on the eastern line to an unknown extent by the provision that: ‘‘In locating the said easterly boundary, wherever the summit of the Cascade Mountains is_ sharply and well defined, the said line shall fol- low the said summit where the said sum- mit line bears west of the easterly line as herein determined.” It is provided that the National Park shall be under the exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior, whose duty it shall be to make and publish such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary for the management of the same. The Secretary may, in his dis- cretion, grant parcels of ground for the erection of buildings for the accommo- dation of visitors, and all the proceeds of the leases, and all other revenues that may be derived from any source, con; nected with the Park, are to be expended, under his direction in the management of the same and for the construction .of roads and bridle paths therein. Rights. of way may be granted to railway or 98 THE FORESTER. tramway companies for access to the Park, fish and game are to be protected from wanton destruction, and police au- thority is given. Provision is made to compensate the Northern Pacific Kail- way Company for such part of its land grant as falls within the boundaries of the Park, it being authorized to select other non-mineral lands in lieu of those taken. The last section of the law ex- tends the mineral land laws of the United States to the lands lying within the Forest Reservation and Park. The occasion for creating the Rainier National Park cannot be more concisely stated than in the quotation from Profes- sor Zittel and Mr. Bryce: ‘‘The com- bination of ice scenery with woodland scenery of the grandest type is to be found nowhere in the Old World, unless it be in the Himalayas, and, so far as we know, nowhere else on the American Continent.’”’ The district lies wholly on the western side of the Cascade Range, where the moist and equable climate promotes the growth of vegetation, and the heaviest forests of the United States clothe the slopes. These virgin forests of the Cascades are deep and dense. The tall, light-loving trees, tower to heights of 250 feet or more, on relatively slender shafts, which near the ground are 6 to 10 feet in diameter. Beneath their interlacing crowns grow trees more tolerant of shade, bearing branches to within a few feet of the ground. Shrubs crowd among the tree trunks, rising from rich ferneries, vines and matted mosses. The air is damp, the light sombre, the solitude becomes oppres- sive. But little animal life is seen, and few birds. The wind plays in the tree tops far overhead, but seldom stirs the branches of the smaller growth. The great tree trunks stand immovable. The more awful is it when a gale roars through the timber, when the huge col- umns sway in unison and groan with voices Strangely human. The upper limit of the dense forest is about 4,000 feet above the sea, but trees of less wigOrous growth cover the slopes and ridges up to 6,000 feet, and the limit of May, tree growth in many places meets the snow line at 7,000 to 7,500 feet. From the sea of the evergreen forest the gigantic snow peak, Mount Rainier, rises solitarily to an altitude of 14,530 feet. Its form is that of a many-sided pyramid, 5,000 feet in height, rising from a broad and deeply-carved base. The summit consists of three peaks, two of which are nearly a mile apart, and their broad expanse is deeply covered with a mantle of glistening snow. The sides of the pyramid are precipices, which descend into vast amphitheatres. Glaciers flowing from the nevée fields of the summit hang upon the cliffs, break in avalanches over their steepest facets, or descend in cascades of flashing ice pyramids to the broader platform. Gath- ering their spray, as it were, beneath the steep scarps, the ice rivers flow outward in all directions and descend far into the forest-clad valleys. Forest, glacier and precipices combine to form scenes of the wildest grandeur and the deepest sub- limity. Strangely environed in this rugged scenery lie alpine meadows of exquisite beauty. In July and August they bear a richly-tinted flora, comprising more than 400 species of flowers, and they are set with groves of exquisitely symmetri- cal Firs, whose dark foliage is a foil to the brilliant coloring of the flowers and the pearly aspects of the snow peak. These are the scenes which no student of nature can visit without interest, nor any one view without realizing an in- spiring and uplifting influence. At present there is but one easily ac- cessible route to the Park. This is by stage from Tacoma southward to the Nisqually Valley and thence eastward to Longmire’s Springs. The distance is about 60 miles and the roads are not yet adequately constructed. From Long- mire’s, Paradise Park, one of the moun- tain meadows on the southern slope, is reached by a mountain trail 7 miles in length. Beyond Paradise Park all ex- cursions involve mountaineering of greater or less difficulty. A second route extends from Wilkeson, at the end 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 99 NORTH BOUNDARY FOREST RESERVE (2 2) < uw i 5 o w z =) w 0) z a a w > a w 77) uw a b Ww ws ira fe) = a Ww z < iv E = zg Pa) z =) fo) o b ” ws 2 of the railroad north of Mount Rainier, southward across Carbon River to the northwestern spur of the mountain, and reaches a district known as Spray Falls MAP SHOWING POSITION OF THE MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK IN THE RAINIER FOREST RESERVE, WASHINGTON AND PROPOSED AMENDED BOUNDARIES. COMPILED BY : Bw Park. The distance is about 30 miles over a well built bridle path, which is now, however, in poor repair. It wasat one time easily possible to leave Wi!ke- 10o son in the morning and watch the sunset from a camp at an elevation of 7,000 feet on the northwestern side of the snow peak. The wanton destruction by fire of a bridge across Carbon River ren- ders necessary a dangerous ford at that stream, and now makes this route un- available for any except mountaineers. Other lines of access which may be opened up but are not now used are (1) from the southwest up the Cowlitz River, which rises in the glaciers on the south- eastern slope of Mount Rainier, (2) from the east through the Cowlitz Pass in the Cascade Range, and (3) from the north along the summit of the Cascades. The Cowlitz Pass has repeatedly been ex- amined as a possible route for railroad construction, and it is probable that the establishment of a National Park may lead to the construction of a railroad across the range at this point. In all legislation relating to the National Park, care should be taken not to close the Cowlitz Pass against traffic, as it affords an important line of communication between the Yakima and the lower Columbia Valleys. Access to Mount Rainier from the north along the summit of the Cascade Range is at present practicable only with a pack train. There is a rough trail which may be followed by mountaineer- ing mules, and which may serve to sug- gest a great driveway that shall be built to connect the Northern Pacific Railroad with the Cowlitz Pass and the National Park. Such a road will be about 50 miles in length, and will throughout much of the distance run at altitudes of 5,000 to 6,500 feet along the somewhat evencrests of the range. Formany milesthe traveler along this road will have Mount Rainier in view beyond mountain slopes which sink from his feet into the vast expanse of the great forest. Abreast of Mount Rainier the road will be 12 miles distant from the summit, and the splendid snow peak will rise from the depths of canyons far below to a height of 8,000 feet above it. That it is practicable to lay out this road there is no doubt, and that it will be found profitable and will be built is more THE FORESTER. May, than probable. It will challenge the world for its equal in variety and majesty of scenery. Two central points for tourists are de- termined by the topography of the dis- trict. These are Paradise Park on the southand Spray Falls Park on the north. Both of them lie at elevations of 6,500 to 7,000 feet, between adjacent glaciers. Routes within the Park will be developed chiefly for communication between these two points and for the ascent of the mountain. At the present time to pass around Mount Rainier at a low altitude is an extremely arduous undertaking, and at higher altitudes across the glaciers a task requiring alpine experience. At the higher levels the construction and main- tenance of trails will never be practicable, as four-fifths of the way is across the ice and through mazes of crevasses, but below the glaciers trails may be laid out to the east or to the west of Rainier, traversing the canyons and _ winding through the forests, where the traveler will te charmed with the harmony of tints in the vegetation, delighted with waterfalls, and transported with glimpses of the snowy summit far above them all. The ascent of Mount Rainier can never become a popular pastime, as under the best conditions it demands unusual strength and steadiness of nerve, yet a considerable number of climbers have already ascended the peak, and with due care the ascent may be made from Paradise Park across Gibraltar Rock and the snow fields beyond without serious risk. Many who might be un- equal to the task of ascending and de- scending the peak in the same day will avail themselves of the caverns within the crater of the mountain. There, pro- tected by a roof of ice from the freezing blasts without, and warmed by the steam which issues from many vents in the old volcano, they may pass the night, divid- ing their dreams between Jack Frost and Pluto. All other ascents of Mount Rai- nier than that by Gibraltar involve great risk and should be undertaken only by experienced mountaineers familiar with work among crevasses. The climb has Iol AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 1899. j= r. FEE 2,000 ELEVATION ? RAINIER MOUNT FOREST ON SLOPE OF The figure of a man bout to feet. may be seen to the right of it.) eenisa int s ir at the lowest po (The diameter of the large F I02 been successfully made up the glacier on the western slope, and also from the northeast and east up the great ice mass that covers the eastern slope, but the conditions which made success possible in these instances are constantly chang- ing with flow of the ice and variations of the seasons. The boundaries to the Park as now es- tablished by law are not well considered for its future development. They are too limited. They fail to include dis- tricts whose scenic aspects are essential to the unity of the Park and whose fea- tures should not be left outside of its protection. This is most especially true of the western limit, and it is to some extent true of the northern and southern bounds. According to the best information available, the western boundary of the established Park traverses the spurs of Mount Rainier at altitudes which range from 2,500 feet in the canyons to about 7,000 feet on the ridges. The extremities of several notable glaciers probably ex- tend to or beyond the Park limit. The valley of the headwaters of the South Fork of the Puyallup has a northwest course in the three-mile strip which lies west of the National Park and within the boundary of the Rainier Forest Reserve. The most accessible route for communi- cation around the mountain from the Nisqually Valley to Spray Falls Park should cross the low divide north of the Nisqually and traverse this valley of the South Puyallup. Such a route should be within the Park limits. The valley of the Puyallup is heavily timbered, and if preserved within the National Park may be protected from those operations of the lumbermen which it is part of the economic policy of the Forest Reserve to a certain extent to promote. It is not much to demand that the virgin forest within a strip 3 miles wide by 18 miles long should be pre- served for all time to come. North of Mount Rainier hes a group of jagged peaks rising to elevations of 7,000 to 8,000 feet, known as the Sluis- kin Mountains. The boundary of the THE FORESTER, May, established Park crosses these summits apparently through the highest peaks of the group. It may probably be desirable to extend the National Park northward approximately 6 miles to the northern boundary of the Forest Reserve. The northeast corner of the established Park probably includes some portion of the Summit mining district, which is sep- arated from Rainier by a high spur of the Cascade Range. It may be necessary here to curtail the limits of the Park in such manner as to exclude the mining district. It has already been stated that the Cowlitz Pass should be left open for railroad construction, but in order that the routes into the Park may have a rational development it is desirable that the Park boundary on the east should extend along the summit of the Cascade Range southeastward to the Cowlitz Pass, and that the southern limit should follow thence down the Cowlitz River probably to the western side of the For-- est Reserve. This will include in the Park the Tatoosh Range, south of Mount Rainier. The rugged peaks of this range form part of the environment of the snow mountain, and are to some extent still densely forested. A broad area of burnt forest covers their northern portion and extends to the headwaters of the Cowlitz River. Under the practical management of the Forest Reserve this broad area will be reforested, but it is desirable to preserve that forest against future cutting, except as may be necessary to promote its proper growth, if the object of the National Park as a tourist resort is to be fully attained. If these amendments to the bound- aries should be carried out, the northern and western boundaries would remain straight lines artificially determined by U. S. land surveys; the eastern bound- ary would be defined by a spur and the crest of the Cascade Range, and the southern boundary by the Cowlitz River. The two last are natural features, always to be preferred, where practicable, to artificial lines extended across a moun- tainous country. 1899. The bill which has been passed creat- ing the National Park is without effect because it carries no appropriation. Be- fore anything can be done toward the appointment of an administrative force, for the accomplishment of surveys neces- sary to intelligent plans, or for the pro- tection of the district from careless campers, means must be provided and AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 103 modifications of the boundaries must be adopted. The societies which have been active in presenting the matter to Congress and all who appreciate the inspiring influ- ence of Nature in her most majestic aspects should energetically interest themselves in the further development of the Rainier National Park. BaILey WILLIs. The Training of Professional Foresters in America. A Symposium in Three Papers. ieee bine DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF BORE ST RY, IT HAGA ON. -Y. There are many roads leading to Rome and there are many ways of getting an education or a preparation for a profes- sion, and according to the make-up of the man is the one or the other best to travel. I know a most competent scientific in- vestigator, an excellent teacher and manager, who started life as a cowboy ; yet, though undoubtedly his early ex- perience of independent thinking and acting benefited him, we would hardly prescribe such a preparation for general use. The next man might remain a cowboy. Even if we knew the ideal way to knowledge, practical limitations often forbid to follow it, and finally we find our- selves forced to take the main-traveled, broad road of uniformity, which our educational institutions, schools, col- leges, and universities have built, with the prescribed or at least systematically- laid-out curricula, without regard to in- dividual requirements or dispositions, except so far as the student is left to select his studies within a prescribed circle. For a profession which, like forestry, has to deal with the direct application of knowledge to practical problems, the need of an opportunity to see such ap- plication in actuality and to have a hand an the practice early, is obvious, just as in the engineering or medical professionor in fact almost any other profession. Yet we must not forget that all practice is based on theory ; and the more thorough the theoretical knowledge, the more intelli- gent and more sure will be the practice, The attempt to satisfy the popular but ignorant cry for so-called ‘‘ practical in- struction” usually leads to the production of superficial and incompetent prac- titioners, lacking a safe guidein thorough knowledge, although by no means lack- ing in self-assurance. I would, there- fore, advise any student of forestry in this country, as well as in any other, to lay as broad a foundation of theoretical knowledge as he can afford ; he will be more successful in the end with his practice. As to the time and manner of acquir- ing practical insight, whether it should precede or follow the theoretical studies or be interspersed with the latter, opin- ions vary. Even the Germans, who have the reputation of being good educators, have not been able during the hundred years of forestry education to come to a final verdict. Yet, if we may take the number of students as an indication of the prefer- ence of methods, we find that the Uni- versity method which leaves much choice to the student in electing his studies and 104 seeking practical instruction where and when he can, seems to be in favor, for the College of Forestry at the University of Munich shows by far the largest at- tendance—namely, 140 students during the last term, more than double that of the best attended separate schools, ex- cepting only its own preparatory school at Aschaffenburg, the total number of students inscribed at all the eight forestry schools being 587. I should be inclined to advise Ameri- can students, if they can find the oppor- tunity, to begin their forestry education in some well-conducted lumber camps, in actual employment, either before or after the Freshman and Sophomore years of their college education, so as to learn the practical side of forest ex- ploitation—forestry, largely, being mere- ly an improvement on lumbermen’s practice. Then after laying the founda- tion of theoretical knowledge in profes- sional forestry at the Cornell State Col- lege of Forestry, or wherever else it may be attainable with as much _ practical demonstration in this country, a visit to European forest districts for inspection of object lessons, which are, as yet, not at hand in this country, would be advis- able. Such a visit after the theoretical instruction will be more instructive and helpful than if timed otherwise. As to qualifications, we must not over- look the fact that forestry, like all other professions, when once established, will soon call for specialization. We shall need not only captains, but leutenants and privates, managers as well as in- structors, investigators, etc. In the end, therefore, the qualifications re- quired for this profession are no more nor less than for any other. Yet before the profession is further established, I would not advise to enter it, any one who is not possessed with a spirit of enterprise and independent thinking, who has not the capacity for finding a way where none is marked out for him, and who has not a large amount of business sense or gumption. For finally the fully-equipped forester is a business manager, whose business it is to turn into profit the product of a forest THE FORESTER. May, property sustained incontinuous revenue- producing capacity. This under our economic conditions is not easy and re- quires judgment. Judgment, to besure, is formed by experience, nevertheless there is a disposition of mind which ripens experience into judgment, sooner in some than in others. It is alertness. of observation and capacity for combi- nation which we call practical sense. The student, therefore, should be sure that he possesses this disposition, that he is interested in technical, as well as in practical things, such as the manage- ment of a property represents. I may only add, that at the newly- established New York State College of Forestry, the aim is to run it on broad University principles, allowing students who have attained the proper degree of knowledge in their Freshman and Sopho- more years in Natural Sciences, Mathe- matics and other supplemental branches, to’ elect their forestry studies in the Junior and Senior years as_ they desire, except those studying for a de- gree, who are expected to elect a com- plete prescribed course. As much prac- tical demonstration as possible is given during the terms, and there is more opportunity for this than had been an- ticipated. The summer vacations are to be spent in practical work in the experi- ment forest or wherever else an oppor- tunity may offer. The beginning has been encouraging, for during the first two terms there have been in attendance in the five strictly forestry courses (excluding duplication of names in the different courses and also excluding students of the College in the Freshman and Sophomore years), thirty-six students, taking either one or several courses—namely, students of Civil Engineering, Architecture, Agri- culture, Political Economy, besides those who propose to make forestry their pro- fession. The experiment forest coming into the possession of the College only by the 1st of April, the work has not yet begun; but the students will be largely employed in making the neces- sary surveys and working plans. B. E. FERNow. — 1899. i. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 105 Bie) LO oth. OF THE BEeERMORE ESTATE, BILT- MORK. Nive All thinking people realize that the financial result of forestry consists in part of a positive gain obtained, and in part of economic losses avoided—losses threatening navigation, water supply, public health, etc. And all must agree that forestry on a large scale in the long run is not possible unless it be found to be remunerative one way or the other, unless it be established as a well paying business. The American forester, in almost any position, must be a business man. Abroad, things may differ where large forest areas are controlled by thecommon- wealth and municipalities, or consist of entailed property, institutions for which business considerations do not hold good, perhaps, altogether. In this country, at least 85 per cent of all woodland is owned by private individuals, who can- not possibly be compelled to manage their forests for the general welfare, when such management interferes with the owners’ financial views. The American forester, being employed for business purposes, must be well ac- quainted above all with the economic con- ditions of the various sections of the United States, and more especially with their lumber interests. The more time he spends traveling in the woods, in the dumber camps, in saw mills and wood- working establishments, the better for him. Knowledge thus acquired will be more valuable to him, the business for- ester, than a thorough acquaintance with chemistry, physics, zoology, mineralogy, geology and mathematics, with which for- est students are packed full in Europe. If the American forest student mas- ters the principles of botany, survey- ing, political economy and private law, he will not know enough to pass as an expert, but enough to take a deep plunge into any question connected with forest botany, forest surveying and so on that May present itself; and if he finds the question too difficult for his own head, there are plenty of specialists to whom he may appealforhelp. It is impossible for one single individual to be a thorough botanist, zoologist, chemist, geologist, mineralogist, surveyor, economist and lawyer; besides, more important than the theoretical knowledge, however valuable it may be, is the practical knowledge for the forester as a business man. It is just as little feasible to study forestry from books or at a university alone, as it is possible for the physician to become a master in his branch unless he have large experience in clinic and hospital work. True, the physician must know something of chemistry, of botany, and of physics; but it would be preposterous for him to devote more time to the study of such branches than will be justified by the needs of the practice. A young man who is anxious to take up forestry as a profession should, I think, adopt the following course of studies: The first year should be given to the study of botany, surveying, political economy, law and, to a certain extent, mathematics, chemistry, physics and geology. The proper place to study is at a university, which offers concentrated courses suited to the needs of the forest student. The second year should be devoted to the study of forestry under the guidance of a forester of some experience and ina range where forest administration is conducted on a comparatively large scale. If, as is the case at Biltmore, N. C., daily lectures on forestry are given at the same time, the young man will have a chance for the study of forestry as well as fora sort of apprenticeship, which we might com- pare to the hospital or clinic practice of a medical student. All operations in for- estry (logging, road making, planting, and whatever there be) repeat them- selves, as a general rule, in the course of ayear. Thus a twelve-months study of forestry at a place like Biltmore seems sufficient. The third year should be spent partly 106 in lumber camps and lumber mills; partly on atrip to Germany or France, where silvicultural principles may be studied, and nothing else. The eco- nomic conditions on the other side of the water are so different from those prevail- ing in this country that it is futile to try an adaptation of European forestry to American woods—silvicultural principles excepted. We cannot import German forestry unless we import German conditions, conditions under which conservative forest management pays better than rapid lumbering. If our lawmakers were filled with the conviction that the com- monwealth needs forests, and that it should pay for forest maintenance just as much as that maintenance is worth; if our Government would only provide and pay for a state of affairs making conservative lumbering of forests more remunerative to the owner than rapid forest destruc- tion, we would get ‘‘ European Forestry”’ at once. The legislatures, the people, we our- selves are guilty of committing the crime of deforestation by carelessly allowing conditions to remain unchanged which make forest destruction more remuner- ative to the owner than forest conserva- tion. Release the heavy burden of taxes on young forests not yielding immediate returns ; save maturing forests from the short-sightedness of local tax assessors ; protect young and old forests from fire and theft as well as any other property, and youwill have forestry, because it will pay. THE FORESTER May, The change in American forest econ- omy must come, and must come soon. Forest proprietors have anticipated it in sections where the conditions are less unfavorable, and have begun to apply conservative management to the forests which they control. Still the forests of the United States do not offer illustrations exhibiting the effect of applied silviculture. Even those at Biltmore show only ten years’ management. Thus it will be advisable for the forest student to visit countries where silviculture has been practiced for overacentury. Hesimply follows the ex- ample of the American artist who studies those masters in the Old World which the New World does not yet offer. In the course of three years a young man will be ready to fill a position in a forest undertaking. It will depend on the work to which he is put whether he has to enlarge upon his knowledge of botany or on his knowledge of law or political economy and so on, and so on, Neither the physician nor the forester can ever stop learning. It is impossible in this complicated world to be prepared for all emergencies. Any new situation necessitates new study. Again and again, forestry is business, the forester a business man, and the primary training he needs in order to become a ‘‘ master of his art,” is a com- mon sense and business training. CalA SCHENCK Ill. a ~ The general objects of training in for- estry are: first, to develop what may be called, after the French, the forester’s eye—that is, the capacity to observe and understand the condition and needs of forest land; and, secondly, to give such a knowledge of methods and circum- stances that the forester may be able to act intelligently, in accordance with the facts he has observed. To reach these ends the forest student must have some BY THE FORESTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. knowledge of physical science, a good working acquaintance with the theory of forestry, and a considerable experience with the forest itself under a variety of conditions. The first step, in my judg- ment, should be a college or university training, wherever that is possible. Forest work, on the rougher side, de- mands great bodily endurance and strong enthusiasm, but there are other divisions. of the subject which make less stringent 1899. physical demands. It may be said in general, however, that none but the completely sound in body should under- take the active work of a forester. The more important auxiliary subjects, a knowledge of which should in most cases be obtained, at least in part, be- fore the training in forestry itself is be- gun, are: (1) Botany, emphasis to be laid chiefly on the structure and life of plants. Systematic botany need not be dwelt on at length. The knowledge essential to the determination of the species of trees is, naturally, of greatimportance, Cryp- togamic botany should not be entirely neglected, although only a general view is required. (2) Geology, with special emphasis on the origin and meaning of the surface features of the earth. (3) Some Physics and Chemistry is essential, and a slight knowledge of Zoology and Entomology should not be omitted. (4) Mathematics shouldinclude Geom- etry and Trigonometry, and, preferably, Mechanics also. A good working knowl- edge of Surveying should be acquired. (5) Some knowledge of Law and busi- ness methods. (6) German or French, preferably the former, and still better both together. (7) A good course in Economics. (8) History and Geography of the United States, with special reference to economic development and production. A considerable part of these auxiliary subjects may be acquired during a col- lege or university course. If, however, work in forestry begins after graduation and without previous training in auxiliary subjects, it should be commenced by several months of practical work in the woods. Indeed, it will be well, in all cases, for the forest student to begin practical work before plunging too deeply into his theoretical training. For this purpose the position of Stu- dent Assistant in the Division of For- estry, United States Department of Ag- riculture, offers a valuable opportunity AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 107 to a few well-qualified men to become acquainted with the true nature of forest work. Students are paid at the rate of $300 per annum, and all field expenses are borne by the Division. After such an experience in the field, when the forest student has achieved a correct conception of his future work, the auxiliary training should be begun, followed by a year or more in forestry at a forest school, with the vacations spent in the woods, and, finally, not less than a year abroad. To my mind, this final year is of very great value, because in this country it is not possible to gather an adequate conception of the response of forests to treatment through long pe- riods, or of the application of remedies to defective forests and the results. Forest management in this country is still too young to offer the necessary ex- amples. It will be essential for the American student to acquire some considerable knowledge of lumbering and the forests in the United States before going abroad, where much that he sees will interest him only as to the principle involved and not as toits practical application. Not less than three years should, in general, be devoted to the special prep- aration of a forester for his profession. At that time he may reasonably look for paying employment either from pri- vate owners of forest land, such as great companies or wealthy lumbermen, from States such as New York or Pennsylva- nia, or from the Government, either in the General Land Office, where the na- tional forest reserves are administered, in the Geological Survey, where they are mapped and described, or in the Divi- sion of Forestry, to which the general progress of the science and art of for- estry is assigned, together with all tech- nical forest work, and in which the in- terests of the vast area of private forest lands are considered. At present the pay of foresters is on about the same plane as that of the instructors and pro- fessors in a university. GIFFORD PINCHOT. 108 THE FORESTER. May, Timber Protection in Minnesota. The bill to repeal the Fire Warden Law in Minnesota was defeated at the last session of the Legislature. The wisdom, and, in fact, necessity of afford- ing efficient protection to these timber lands is shown by the following state- ments. Commissioner Hermann, of the Gen- eral Land Office, said : ‘ VN AMERICA’... ATIONAL PARK SEMINARY is named from its proximity to the great National Rock Il ; Park, recently purchased by the Government and designed to become the most beauti- ful reservation of the National Capital. This whole region is marvelously beautiful and picturesque with its combination of forest, stream, hill and dale. It rises gradually from the City of Washington till at Forest Glen the Seminary stands on an eminence four hun- dred feet above the level of the city. Forty acres of sunny slopes and wild ravines, towering trees and winding paths, babbling brocks and tangled dells, combine to form a site seldom rivaled in varied and inspiring scenery, where the beautiful zs utilized to develop character The altitude of its location precludes possibility of malaria, The equable climate, free fro the rigors of a northern winter promotes health by inviting out-door sports. The buildit itself crowns the highest hill and was erected and equipped at an expense of $80,000; it has frontage of two hundred and seventy-five feet, with three large center halls thirty by forty feet on each floor, which afford a charming rendezvous for student life; heated by steam and light by gas, with bath rooms plentiful and sanitary arrangements complete. The house is situated so that every room gets the sun at some time during the day. The close proximity to the National Capital, with all the educational and social advan tages appertaining to such a residence, offers wonderful facilities toits pupils. The Semin» , is within twenty minutes of the heart of the city and, with twenty trains daily, besides electric cars, easy access is afforded to all the Libraries, Musevms, Departments of Government, Con- gress and Foreign Legations. These with the official and social life of the National Capital offer opportunities for profitable study. The course of study is planned to produce womanly women. There are twenty-two teachers and the limited number of pupils permits of much personal attention and individual instruction foreach. Health zs a matter of first constderation always. There are no nerve- Straining examinations, Thirty different States represented among the pupils, bringing together the daughters of representatives families throughout the entire Union. The Seminary’s watchword : ‘* We consider text-book training only a part of our work as educators. We shall be satisfied with nothing less than the development of the whole being” The yearly expenses at National Park + Address are $350 to $500. Early application is neces. i ——— : sary. Catalogue giving views of the school ¥ J. A. CASSEDY x Principal, and opinion of enthusiastic patrons will be i 4, tent a ea plication: = . i P. O. Box 100. Forest Gler, Md. Kindly mention Tue ForesTer in writing. THE FORESTER. HENRY ROMEIKE. The First Established and [Most Complete Newspaper Cutting Bureau in the World. 10 Fifth Awenue, New York. Established London 1881, New York 1884. Branches: London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney. ‘The Press Cutting Bureau... which I established and have carried on since 1881 in London and 1884 in New York, reads, through its hundreds of employes, every newspaper and periodical of importance published in the United States, Canada and Europe. It is patronized by thousands of sub- scribers, professional or business men, to whom are sent, day by day, newspaper clippings, collected from all these thousands of papers, referring either to them or any given subject... . Piety Rormeike, @, 110 Fifth Awenue, New York. Kindly mention THE ForesTER in writing. f-punos8yovq ot{} tr 41g JOATIG JO S}so1oq Surmoys] ‘ALALILSNI AULSAAOM NVIIVLI IVAOW AHL—VSOUANOTTIVA WO. Ve The Forester. JUNE, 1899. No. 6. The World-famed Forest of Vallombrosa. [Seat of the Roya! Italian Forestry Institute. | With Illustrations from Photographs forwarded from Europe especially for The Forester. BY THE FOUNDER OF ‘f THE FORESTER.”’’ One of the most attractive places in Europe is Vallombrosa. Every traveler in Italy should not fail to visit it. No matter what his profession he will find something of interest. All admire the beautiful views and the forests and enjoy the fresh, dust-free mountain air and pure spring water, far above the bells and yells and smells of Italian cities. The word Vallombrosa. itself means ‘shady valley.” ‘‘Thick as autumnal leaves that strow the brooks in Vallom- brosa, where the Etrurian shades high overarched embower,’”’ says Milton, who visited this lovely spot before he lost his sight. Such a place in Italy, where the forests have been recklessly wasted, where al- most every tree is lopped and pollarded and where the mountains are bare, the streams dry at times, at others rushing, raging torrents, is certainly refreshing. Vallombrosa was formerly one of the richest and most famous of the monas- teries of Europe, and is now of special interest to foresters because the only forestry school in Italy is located here. It may be easily visited from Florence. At S. Ellero, a short-distance up the Arno, on the main line to Rome, the traveler must change cars. High on the mountain top in the distance Vallom- brosa is partly visible, as a mass of dark green foliage surrounded by bare moun- tain sides. The little train, consisting of one car and a small locomotive, as- cends by means of a cog-wheel working in a toothed middle rail. The engine was built in Philadelphia and the car in Belgium, although the latter was fin- ished in American pine. The train passes through many well- kept olive groves and vineyards, the scenery being very beautiful. _ The fruit trees were in full bloom (April 5) and the olives were a rich, silvery color. Women dressed in bright-colored cos- tumes were working in the soil, the men were lopping the trees, to which the vines are tied with willow withes. Others were ploughing the rich, brown earth with teams of large, pure white oxen. Trees in Italy are planted for vine props. The clippings they yield serve for fuel and the leaves are used for fod- der. The twigs take the place of twine, Italian agriculture is partly arboricul- ture. Almost every field yields grapes, nuts, figs, olives, wood, fodder and grain. We passed through a coppice of chest- nut and oak with large mother ‘trees on the steep mountain side. The ground was carpeted with broom, gorse and many other wild flowers, among which we could hear the busy honey bees hum- ming. The woods were filled with song 5 THE FORESTER. birds, something unusual for Italy, where formerly birds of every kind were cap- tured for the pot in a wholesale fashion, by means of ingenious nets. A few sheep were visible, rambling amongst the herbage. Here and there choppers were cutting the young chestnut trees for vine props, stripping off the bark, dipping the ends in tar, and binding up the fagots. In season, many peasants are occu- pied in picking the wild strawberries and raspberries and gathering mushrooms. A large income is yielded by the chest- nuts, from the flour of which the bread of the peasants is made. In the course of an hour the train reaches Saltino, the terminus. Below one, stretching for miles, is the well- tilled valley of the Arno; all about one the bare mountain tops of the Apen- nines ; and plainly in the distance the famous city of Florence, with its exten- sive gardens and treasures of art. About half a mile from the station of Saltino, the beautiful silver fir forests of Vallombrosa begin. The trees are large, with tall, straight boles and dense, dark green canopy. . The air is fragrant with the orange perfume exhaled by the leaves in the sunshine. One could easily imagine himself in the midst of the Black Forest at Herrenwies or St Blasien. The trees are in lines, betraying the fact that they had been planted.. In truth the whole of the forests of Vallom- brosa were planted by the patient and in- dustrious Benedictine monks, who were arduous agriculturists and foresters dur- ing the Dark Ages. Itis to them in fact that civilization owes much, and it was often with much injustice that their prop- erties were confiscated and their treasures of art and science injured or destroyed. Some beautiful stems, fit for the masts of ships, were piled by the wayside. They seemed almost out of place in a land where twigs and fuel are often sold by weight, and where a decent fire is the greatest of all luxuries. Soon one reaches an open meadow, surrounded on all but one of its sides by the amphitheater of green, forest-clad June, hills. It was. here, in about the year 1015, that San Giovanni Gualberto founded the famous monastery of Vall- ombrosa, under peculiar circumstances too lengthy to describe in this connection, Above the Silver Fir on the mountain side a fine forest of old Beech is visible. The Silver Fir being more hardy is usually above the Beech. In order of hardiness there comes first the Spruce, then the Silver Fir, then the Red Beech, and then the Chestnut. The monks, no doubt, had’ some special purpose in placing the Beech above the Fir. They raised many pigs which fed upon the mast. In front of the thick-walled monastery is the Albergo della Foresta, which is large and comfortable. Near by there is an old sawmill and ponds built by the monks for the collection of ice. The water here is excellent, coming from a famous spring which was long supposed to have great curative properties. Sev- eral students dressed in uniform were working in the nurseries. They are called to their work by bugle blasts. We presented our cards and were most cordially received by the director, Comm. F. Piccioli, and his accomplished daughter, both of whom speak German and French. Director Piccioli was sent by his government to France to study the reforestation of mountains, and his report, entitled ‘‘Sui Rimboschimenti Eseguiti in Francia,” appeared in. 1887. We were shown the museum, the library, the dormitory, the queer old kitchen and the refectory, with many portraits on the walls, including one of Gualberto, the founder of the monastery. The institution has eight professors and about 35 students. These students are of two classes—those who expect gov- ernment work and those who do not. The Italian Government possesses only about 50,000 hectares of forest, so that the number of foresters needed is not large and their pay is small. The stu- dents have four months vacation in win- ter. From the prospectus the regulations seem rather strict. The course covers oe Le i it 1899. four years and seems quite like the work of a German forest academy. Italy could not have a better object lesson. She has had it many years and it seems to have little effect. Were all her mountains forested as at Vallombrosa , ANOTHER VIEW she would be rich instead of poor. If she had them it is doubtful, though, whether they would be properly managed. One leaves this beautiful region with regret and with the thought that much credit is due to the old monks who AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 123 planted these forests and instituted an excellent system of agriculture, and that much blame is due the Italian Govern- ment for not following this excellent ex- ample by planting the denuded mountain tops—the birthplace of destructive tor~ OF VALLOMBROSA. rents, and certainly the places above all others which should be owned and regu- lated by the State. OHN GIFFORD, D. Florence, April 16, 1899. — 124 THE FORESTER: June, The New Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve, California. President McKinley issued a procla- mation on April 13, establishing the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve, in California, upon the recommendation of the Secre- tary of the Interior, after a very thorough examination of the subject had been made by that Department, during a period of two years. The area of the reserve is estimated at 136,335 acres. On November 16, 1896, the Depart- ment of the Interior referred to the Gen- eral Land Office the petition of residents of Carson City, Nev., to have certain lands in E] Dorado County, California, in the immediate vicinity of Lake Tahoe, reserved for further disposal and set apart as a public park. Among the signers to this and other similar petitions were the Governor of Nevada, the Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, the State Treasurer, the Attorney General and other State officers, the University of California (including the Lick Observa- tory), the Leland Stanford, Junior, Uni- versity, the Sierra Club, United States Senators Stephen M. White and George C. Perkins, and many other citizens of California. As the result of a special examination of these lands and their suitability for a forest reserve, the agent of the Depart- ment made a favorable report in Decem- ber, 1897, which is, in part, as follows: ‘ POSTAL WILL: BRING Eee ROME RESPONSE: os): The Forester. The American Forestry $1.00 a year Association, > . Annual Dues $2.00 (Including The Forester.) 10 cts. a copy Address My Corcoran Siuilding, Washington, D.C. THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. as An Up-to-Date Paper NOTE. The edition of THE FoRESTER for November, 1898, having been exhausted, it has been found | The necessary to have a new one printed. Mem- bers of the Association and subscribers who ( y may need copies of that issue (No, 11, NolsIVS) J reeley to complete files for binding, will be supplied if they notify the publishers to that effect. A limited number of complete copies of Vol. : ri bu ne IV of Tue Forester are offered for sale. Price, postpaid, $1.00, unbound ; durably bound in green cloth, $1.50. Greeley, Colo. —_ For Up-to-Date People National Geographic Magazine. A JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY—PHYSICAL, COMMERCIAL, POLITICAL See Editor: JOHN HYDE, Statistician of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. AssociIATE EDITORS: A. W. GREELY, : WILLIS L. MOORE, Chief Signal Officer,U. S. Army. Chief of the U. S. Weather Bureau, Weslp nlc GiB Hee reine d : Hog Pe RITCHE EE: Ethnologist tn Charge, Bureau of Superintendent of the U.S. Coast and American Ethnology. Geodetic Survey. HENRY GANNETT, MARCUS BAKER Chief Geographer, U. S. Geological U.S. Geological Survey. Survey. = C. HART MERRIAM, OSPeAUS TING Chief of the Biological Survey, U.S. Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Treasury Department. DAVID J. HILL, ict ELIZA RUHAMAH SCIDMORE, Assistant Secretary of State. Author of “Java, the Garden of the Bast ates ; CHARLES H, ALLEN, _ CARL LOUISE GARRISON, Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Principal of Phelps School, Wash- ington, D. C. Assistant Editor: GILBERT H. GROSVENOR, Washington, D. C. Annual Subscription; Domestic, $2.50; Foreign (Postal Union), $3.00; Single Numbers, “5 Cents. Office of Publication: WASHINGTON, D. C. Kindly mention THE ForesTEr in writing. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION RPORWeS 2 hh Y SCHOOL tS Me VMIORE » N.S. For circular and information apply to CG. AV SereeNCK, Ph. b:, Forester to the BILTMORE ESTATE The Foremost School for Young Women 0 LN AMERICA .., : ATIONAL PARK SEMINARY is named from its proximity to the great National Rock Il : Park, recently purchased by the Government and designed to become the most beauti- ful reservation of the National Capital. This whole region is marvelously beautiful and picturesque with its combination of forest, stream, hill and dale. It rises gradually from the City of Washington till at Forest Glen the Seminary stands on an eminence four hun- dred feet above the level of the city. Forty acres of sunny slopes and wild ravines, towering trees and winding paths, babbling brocks and tangled dells, combine to form a site seldom rivaled in varied and inspiring scenery, where the beautiful zs utclized to develop character. The altitude of its location precludes possibility of malaria. The equable climate, free from the rigors of a northern winter promotes health by inviting out-door sports. The building itself crowns the highest hill and was erected and equipped at an expense of $80,000; it hasa frontage of two hundred and seventy-five feet, with three large center halls thirty by forty feet on each floor, which afford a charming rendezvous for student life; heated by steam and lighted by gas, with bath rooms plentiful and sanitary arrangements complete. The house is situated so that every room gets the sun at some time during the day. The close proximity to the National Capital, with all the educational and social advan- tages appertaining to such a residence, offers wonderful facilities to its pupils. The Seminary is within twenty minutes of the heart of the city and, with twenty trains daily, besides electric cars, easy access is afforded to all the Libraries, Muserms, Departments of Government, Con- gress and Foreign Legations, These with the official and social life of the National Capital offer opportunities for profitable study. The course of study is planned to produce womanly women, There are twenty-two teachers and.the limited number of pupils permits of much personal attention and individual instruction foreach. Health zs a matter of first consideration always. There are no nerve- straining examinations, Thirty different States represented among the pupils, bringing together the daughters of representatives families throughout the entire Union. The Seminary’s watchword: ‘* We consider text-book training only a part of our work as educators. We shall be satisfied with nothing less than the development of the whole being.” The yearly expenses at National Park + Address are $350 to $500. Early application is neces. i sary. Catalogue giving views of the school® J. A. CASSEDY, Principal, and opinion of enthusiastic patrons will be * Kindly mention THE ForesTer in writing. THE FORESTER: HENRY ROMEIKE, The First Established and [ost Complete Newspaper Cutting Bureau in the World. 10 Fifth Avenue, New York. Established London 1881, New York 1884. Branches: London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney. ‘The Press Cuttina Bureat... which I established and have carried on since 1881 in London and 1884 in New York, reads, through its hundreds of employes, every newspaper and periodical of importance published in the United States, Canada and Europe. It is patronized by thousands of sub- scribers, professional or business men, to whom are sent, day by day, newspaper clippings, collected from all these thousands of papers, referring either to them or any given subject. . Ficary Romiciliee @, 110 Fifth Awenue, New York. Kindly mention THE Forester in writing. VINUYOATTVO ALNNOO VAVAGN NI NOILV J SHAYOAAA TVAYOLVN Wor, V:. JULY, 1899 The Forester. Natural Reforestation in the Southwest. The Gradual Restoration of Tree-Growths on Denuded Lands. BY THE SPECIAL AGENT OF THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, * The importance of tree and shrub growth in the mountain and foot-hill re- gions of western America, adjacent to irrigated regions, is evident. The for- est reservations of the arid regions were set apart by the National Government for the purpose, primarily, of affording protection to the farmer. Mountain for- ests and chaparral, in acting as conser- vators of moisture, need no better argu- ment in confirmation of their value than the present activity in Southern Califor- nia regarding forest management and reforestation. Recognizing the importance of forest cover to irrigable lands, every public- spirited citizen in that section has be- come interested in forestry. A flourish- ing association has been built up in the five southern counties, and a subordinate forest and water society has also been established in each county. Knowing well that the life of the country depends upon the perennial flow of mountain streams, every board of trade, educa- tional association and city council, and many private corporations as well, have formulated petitions aimed at procuring the most effective service possible. Some measures of this sort are neces- [*The wiiter of this article, who is the De- partment’s expert in tree-planting, has just re- turned froma trip, of nearly three months dura- tion, through this section of country. ED. | sary, in order that the welfare of that section of country may not be seriously affected by inadequate protection, either to the forests or the lesser growth cov- ering the mountains. For the valleys depend upon the mountains for a con- stant supply of water. The financial loss entailed by a pro- longed scarcity of water has had a great influence in arousing public opinion. The people of Southern California justly consider the fine forest reserves of that region as communal property; for these reserves with their growth of Pine, deciduous trees, chaparral, and grass give an additional value to the agricul- tural lands. The farmer depends as greatly upon forest conservation as he does upon the team which turns the furrow. Naked mountains induce destructive floods, del- uging the valleys with sand, mud, gravel and boulders. Then there are alternating periods, more or less pro- longed, when the streams are dry or greatly reduced in volume of flow. The modifying influence is the forest, chap- arral and grass covering of the mouh- tains. It is amatter of general public knowl- edge that the mountains are natural res- ervoirs, but only so long as they are with vegetable growth, with he basis of this growth. It covered forests as the 146 THE FORESTER is also known that the value of the nat- ural reservoir is in almost direct ratio to the density of growth. In no other por- tion of the United States has the de- pendence of the tillable lands on. the water supply of the mountains been brought to public notice with such em- phasis. A destructive forest fire in any of the mountain ranges may greatly lessen the crop over the entire area depending for its water supply upon the streams origi- nating in the burned district. Not only will the immediate effect be noticeable, but the destructive results will follow for years, until the burned districts become covered with vegetable growth sufficient to lessen the surface flow and surface washing. The new growth will cause a large percentage of the rainfall to pass into the soil, to be available later in a more constant stream flow. The topography of Southern California and Arizona is such that at best much of the rainfall flows off in immediate floods. Even during the most favorable seasons the streams vary greatly in their volume of flow. The mountain covering must be cared for and extended ; burned areas, and regions otherwise denuded, must be protected from sheep, and in some places even from horses and cattle. This is necessary in order that growth may spring up as quickly as possible, to take the place of that destroyed. Wherever the new growth is slow in starting from lack of seed, the seeds of the common chap- arral of the neighborhood should be sown, andoccasionally artificial reforesta- tion should be undertaken. All expenditure of time and money in improving the forest cover by reforesta- tion is of little value unless provision is made for a reasonable degree of security against forest fires. Equal provision must be made at least in the mountains of Southern California and Arizona for the restriction of sheep grazing, which should be absolutely prohibited in the forest reserves of this district. As a specific instance in illustration of July, the destructive effects of grazing the forest reserves in Central Arizona may be cited. Many of the streams which flow into the Salt River have their sources in these reservations. Whenever sheep have been driven there in large numbers, the farmers of the Salt River Valley have suffered material injury from the canals and laterals filling with sand and silt. Not only do sheep crop to the ground and kill much of the smaller plant life, but their sharp hoofs so cut up the soil that much of it washes from the rocks, causing injury to agricultural interests. All of the southern mountains are scantily supplied with soil. There is no sod to bind to the rocks what httle soil there is. A scattered growth of mixed vegetation constitutes the cover of a great part of the mountain region. After a destructive fire or excessive sheep graz- ing, all of these localities become prac- tically barren, and incapable of support- ing, for a long period, more than a very limited amount of vegetation. When the scanty covering of vegetable mold and soil is swept into the valleys by the first rains, a half century must elapse, under normal conditions, before rocks have disintegrated to form a new soil, to be held in place by the slow growth of fu- ture vegetation. Some of the burned mountain districts of Southern California have been so ruined that little of the original soil re- mains in place. Inthese mountains the raintall flows as it does from the roofs of houses. Recent investigations have shown that, in some localities, fully ninety per cent of the precipitation flows off as surface water. Having in mind the great value of for- est cover to those who dwell in arid re- gions, the question of the best method of reforesting denuded areas is of first im- portance. Artificial reforestation is ex- pensive, and in but few places is it prac- ticable. This is particularly true of mountain sides previously swept by fire, as well as in instances where original vegetation has been badly injured by — ——. 1899. grazing. Onthe other hand areas which were once wooded will again become wooded if protected from fire and stock and left to Nature. A destructive fire will undo all that a quarter of acentury has accomplished in the way of natural reforestation; while close cropping by cattle and sheep, for a long series of years, may prove almost equally destructive. After carefully studying the open groves of California the opinion is forced upon one that they are the direct result of man’s activity. In a recent journey over the California Sierras, north of Lake Tahoe,* I was impressed, in pass- ing over the hydraulic gold regions, by the natural reforestation taking place where, less than fifty years ago, the nat- ural surface was so torn and changed by hydraulic mining that the land was prac- tically denuded of itstimber. Bush and tree alike were torn from the hills ; chap- arral and manzanita were uprooted. Finally valleys and mountain sides, for miles in extent, were as barren as the open desert. Soil sufficient tosupport vegetation has been brought by wind and flood to the hydraulic pits, and to the open gashes in the mountain sides, which were originally cut down to bedrock. Half-grown pines and other trees, intermixed with chap- arral and bush, already hide the desola- tion wrought a half century ago. One of the finest examples of reforest- ation that this country affords is on General Bidwell’s ranch at Chico, Cali- fornia. Forty or more years ago, when General Bidwell acquired this ranch, *See June FORESTER. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 147 much of it was covered with isolated specimens of large wide-spreading Live Oaks, the individual specimens averag- ing more than four feet in diameter. These trees, growing from five to ten rods apart, formed an open grove, no- where making what might properly be termed a forest, Forty acres of this area was fenced and protected from ‘fire and stock. As .a result there grew up a dense growth of young Oaks of the same species. Dur- ing the past forty years this growth has produced one of the most uniform and thickly wooded Oak forests in America. The trees, tall and straight, grew close together, and are from one to two and one-half feet in diameter. Theystandin marked contrast to the heavily branched old trees nearby. The frontispiece in this issue of THE Forester, reproduced from a photograph by G. B. Dornin, of San Francisco, has attracted attention because of its splen- did illustration of the process of natural reforestation in the high Sierras. As this region was a forest originally it will revert to its former condition if protected from fire and excessive grazing, and left to natural conditions. Under such circumstances, in a few more generations, this entire section of country will show but little effect of the early gold miner, at least so far as forest cover is concerned. But the process is a very slow one. Successful reforesta- tion in the West and Southwest, when the chief desideratum is forest cover, will depend almost entirely upon affording adequate protection upon the lines indi- cated. ifr W. TouMEY. 148 THE FORESTER. July, The Redwood Forest of California. BY THE GEOGRAPHER OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, As one who makes a pilgrimage to the old English abbeys, the traveler through the great Redwood forests of the Pacific Coast seems to stand transfixed by the silent grandeur of the place. He finds himself in one of Nature’s cathedrals, with a high, o’erarching roof of foliage, supported by great tree columns, while the dim{twilight of the scene suggests COURTESY OF home of these tree-giants. with its shadowy recesses and a stillness which suggests the possibility of dryads confronting one at any moment, will ap- preciate in greater measure the almost supernatural conditions existing in the Tis The densest forest on earth is, in all probability, the Redwood forest, of the Pacific Slope, as measured by the amount re ey % sf Ba i NATL. GEOGRAPHIC MAG. REDWOOD FOREST, SHOWING DENSITY OF GROWTH. the stained glass windows of the preten- tious edifices built by man—remarkable in their conception and execution, yet less wonderful than the marvelous forest temple of the lordly Redwood. In a Redwood forest the sun never shines—it is always twilight. Those who are acquainted with the beautiful deep-green of the Pine forest, as found in various parts of the East and South, per acre of merchantable timber—that is, of timber suitable for the saw-mill. As I said in an article in the Wational Geo- graphic Magazine, it is not merely the size of the trees which accounts for this, —although even in this State of large things they are exceptionally large—but it is the number of trees on each acre. The closeness of stand of Redwood trees is as remarkable as its habitat is 1899. peculiar. It is found only in a narrow strip, closely hugging the Pacific Coast, and extending southward from the south- ern part of Oregon through Northern California nearly to the Bay of San Fran- cisco. It is practically extinct in regions further south, where it doubtless existed not many centuries ago, and there are not more than about 1,000 acres of these trees in Oregon. So it will be seen the present habitat is limited. The densest forests are found in Hum- boldt County, where the Redwood strip, which includes the westernmost of the coast ranges, averages ten to twelve miles in width. The greatest breadth is in Mendocino County, where it extends for twenty miles. gion of heavy rainfall in the Winter, and of fogs which sweep in from the Pacific at all seasons of the year. It is a very moist, temperateregion. Both of these conditions seem to be essential to the growth of the species. Redwood is so called because of its COURTESY OF = REDWOOD LOGS LOADED FOR SHIPMENT, AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. Its entire habitat is a re- 149 color, which, when freshly cut, is a bright, though not deep, red, changing to a brown-red when thoroughly sea- soned. The wood is soft, with a rather coarse, straight grain. Itiseasy to work, quite as much so as our Eastern White Pine. It contains practically no resin, but a large amount of water, which makes the green wood so exceedingly heavy that often the lower log of a tree will sink in water. Botanically, the Redwood (Seguota sempervirens) 18 a brother of the big trees (Sequoia gigantea) of the Sierra Nevada, the two species being the sole living rep- resentatives of the genus Seguwoza. It is a cousin of the Cedars, which it resem- bles in many respects, in habit and ap- pearance, in bark and foliage. It is an immense tree, larger than the Fir of Washington, but not as large as the Big Tree of the Sierra. It often attains a height exceeding three hundred feet and a butt diameter of fifteen feet. It rarely branches low, but almost invariably NATL. GEOGRAPHIC MAG. 150 shows a Straight, fluted trunk, perfectly symmetrical, rising with a slight taper for two hundred feet to the lower branches. The bark is covered with thin flakes of epidermis, lying parallel to the stem. The foliage is dull green in color, fineand drooping. Itis amost beautiful tree, both in form and color. There is one cause of destruction from which this tree is entirely exempt—that is, fire. Containing no pitch, but on the other hand, a large amount of water, it will not burn when green. No fire can run in a redwood forest. We shall, beyond reasonable question, have the use of our supply of redwood; shall not have the pain of seeing tt go up in smoke. It is the only one of our coniferous lum- ber trees which is thus exempt. THE FORESTER, July, The best lumber and the heaviest growth is everywhere in the valleys and on the flats. On the hillsides the trees are smaller and not so close. Nowhere is there any young growth. When the timber has been cut there is no sign of reproduction from seed. In many localities sprouts are growing from stumps in the cut areas, but even this form of reproduction is limited. Indeed, everything appears to indicate that for some reason, probably a pro- gressive drying of theclimate, the present environment is not favorable to the growth of redwood, and that with the clearing away of the present forests the end of the species as a source of lumber will be at hand. Henry GANNETT. The Trend A Hopeful Sign. The agitation for the protection of our forests is bearing fruit in almost every direction. The State of Massachusetts continues to set an excellent example for the rest of the country by reserving large tracts of land, which possess great natu- ral beauty, for the enjoyment of future generations. Greylock, the noble moun- tain in the northwestern corner of the commonwealth, was threatened with the loss of its charms a few years ago by the reckless assaults of lumbermen, who saw in the extensive forests along its slopes only so much wood. Happily, there were public-spirited citizens who recognized the shame which it would be to their gen- eration if these mountain-sides should be swept bare, and a movement was organ- ized which, with the co-operation of the Legislature, ended in the permanent ac- quisition for the community of a great tract of land. Greylock being secure, Wachusett, a fine mountain near the center of the State, next invited attenticn, and the State will soon come into possession of 10,000 acres of Thought. of land there, covering not enly the sum- mit, but alsoits approaches on every side. The readiness of a democracy thus to spend large sums of public money in the interest of beauty and taste is one of the most hopeful things in the development of our institutions.—Editorial, Vew/ort, Tinea) SIV CIOS: Moderation in All Things. ‘¢Timber is like wheat or any other crop. If we wish to harvest it again and again on the same land we must grow it there. The timber limits are practically fixed by the immutable laws of climate, and particularly of rainfall, and our forest resources therefore are not inexhaustible. With our enormous population and vast demand for lumber it is easy enough to denude thousands of square miles and to destroy the supply of the most desirable woods faster than unaided nature can re- place them. But if we treat our forests half as well as we treat the other forms of vegetable and animal life that enrich us, they are just as inexhaustible as the cattle on our plains or the fishes in our lakes and rivers.”’—V. Y. Sun. : 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 151 The Restoration of Mountain Covering. A comment on the trees available, their characteristics, growth and habitat. BY THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE FOREST AND WATER ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CAI, The mountains, undisturbed by the work of the woodman, or the scourge of forest fires, or the depredations of do- mestic animals, benefit mankind not only by furnishing a natural water supply at all times of the year, but by increasing that supply under certain conditions, which, when taken away, result in droughts and a general wasting away of the most productive soil. Few people now fail to appreciate this great value of the mountains to our pros- perity. But there are not so many who are convinced that the forest covering must be preserved. Where fire has burned off the natural covering, the denuded area should be replanted at once without wait- ing for the slow processes of Nature. In many cases the fire has been so severe that the roots of every tree and bush have been killed and the seeds con- sumed. The soil which has been so many years in accumulating has also been con- sumed, or, if it does remain, is in danger of being washed away by storm water. An occasional desert wind will scatter a few seeds where they will take root, and the birds will also give some help. But while we are waiting for the mountains to be reclothed by Nature’s process alone, the rains will go wasting to the sea, and all interests in Southern California suffer to an alarming extent because of the destruction of the trees and brush by fire. This is more particularly true of the San Gabriel range, owing to its greater area being so precipitous. Thus it is of the utmost importance to the people de- pendent upon water from this source to protect the growth, and, where it has been destroyed, to replant as soon as possible: It would hardly seem possible to get any plant or tree to grow on the steep, soil- less slopes of our mountains, especially facing the South, where the heat is in- tense during all the Summer months. But Nature has provided the possible means; it is for us to learn how to use such means to advantage. The Tuberculata Pine is but little known because it is soseldom found. It is the most dignified evergreen we have, and it is extremely selfish, for it holds its cones of seeds as long as it lives, never voluntarily giving them up; and when the seeds are liberated, they, unless helped, are not planted far from home, owing to their not having a wing as most conifers. They thrive from 1,500 to 4,500 feet ele- vation at this latitude. A fine lot of them can be seen growing on the south slope of the San Bernardino Mountains, along the City Creek stage road, and here, too, can be seen the power of these trees, which is greater than any other ever- green known, to resist fire. The foliage is light green. At the age of seven or eight years the tree begins to bear cones, noton the branches, but on the main axis, and as they never fall off or open while the trees live, a grove of any considerable size will produce a great many seeds. As many as 100 cones are often seen on a tree apparently 35 years old and each mature cone has 125 seeds. As the tree grows older the cones grow out from the older limbs as well as from the main axis. This Pine isa long-lived tree and, bar- ring fire and man, has littletofear. Even long droughts do not prevent their reach- ing the age of 300 years, and many reach- ing the height of 75 feet. John Muirsays the tree is admirably adapted to the fire- swept regions, where alone it is found. After a grove has been destroyed, the ground is at once sown lavishly with all the seeds ripened during its whole life, and a young grove immediately springs up. The seeds seem to be held in store for just such a calamity as this. Oftentimes these trees are referred ta 152 as the fireproof evergreen. Of course there is no conifer that is strictly fire- proof, but this tree resists fire to a greater extent thanany other known. In my care- ful observation I find that where groves have been sown thickly, so as to occupy all the ground, they have resisted fires that have apparently come with great force. Where trees have been destroyed by fire, it has been where they grew sparsely and where there has been an abundance of chaparral and other similar inflammable growth. By planting the seed carefully, sys- tematically, and a uniform distance apart, nearly all this danger from fire is re- moved, for in ten or fifteen years the en- tire surface of the mountain is shaded so that nothing else will try to grow, and the rains will no longer go madly rush- ing to the sea, but will be returned to us bountifully during the summer months, through the various subterranean and surface channels. The higher altitudes, where the growth has been burned, must also be restored, and Nature again offers abundant seed of the tree which is best adapted and which will bring the best results. This is the big tree of California, the ‘‘Se- quoia Gigantea.”’ The Yellow and Sugar Pines will also do well, in the higher al- titudes, as we see them in the San Ber- nardino mountains, but none will so quickly and effectively cover our higher mountains as the Sequoia. In reply to the question, ‘‘ What are its relations to climate, soil and the as- sociated trees?”, John Muir, in his cele- brated work on the ‘‘ Mountains of Cali- fornia,’”’ says of the Sequoia: «« All the phenomena bearing on these questions also throw light upon the pecu- liar distribution of the species, and sus- tain the conclusion already arrived at on the question of extension. In the North- ern groups there are few young trees or saplings growing up around the failing old ones to perpetuate the race, and in- asmuch as these aged Sequoias, so nearly childless, are the only ones commonly known, the species, to most observers, seems doomed to speedy extinction, as THE FORESTER, July, being nothing more than an expiring remnant, vanquished in the so called struggle for life by Pines and Firs that have driven it into its past strongholds in moist glens, where climate is excep- tionably favorable. ‘‘But the language of the majestic con- tinuous forests of the South creates a very different impression. No tree of all the forest is more enduringly established in accordance with climate and soil. It grows heartily everywhere in moraines, rocky ledges, along water-courses, and in the deep, moist, alluvial meadows, with a multitude of seedlings and sap- lings crowding up around the aged, seem- ingly abundantly able to maintain the forest in prime vigor. For many old storm-stricken trees, there is one or more in all the glory of prime; and, for each of these, many young trees and crowds of exuberant saplings. So that if the trees of any section of the main Sequoia forest were ranged together according to age, a very promising curve would be presented, all the way up from last year’s seedlings to giants, and with the young and middle-aged portion of the curve many times longer than the old portion. Even as far north as the Fresno, I counted 536 saplings and seedlings grow- ing promisingly upona piece of rough avalanche soil not exceeding two acres inarea. This soil bed is about seven years old and has been seeded almost simultaneously to Pines, Firs, Ibocedrus and Sequoia, presenting a simple and instructive illustration of the struggle for life among the rival species ; and it was interesting to note that the conditions thus far affecting them have enabled the young Sequoias to gain marked ad- vantage. ‘In every instance like the above I have observed that the seedling Sequoiais capable of growing on both dryer and wet- ter soil that its rivals, but requires more sunshine than they; the latter fact being clearly shown, wherever a Sugar Pine or a Fir is growing in close contact with a Sequoia of about equal age and size, and equally exposed to the sun; the branches of the latter in such cases are always 1899. less leafy. Toward the south, however, where the Sequoia becomes more exu- berant and numerous, the rival trees be- come less so; and where they mix with Sequoia they mostly grow up beneath AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 153 Sugar Pines which lay crumbling be- neath them, an instance of conditions which have enabled Sequoia toccrowd out the Pines. ‘TI also noted eighty-six vigorous sap- COURTESY OF NATL. GEOGRAPHIC MAG. A TYPICAL FOREST SCENE. them, like slender grasses among stalks of Indian corn. Upon a bed of sandy flood-soil, I counted ninety-four Sequoia, from one to twelve feet high, on a patch of ground once occupied by four large lings upon a piece of fresh ground pre- pared for their reception by fire. Thus fire also furnishes bare virgin ground, one of the conditions essential for its growth from the seed. Fresh ground is, 154 however, furnished in sufficient quantities for the constant renewal of the forests without fire, viz., by the fall of old trees. The soil is thus returned and mellowed, and many trees are planted for every one that falls. Landslidesand floods also give rise to bare virgin ground, and a tree now and then owes its existence to a burrow- ing wolfor sguirrel. But the most reg- ular supply of fresh soil is furnished by the fall of aged trees. ‘‘The climatic changes in progress in the Sierra, bearing on the tenure of the tree life, are entirely misapprehended, especially as to the time and the means employed by nature in effecting them, It is constantly asserted in a vague way that the Sierra was vastly wetter than now, and that the increasing drought will of itself extinguish Sequoia, leaving its ground to other trees supposed to be capable of flourishing in a dryer climate. But that Sequoia can and does grow on as dry ground as any of its present rivals, is manifest in a thousand places. ‘Why then,’ it will be asked, ‘are Sequoias al- ways found in greatest abundance in well watered places where streams are ex- ceptionally abundant ?’? Simply because a growth of Sequoias creates these streams. ‘«The thirsty mountaineer knows well that in every Sequoia grove he will find running water, but it is a mistake to sup- pose that the water is the cause of the grove being there: on the contrary the grove is the cause of the water being there. Drain off the water and the trees will remain, but cut off the trees and the water will vanish. Never was cause more completely mistaken for effect than in the case of these related phenomena of Sequoia woods and perennial streams, and I confess that at first I shared the blunder. ‘‘When attention is called to the method of Sequoia’s stream-making, it will be apprehended at once. The roots of this immense tree fill the ground, forming a thick sponge that absorbs and holds back the rains and melting snows, allowing them only to ooze and flow gen- tly. Every fallen leaf and rootlet, as THE FORESTER. July, well as long clasping roots and prostrate trunk, may be regarded as a dam, hoard- ing the bounty of storm clouds, and dis- pensing it as blessings all through the Summer, instead of allowing it to go headlong in short-lived floods. Evapo- ration is also checked by the dense foli- age to a greater extent than by any other Sierra tree, and the air is entangled in masses and broad sheets that are thickly saturated ; while thirsty winds are not allowed to go sponging and licking along the ground.”’ There are many reasons to justify the assertion that the tree would flourish in our mountains of Southern California, from 4,000 to 9,000 feet elevation. . What a thing of beauty our mountains would be if thus planted, and that in a com- paratively few years, and the problem of a water supply for our homes and farms would be solved forall time. The work, of course, should be done by the Federal Government, through all the semi-arid regions, but communities that are suffer- ing for water should move in the work, and the Government will soon take it up. A system of scientific forest culture, such as is now being developed by the Gov- ernment, will doubtless secure as excel- lent results for America as other coun- tries have attained in Europe. The Silver Firs, Abies, Concolor and A. Magnifica, the most beautiful native conifer, will grow and thrive in the higher elevations, but not in poor soil, or on steep, hot slopes. An occasional group of these beautiful, fern-like trees would add much to the attractiveness of the forests, and no other tree grows so compact, or so long shelters the snow from melting. The Ponderosa or Silver Pine is found more generally both as to altitude and latitude, below the great Redwood belt of Northern California. The Ponderosa forms at least two-thirds of all the conif- erous forests, and reaching as they do, away over the high plateaus of Arizona. It is useful for lumber, but is not so use- ful as some others, as a covering for our mountains, mainly because of its lack of density of foliage. ‘ qe 1899. The Sugar Pine, the king of all the Pines, does not take kindly to our South- ern mountains, while through the middle and northern Sierras, it is a close rival of the Sequoia in size and perfection of shaft, far outstretching its relative, the Ponderosa. With us it takes second place to the Ponderosa. Doniphany ajier Charles Jones, Edwin Colby Lewis, and William P. Haines. With W. W. Ashe, Forest Expert of the Division of Forestry, in North Caro- lina: A. EB. Ames, A.-E, Gohoon; ja Caldwell, Jr., and H. McC. Curran. In the office of the Division of Fores- try at Washington: Treadwell Cleve- land, Jr. 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 161 Conservation and Restoration. The Proposed Leech Lake Forest Re- serve, [linnesota. With the idea of providing the State of Minnesota with a public park reserve, larger, more easily accessible, and almost as beautiful as the Yellowstone National Park, a plan is being formulated, for in- tended legislative action, regarding the Leech Lake country in Minnesota. The balsamic forests of that region are said to have healing powers not found elsewhere, on account of which the lo- cality has been suggested as the site for a large sanitarium for wounded and dis- abled soldiers, for whose support the Government spends a largé sum annu- ally, in various States. The suggestion is made that these in- valids, besides being greatly benefited in health, could act as guards in the pro- posed forest reservation, making the plan not only feasible, but extremely practi- cable from a financial view-point. The plan was originally suggested by Colonel John S. Cooper, of Chicago, who has been enthusiastically advocating the movement until its success now seems more than a mere possibility. Lumbermen and Charcoal [lakers— Next ? The growth of popular interest in for- est conservation has been very marked during the past year, but even the most enthusiastic advocates were hardly pre- pared to hear that lumbermen and char- coal makers—the destroyers of the for- ests—are now taking steps to administer their forests as permanent investments. A Minnesota lumberman, E. L. Reed, of Anako, has determined to apply forest principles to a tract of one thousandacres of Pine lands in Mille Lacs County, ac- cording to a recent article in the A/znne- apolis Journal. Other owners of forest tracts in the same State have also deter- mined to adopt conservative methods, and are taking advantage of the offer made some time ago by the Division of Forestry of the Department of Agricul- ture. This plan provides, as heretofore announced, for examining forest and woodlands, and outlining a scheme of scientific administration with a view to the preservation of the forest as a whole, while yielding an annual revenue. The preliminary examination of these tracts has already been made under the direction of Horace B. Ayres, special agent of the Division of Forestry. Even more significant are the applica- tions which have come from charcoal makers in the upper peninsula of Michi- gan, who desire to begin a system of economical management of woodlands from which they procure wood for the charcoal kilns. After years of burning without thought of preserving the source of supply, they have become alarmed, and want to make the remaining lands furnish annual crops. The Enthusiasm of Conviction. Former Mayor T. P. Lukens, of Pasa- dena, Cal., an evergreen seed-grower of twenty-five years experience, intends to spend the greater part of the Summer in the mountains at Pine Lake, where he has built a log cabin, and will devote his time to forest investigation. He will col- lect seeds of the Pinus tuberculata, take them out by fire, and plant them in the Fall in the burned districts above Pasa- dena. In the absence of Government aid, Mr, Lukens intends to give a per- sonal object lesson in support of his views. A Significant Showing. The applications from private land- owners to the Division of Forestry of the Department of Agriculture for a scientific administration of their wood- lands, under the recent offer of the De- partment, represent a total of one and one-half million acres. 102 THE FORESTER. Recent Legislation. New York. A victory for those in favor of forest conservation was gained in New York State in the early part of June, when the Court of Appeals, in session at Albany, affirmed the decision of the lower courts declaring unconstitutional a forest law in dispute. This law was passed by the Legislature of 1894, making Moose River and its tributaries public highways for the floating of logs and timber. W.S. de Camp, a large landowner, brought the suit against Lemon and Edward Thompson, lumber- men, who had cut 19,000,000 feet of lumber. As the decision prevents taking this out, except at considerably increased expense, it is believed the landowners’ victory will be a permanent one. In the new rules adopted by the New York State Civil Service Commission, and approved by Governor Roosevelt, the offices of fire inspectors of the Forest Preserve Board are transferred to the ‘competitive class,” by which appli- cants are made subject to examination under the classification of ‘skilled laborers.”’ Governor Roosevelt has signed a bill authorizing the expenditure of $30,000 for Beaver Park, Albany. Massachusetts, A plan has been proposed to enlarge and improve the grounds around the Massachusetts State House soas to form apark. The Governor, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House are the committe on a proposal to defray the expense by issuing $2,000,000 of four per cent forty year bonds. The Massachusetts Legislature has appropriated $200,000 this year to be used in fighting the gypsy moth, which is very injurious to Elm and other trees. The Massachusetts House has voted to appropriate $600,000 for the purchase by the State of Nantasket Beach and its conversion into a public reservation. Pennsylvania. A bill authorizing the purchase: of timbered lands for State forest reserva- tions whenever there are available funds. in the treasury for that purpose, has passed the Legislature and has been approved by Governor Stone. Under the safeguards provided there is no necessity for delay awaiting special legis- lation for each instance of a new pur- chase. The advantage of this provision cannot well be overestimated, as it will enable the State Forest Commission to establish reserves without the hin- derance of the customary official red tape. Michigan. The. Governor of Michigan has ap- proved Senate Bill No. 101, providing for a permanent commission on forestry, a review of which was published in the June Forrester. The commission ap- pointed by him consists of Hon. Arthur Hill, of Saginaw; Hon. Charles W.-Gar- field, of Grand Rapids, and Hon. Wil- liam French, of Alpena, Commissioner of the State Land Office, ex-officio. The bill which was introduced into the Michigan Legislature to create the office or Fire Warden, failed of enactment. It was planned to model the law on the lines of that enacted in Massachusetts in 1894. Though encountering a set- back in this defeat, the friends of the pro- posed measure hope to arouse sufficient public sentiment to pass the bill at. the next session of the legislature. The main provisions are that the Gov- ernor shall appoint a State Fire Marshal, who shall hold office for a period of two years, and shall maintain an office at Lan- sing, and whomay beremoved for cause at any time. This marshal or warden shall appoint two deputies, one of whom shall reside in the upper peninsula. The fire chief of Detroit is also constituted a deputy, as is the fire marshal or chief in every city or village in the State. Super- visors of townships shall also be depu- ties. 1899. Minnesota. Under the new forest reserve law, pro- viding for a State Board of Forestry, the Minnesota State Forestry Association has chosen Judson N. Cross as its repre- sentative on the board. Colorado, At arecent meeting of the State Board of Agriculture, resolutions were adopted directing the preparation and circulation of bulletin leaflets containing plans and suggestions for the ornamentation of grounds by tree-planting, etc. Though intended primarily for the improvement of school-house grounds and country homes, it is certain that the effect of such bulletins will be far-reaching in other directions as well. Washington. The reorganization of the forest re- serve service in Washington provides for one State Superintendent instead of two as before ; four Supervisors instead of three, and a large force of rangers to guard against forest fires during the dry season. The State Superintendent’s salary has been reduced from $2,000 to $1,000 per annum. ‘The Supervisors are placed in charge of the different squads of rangers and are paid $5 a day salary, $1.50a day subsistence, Sundays included, and all traveling expenses. The Supervisor’s salary thus amounts to about $2,000 per annum. From 60 to 75 rangers will be employed, half of them having gone on duty June 1, and the remaining ones on July 1. Their salary will be $60 a month, out of which they must supply their own outfit and subsistence. Representative D. B. Sheller has been appointed Superintendent. E. B. Hyde, of Spokane, one of the former Superin- tendents, is one of the new Supervisors. He has charge of that part of the Wash- ington reserve lying east of the Cascade Mountains, together with the strip of the Priest River reserve which extends into Washington, and has headquarters at Spokane. Supervisor Matheson has charge of Mt. Rainier Reserve, with AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 163 headquarters at North Yakima. Super- visor Ham is in charge of the Olympics, with headquarters at Tacoma. Super- visor Hulbert has charge of the western part of the Washington Reserve, and is stationed at Everett. Canada. After official inquiry into the subject, the Canadian Government has decided not to issue permits to cut timber on Dominion lands along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains and the foot- hill country adjacent thereto south of Bow River, and to preserve the timber as far as possible from being destroyed, with a view of securing a permanent supply of water for irrigation purposes. Nova Scotia. At the recent session of the Nova Scotia Legislature E. McDonald, M. P. for Pictou, introduced in the House of Assembly a bill designed to protect work- men employed by lumbermen, The bill was passed there but was defeated in the Legislative Council. Itis known as the ‘¢Woodmen’s Lien Act,” making wages a first lien upon the forest product to the exclusion of all other claims except those of the Dominion Government, and will be reintroduced at the next session of the Legislature. A movement was recently made to con- solidate all the Cypress lumber mills of Louisiana and Mississippi into a ‘‘ trust,” but it fell through, says Bradstree?’s, sim- ply because all the mills have orders ahead for almost the entire output, con- siderable trade coming from Cuba and Porto Rico. Wooden pavements are common in Paris, made of blocks 4.7 by 5.9 inches, of Landes Pine, with some of the principal thoroughfares laid with Ameri- can Pitch Pine. The latter is said to have been employed with marked suc- cess. It is estimated that up to 1897 over three million dollars had been ex- pended by that city for wooden pave- ments.—American Lumberman. THE FORESTER. July, Reign of the Fire King. Forest Fires in Washington. While cruising in the vicinity of the headwaters of the Lewis and Sispus between Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helen, last August, I saw the destruc- tion by fire of a great quantity of very valuable timber. At that time fifty sec- tions of heavily-timbered country were totally devastated by fire within forty- eight hours. I would estimate the tim- ber thus destroyed to be from 40,000 to 50,000 feet per acre. The loss approxi- mated 1,280,000, 000 feet of first-class Fir timber, which, when worked up into lum- ber, would amount to not less than ten millions of dollars in value. A fire en- tailing such losses would be considered a great disaster in any part of the country. This is but one instance among many— in fact, there are miles and miles of that country that have been thus destroyed. There are evidently several causes for these fires. First, the Indians purposely set fires where the brush is so thick as to interfere with hunting; secondly, the sheep men cause these conflagrations to make better pasturage on the sheep ranges ; and, thirdly, prospectors and travelers through the country are often careless of their camp-fires. Something, indeed, must be done at once if the forests of the higher lands of the Cascade range are to be saved from the destroying brand. It is necessary not only to have a stringent law, but it must be strictly enforced. If nothing is done to save this great wealth of forest at once, it will soon be too late. Under the existing inactivity on the part of the Gov- ernment and State to preserve these for- ests, the end of the next ten years will see the bulk of the timber on the high- lands destroyed. This, of course, en- dangers the lower lands also, and will soon be the cause of inroads on the tim- ber of the valleys. Rivers, hs Coxe Chenowith, Wash. Forest Fires in Oregon. Much of the loss occasioned by the disastrous forest fires of recent years in Washington and Oregon is undoubtedly due to the indifference and carelessness of settlers. In my personal experience one man, J. B. McDonald, admitted on the witness stand that, after having cleared off an old burn of about two acres, he had set fire to the debris, and that at dark he had put it in shape so as not to spread to the adjoining forest, but that about 100’clock that night, noticing a bright light, he went up to the clearing and discovered that the fire had crept into the timber; that before it was extinguished ten mil- lions of first-class Fir was destroyed. The man said that his two acres, when cleared for the plow, were not worth ten dollars. The difference between the two amounts represents the premium on his carelessness and the cost of the experi- ence to the State. It is perfectly awful to go through the forests of Oregon and Washington and see the waste caused by needless fires. The statements of ‘‘boomers”’ regarding the immense forests in these States are gross exaggerations. The lands origi- nally covered by forests have been so burned over that I do not believe 40 per cent of the timber remains—perhaps not 30 per cent. J. B. Montcom_ry, Portland, Oregon. Swift Punishment of an Incendiary. Lowville, N. Y.—Henry Kennedy, of Watson, was arrested by Sheriff Geo. Denslow and brought before Justice J. C. Bardo for examination. The charge is setting forest fires in the town of Watson. He entered a plea of guilty. He was fined $25 or twenty-five days in jail, and not having the necessary funds was com- mitted to jail. 1899. PE -FORES TER. A MONTHLY MAGAZINE Devoted to Arboriculture and Forestry, the Care and Use of Forests and Forest Trees, and Related Subjects. ANNOUNCEMENT. THE ForesTER is the Official Organ of The American Forestry Association, Hon. JAMEs WILson, Sec’y of Agriculture, President. THE OFFICE OF PUBLICATION IS No. 17 Corcoran Building, Washington, D. C., where all communications should be addressed. The subscription price is One Dollar a year, and single copies are sold at ten cents. Make all checks, drafts, etc., payable to THE FORESTER. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. Attention is called to the arrangements for meetings of the American Forestry Association, as given in the pink slips enclosed in each copy of this issue. An unexpected demand having exhausted the supply of complete files of THE ForEsTER, Vols. I, II, and III, the management will deem it a great favor to them, and more especially to those who have applied for the early volumes, if subscribers who have extra single copies or files, which they are willing to donate or sell to the Association, for the spread of forest in- formation and interest, will kindly write to this office, stating volume, number, and how many copies they will forward, in order to fill out in- complete files now in stock, The laudable efforts of many public-spirited men in the West, who have been energetic in arousing public sentiment for the care and pres- ervation of the forests, have lately been de- cried by a newspaper writer who holds other views. While not denying the perfect right of every individual to hold whatever views appeal to him, THE ForeEsTER feels an interest in pre- senting to its readers this month several able comments on the cerservation and restoration of forests. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 165 The August ForeEsTER will contain a full ac- count of the Los Angeles meeting of the American Forestry Association, with a num- ber of the leading papers read at its sessions. This will be an important issue. It is gratifying to the editor of THE ForRESTER to be in receipt of commendatory articles from various parts of the country, in reference to Tue Forester and its contributors of the last few months. Theaim of the management will be to present facts with such official authoriza- tion as will make all its articles recognized as worthy of unquestioned acceptation. It is encouraging, therefore, in an age of sharp criticism, to find that the opinions expressed in THE ForESTER meet with the hearty approval of those who are in 4 position to know the facts. In prefacing a review of Mr. Bailey Willis’ ar- ticle on ‘‘Mount Rainier” from the May For- ESTER, the Seattle (Wash.) Post-Jntelligencer says: ‘Mr, Bailey Willis has written for the May number of THE ForesTER an article describing Mount Rainier National Park, and suggesting various modifications in the boundaries, which might profitably be given wider circulation. The descriptive portion of the article is the sort of material which the Information Bureau re- cently formed in this city might find advan- tageous to distribute. Theadventures of moun- tain-climbing frequently form the most seduc- tive inducements possible to be put before tourists; and Rainier, with its peculiar combi- nation of iceand forestry, would commend itself to an unusually large range of explorers and ex- ploiters. A pamphlet, well compiled and hand- somely illustrated, containing the interesting data of Mr. Willis’ article, could but find alarge range of interested readers.” Mr. Willis, through his connection with the United States Geological Survey, has become known as an authority on matters pertaining to the physiography and glacial phenomena of the Northwest. He first visited Mt. Rainier in 1881 when he explored a large part of Wash- ington and Oregon, especially the Cascade Range, during a feriod of three years, becom- ing thoroughly familiar with the entire region and repeatedly ascending the famous mountain at its most difficult points. He has visited there three times since, and in 1896, with Prof. Rus- sell and several associates, reached the summit of Mt, Rainier up the northern slope—this being the only authenticated trip ever made by this route THE FORESTER. July, 166 A Further Increase. Since the announcement, in the June Forester, of the large increase in the membership of the American Forestry Association during a single month—May— further applications have come in with hardly any diminution in the ratio of increase, notwithstanding the advent of torrid weather and the vacation season. [But for the fact that the July ForesTreR appears in advance of the usual date of publication— on account of the conventions of the National Educational Association and of the American Forestry Association at Los Angeles—it is more than likely that the marked increase announced last month would have been duplicated in the present issue. Life Member. D. H. Holmes, ‘‘ Holmesdale,” Covington, Ky. Annual Members. W. P. Allen, 711 Lincoln Ave., St. Paul, Minn. Dr. A. A. Angell, Tryon, N. C. Frank Hilliard Brooks, St. Johnsbury, Vt. Henry Deering, Box 938, Portland, Me. Lewis G. Farlow, 61 Franklin St., Newton, Mass. William French, Silver City, N. M. E. S. Gosney, Flagstaff, Ariz, Charles H. Green, Rochester, Vt. Samuel Hartsel, Hartsel, Park Co., Colo. Miss Clara Hersey, 315 Walnut Ave., Rox- bury, Mass. D. Blakely Hoar, Brookline, Mass. Rosewell B. Lawrence, 73 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. John B. Mason, Princeton, Mass. W.S. Melick, Pasadena, Cal. James Sturgis Pray, 27 Everett St., Cam- bridge, Mass, Walter Retzer, 436 La Salle Ave., Chicago, Ill. Paul Schneider, Bedford, Ohio. C. R. Smith, Menasha, Wis. William E, Strong, Tryon, N. C. Henry F. Tapley, 194 Congress St., Boston, Mass. E. S. Thacher, Nordhoff, Cal. H. A. Unruh, Arcadia, Los Angeles Co., Calk Charles S. Westcott, Malden, Mass. Charles S. Wheeler, 532 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. Lucien Wulsin, Cincinnati, Ohio. CHIPS AND CLIPS. ‘‘ Dead green” is the description given of much lumber being shipped lately. The price of Hemlock in New York is said to have reached the best figure in its history. ‘«‘There are no soft spots in the Pine trade,” is the way a lumber contempo- rary describes the situation. The season’s lumber drive in Maine, by the Kennebec Log Company, is re- ported as one hundred million feet. A lumber firm has bought an entire township in Maine, and will manufac- ture a hardwood tape for improved pegg- ing machinery. The raft-towing from the Georgian Bay District to Michigan will aggregate less than seventy-five million feet this year, according to a recent estimate. A considerable trade is said to have been developed in cedar posts for man- ufacture into paving blocks, creating a scarcity in that grade of article. 1899. A Russian firm has been making ex- tended inquiries regarding firms in a position to supply railway sleepers and wood blocks suitable for paving pur- poses. The heaviest sale of hardwood timber in the history of Emmet County, Mich., was recently made, consisting of 36,000 acres, the total consideration being placed at $52,000. Export orders of Cypress ties are being figured on at New Orleans in lots of 250,000 for Cuban purchasers. Under the recent ruling, these ties will be ad- mitted free of duty. A lumberman’s marine insurance com- pany has been incorporated with a capi- tal of $50,000 at Norfolk, Va., in conse- quence of disagreements with the general insurance companies. The timber on 30,000 acres of hard- woods at Algoma, W. Va, is about to be cut at the rate of 35,000 feet per day. It is estimated that five years will be ‘spent in finishing the tract. One and one-half million feet of lum- ber has already been delivered in Phila- delphia for the buildings of the Com- mercial Museums’ Exposition of Amer- ican products and manufactures. The timber on a tract of virgin forest in Mississippi, 23,000 acres in extent, heretofore reserved for United States naval purposes, was offered for sale at the highest bid filed by the middle of June. A special commissioner, recently sent to San Francisco by the Philadelphia Exposition of American Manufactures and Products, has secured the promise of a California exhibit, including nuts and raisins. A large tract of Pine, situated on the north shore of Lake Superior, has been purchased, it is announced, to be rafted to AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 167 Ashland, Wis. The timber will amount to about two hundred and fifty million feet and is the first large amount of Min- nesota timber to be brought to the Ash- land mills to be sawed. The Ontario Department of Forestry has received inquiries from Great Britain regarding the quality of Birch timber to be found in Canada. There is said to be a good demand in Great Britain for Cana- dian Birch for furniture manufacture. A consolidation of all the interests of a number of West Virginia timber pro- ducers, including U. S. Senator Stephen B. Elkins and all the mills on the W. Va. Central & Pittsburg Railroad, has been rumored for some time, but lacks confirmation. An American company, composed largely of Pennsylvania ‘capitalists, has invested in extensive timberlands, under- laid with minerals, in Honduras, Central America. About 40,000 acres of land have already been purchased for devel: opment. Three Scotch lumbermen, from Crieff and Montrose in the Land of the Thistle, have been touring Michigan to acquire general information touching their busi- ness. Besides having interests in Eng- land and Scotland, they are factors in the lumber trade of Sweden. A short time ago there was recorded at Davis, W. Va, the largest trainload of logs ever brought into that place. The cargo was West Virginia Spruce and consisted of thirty-seven trucks, loaded and unloaded and hauled a distance of twenty miles—all within twelve hours. A valuable tract of land in Mississippi, well timbered, has been sold to New York lumbermen for immediate devel- opment. The purchase includes Yazoo Delta lands, of rich alluvial bottoms, which are regarded very highly, and will be good farming tracts, it is said, when the timber is cut. 168 A. W. Belding, for four years forest ranger of the Biscotasing district of On- tario, under the Canadian Government, died suddenly several weeks ago. He was an expert lumberman previous to his official service. The passing of the axe-man from the Michigan and Wisconsin fields to the South, is becoming something hke an exodus. Among other recently an- nounced purchases by Northern lumber- men is a tract of 160,000 acres of Pine timber lands in Calcasieu Parish, Lou- isiana. One of the leading forest experts in Scotland. M. Malcolm Dunn, died re- cently. He wrote frequently upon for- est, horticultural, and literary topics af- fecting Scotland. For many years he had been in charge of the grounds of Dalkeith Palace, one of the Scotch es- tates of the Duke of Buccleuch, Four hundred million feet of standing Pine in Lake County, Minn , have been sold to former U. S. Senator Vilas and Col. J. H. Knight, of Wisconsin, for one million dollars. Thesale is one of great importance to the prosperity of the towns bordering on Lake Superior, and North- ern Wisconsm in general. The aggressive and successful prose- cution of a pulp and paper company for pollution of the Potomac River, has led to the formation of a board of trade by residents of Piedmont and Iuka, W. Va., and Western Port, Md., near by, to pre- vent opposition to lumbering enterprises which may be induced to locate there. The consolidation of the interests of five Michigan lumbermen, and the capi- talization of a company at $550,000, is announced, for the purpose of buying and selling lands and timber, principally in the Parishes of Calcasieu, Vernon, and Rapides, Louisiana. The present holdings amount to 143,000 acres, for which an aggregate amount of $900,000 was paid, THE FORESTER. Se July, The successful propagation and growth of forest trees is admirably exemplified in the Farlington Tree Plantation, in Crawford County, Kansas. After nearly two decades of experimentation on two tracts of land, specially set apart for the purpose, there is ample evidence of what can be accomplished when scientific methods are employed. : The planting was completed hardly more than a dozen years ago and since then the only attention given to either of the tracts has been to keep out the:fire and to cut out the small inferior trees. ——— Forest Fires. Marquette, Mich.—Forest fires are burning north of Bessemer, the entire range being under a dense cloud fof smoke. =-4 pee aa Bangor, Me.—A fierce fire has raged in the woods along the line of the Mount Desert Branch R. R. near the Green Point road. North Eastham, Mass.—The forest fire in this section swept a territory of 1,600 acres, causing a loss of between $12,000 and $15,000. Brewer, Me.—A forest fire started on the Bar Harbor Railroad, at the top of Brewer grade, and burned fiercely ; but spreading into a dead woodland district little damage was done. Santa Fe, N. M.—Forest fires have recently done great damage in the Jemez and Via Mountains, destroying thousands of dollars’ worth of timber. The fires — can be seen for many miles. Kanab, Utah.—Three immense forest fires swept Buckskin mountains, in. northern Arizona and southern Utah. | Over 100 square miles of timber on the - Grand Canon forest reserve were de- stroyed. Lewiston, Me.—A crew of twenty-one | men were sent by Street Commissioner | Murphy to the farms on the Noname 1899. road, to extinguish the forest fires there. They worked from noon to midnight be- fore beating back the flames. Clinton, Mass.—A forest fire burned in the woodlands along the Boylston Road, the territory affected covering Many acres, with ‘‘miles of flame.” There were no houses in the vicinity and no efforts were made to check the fire. Port Republic, N. J.—The fire men- tioned in the June ForesTeR, was the worst forest fire in this section in eight years. The flames at one time extended fifteen miles in width, and, with an unfa- vorable wind, would have threatened At- lantic City. Rockland, Me.—A terrible forest fire raged at Razorville, sweeping everything before it and damaging land and timber greatly. A stiff northwest breeze sprang up, driving away the fire fighters. No buildings had been destroyed, at last accounts. Buzzard’s Bay, Mass.—A fire which started in the Plymouth woods, near Bournedale, swept toward Plymouth, being aided by a heavy wind. A large force of men went out to fight the flames, and saved the immense cranberry bogs by flooding. Pueblo, Colo.—A large forest fire burned through a part of the Hardscrab- ble region, the best watered and best timbered portion of the Greenhorn range. The locality of the fire was several-miles north of Hardscrabble canon, and west of Wetmore. Hill City, S. D.—It is stated on the authority of H. G. Hamaker, Forest Supervisor for the Black Hills forest reserve, that fire in four different sections of the Southern Hills had destroyed large areas of valuable timber. In every instance the fire was started bya ranchman who was burning off old grass and brush on cleared lands. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 169 Sparrow Bush, N. Y.—The recent for- est fire on Hawk’s Nest Mountain killed some thousands of fine young trees on the bluff west of Butler’s Lock. A trip through the burned strip showed exten- sive loss. Several mountain farmhouses and barns narrowly escaped destruction. As the Port Jervis, N. Y., Gazette says: ‘‘The starting of such fires is a crime that ought to be punished.” Iron Mountain, Mich.—Northwest of this place a woodchopper left his camp- fire burning, and the wind, blowing a gale, fanned it into a conflagration. The flames spread both to the west and south. Another fire started near the compressor works on the Menominee River, south of this town, and burned standing Pine and. cut hard wood. Many farmers had narrow escapes from being burned out. St. John’s, N. F.—The village of Bay of Islands, a settlement on the West coast of Newfoundland, forming part of what is called the French Shore, was de- stroyed by forest fires the middle of June. Sixty-nine houses were burned and fifty- seven families are homeless. The French and British warships on the coast afforded assistance to the des- titute people until relief could be secured from the nearest towns. _ Rangeley, Me.—At ‘‘The Chain of Ponds” where there are large tracts of merchantable timber, a forest fire burned the supply-station of a large mill com- pany and swept through 1,000 acres of merchantable timber, some weeks ago. The lives of two hundred lumbermen were endangered. There was a northwest gale blowing, causing the fire to spread with great rapidity, with no possible means of checking it. The station-keeper, Wil- liam Mahoney, and his wife, escaped in safety. At Mooselookmeguntic another fire occurred. Two log booms burst and entailed a loss of $1,500. Five million feet of logs were included in the booms. DHE FORESTER: July, Recent Publications. A Primer of Forestry, Part I.—Gifford Pinchot. A simple book on forestry in the United States has long been needed—a book that could be readily used in schools and yet one thorough enough to serve as a basis for advanced work later on. Mr. Pinchot’s forthcoming volume is the first part of a book written for this very purpose, and for this reason merits a welcome from all who have sought in vain for such a help to elementary study. This account of the life of trees and forests is written in a light and very interesting way, yet contrives to tell all the facts and explain all the laws of forest growth which are not too abstract and difficult for the aim in view. It. consists of four chapters. The first chapter tells of the habits of a tree; how it lives, and gains food, and breathes. The second chapter shows how numbers of trees live when they are grouped together in a forest. When this hap- pens the trees are no longer able to follow their separate inclinations, but commence at once to fight with one another for the required amount of sunlight and growing space. ‘There begins that competition between one tree and another, and between one kind of tree and another kind, which lends so much interest to the history of the forest. Yet in spite of the struggle that is going on for survival, the trees are, oddly enough, bound together in mutual helpfulness, in this way re- sembling not a little the members of a human community ; so that the sharpness of the ri- valry is softened, andthe tree that wins, claims our true admiration. Crapter three is of special interest. It is de- voted to the story of a forest crop through all its long and gradual growth from the seedling to the mature tree. At first the young trees start on nearly an equal footing ; but before long they crowd up against one another, and their branches interfere, so that the sunlight is shut out from the leaves, and the least advan- tage of faster growth quickly gives some trees the means of overtopping tne rest, leaving the latter to starve and die while they stretch up to gather strength and bulk for the next stage in the struggle. This fight is rep2ated until the trees have reached their full height, when, being unable to develop a larger crown of leaves above them, they resort to growing sideways, so that their branches again interfere with those of their neighbo:s. All this while the trees are grow ing in three ways—in height, thickness and vol- ume—and it is shown how there comes a time when the trees can be cut or harvested with more profit than at any other time. The final chapter deals with the enemies of the forest. Fire comes first in importance, The author describes how fires arise and how they are best prevented orextinguished. Next in order comes sheep grazing, which, besides. being a frequent cause of destructive fires, is a menace to the forest in many other ways, such as the tearing of the soil on hillsides, the tramp- ling or devouring of seedlings, and the like. Then there are insects without number, cattle, horses, swine, snow and wind—a whole army against which the forest battles more or less. strenuously all its life. But if Nature were left to herself, as was the case before the intrusion of man into the depths of the virgin forests, a very great part of all this damage now being done to the forest would never happen. Man has been the worst enemy of the woods. Independently of the fires which his interest: occasion, there is ]um- _ bering which, as now conducted, despoils the forest, and benumbs or destroys its growing power for long periods. ‘The Forest” is rendered doubly attractive to the general reader, and doubly useful for the end which it is written to serve, by its plentiful illustrations. There are forty-three full-page illustrations and eighty-seven more in the text. They consist almost entirely of photographs taken in the forest. The greater number were secured expressly for the book, while all elucidate various points of the expo- sition, The photographsof the different phases of forest life are remarkable for the clearness with which they show the contrasting stages. of growth, distinct forest types, the effects of fire, grazing and wind, and the characteristics. of many species of trees. In addition there are a number of photographs showing the parts. of a tree, such as cones, roots, bark, and, par- ticularly, the wood itself. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. ORGANIZED APRIL, 1882. INCORPORATED JANUARY, 1897. OFFICERS FOR 1899. President. Hon, JAMEs Witson, Secretary of Agriculture. First Vice President. Dr. B. E. FERNow. Corresponding Secretary, F. H. NEWELL. Recording Secretary and Treasurer. GEORGE P,. WHITTLESEY. James WILson, CHARLES C, BINNEY. B. E. FERNow. HENRY GANNETT. GEORGE W. McLAnaHAN, EDWARD A. Bowers. ARNOLD HAGUE. GIFFORD PINCHOT, Directors. F, H. NEwELt. GrorGE P, WHITTLESEY. Vice Presidents, Sir H.G. Joy DE LoTsinizreE, Pointe Platon, Quebec. CHARLES C. GEORGESON, Sitka, Alaska. CHARLES Monr, Mobile, Ala. D. M. Riorpan, Flagstaff, Ariz. Tuomas C. McR4eg, Prescott, Ark. AxssotT KINNEY, Lamanda Park, Cal. E. T. Ensicn, Colorado Springs, Colo. RoBert Brown, New Haven, Conn. Wo. E. CHANDLER, Concord, N. H. JOHN GIFFORD, Princeton, N, J. EpwarpD F, Hosart, Santa Fe, N. M, WarrEN Hictey, New York, N. Y. J. A. Hotes, Raleigh. N. C. W. W. Barrett, Church’s Ferry, N. D. REUBEN H. Warpber, North Bend, Ohio. WiILuiaM T. LitTLez, Perry, Okla. E. W. Hammonp, Wimer, Ore. FREDERICK V, CovILLE.. Wo. M. Cansy, Wilmington, Del. A. V. CLusss, Pensacola, Fla. R. B. RepparD, Savannah, Ga. J. M. Coutrer, Chicago, II]. James Troop, Lafayette, Ind. Tuos. H. MacBripeE, lowa City, Iowa. J. S. Emery, Lawrence, Kans. Joun R. Proctor, Frankfort, Ky. Lewis JoHnson, New Orleans, La. Joun W. Gaxkrett, Baltimore, Md. Joun E. Hosss, North Berwick, Me. J. D. W. Frencu, Boston, Mass. W. J. Beat, Agricultural College, Mich. C. C, ANDREws, St. Paul, Minn. WILLIAM TRELEASE, St. Louis, Mo. Cuar.es E. Bessey, Lincoln, Neb. J. T. RotHrock, West Chester, Pa. H. G. RussE.1, E. Greenwich, R. I. H, A. Green, Chester, S. C. Tuomas T, WRIGHT, Nashville, Tenn. W. GoopricH Jones, Temple, Texas. C. A. WuitTine, Salt Lake, Utah. REDFIELD Proctor, Proctor, Vt. D. O. Nourse. Blacksburg, Va. EpMmunND S. Meany, Seattle, Wash. A. D. Hopkins, Morgantown, W. Va. H. C. Purnam, Eau Claire, Wis. Etwoop Meap, Cheyenne, Wyo. GrorGcE W. McLanaHuan, Washington, D.C Joun Craic, Ottawa, Ont. Wm. LitTLe, Montreal, Quebec. Lieut. H. W. Frencu, Manila, P. I. The object of this Association is to promote : 1, A more rational and conservative treatment of the forest resources of this continent. 2. The advancement of educational, legislative and other measures tending to promote this object. 3. The diffusion of knowledge regarding the conservation, management and renewal of forests, the methods of reforestation of waste lands, the proper utilization of forest products, the planting of trees for ornament, and cognate subjects of arboriculture, Owners of timber and woodlands are particularly invited to join the Association, as well as are all persons who are in sympathy with the objects herein set forth. THE FORESTER. THE INCREASING INTEREST in the history of American forests and the efforts that have been made for their conservation, development, and use, has led THE ForESTER to secure, for the benefit of its readers, a number of complete sets of the “Proceedings of the American Forestry Congress” and “Proceedings of the American Forestry Association” covering a period from December, 1888, to December, 1897. These issues include many valuable papers on forestry as read at the various annual meetings throughout the country during the years named, including the sessions in WASHINGTON, QUEBEC, ATLANTA, GA., BROOKLYN, N. Y., SPRINGFIELD, MASS., ASHEVILLE, N. C., NASHVILLE, TENN., and the WORLD'S FAIR CONGRESS IN 1893. Those who desire a complete library to keep pace with the rapidly advancing interest in forestry can hardly afford to be without these valuable pamphlets. The complete series, covering the years named, will be sent postpaid to any address in the United States at the following prices: In one large volume Handsomely bound in red cloth, with gilt lettering and re-enforced corners : : 3 $2.00 Just as durablv but less ornately, in green . 1.75 THE FORESTER will endeavor to supply separate pamphlets upon application, at a uniform price of 25 cents, whenever complets sets will not be broken thereby. For any further information address THE FOREBSstee WASHING LON eee. Kindly mention THE ForESTER in writing. THE FORESTER. ‘Valuable . . . cannot fail to be of the ‘““The sections are marvels of mechanical greatest practical assistance.’—-Revzew of dexterity . . . most interesting.’—MVew Reviews. York Times. || HOUGH’S “AMERICAN WOODS.” PUBLICATION on the trees of the United States illustrated by actual specimens of the woods, showing three distinct views of the grain of each spe- cies, with full explanatéry text. (Sa@- ples of the spectmens used, 10 cents.) “Exceedingly valuable for study. A work where plant life does the writing and no one can read without thinking.” — G. A. Parker, Hartford, Conn. ‘*Most valuable and the price reason- able.”’—Prof. C. E. Bessey, Lincoln, Neb. Preparations of Woods for Stereop- ticon and Microscope. Wooden Cross-Section Cards for fancy and business purposes. (Samples free.) Views of Typical Treesshowing habits of growth, Write for circulars, addressing R. B. HOUGH. 10 Collins St., Lowville, N. Y. PREPARATIONS OF WOODS FOR STEREOPTICON AND MICROSCOPIC VIEWS OF TYPICAL TREES, WOODEN CROSS-SECTION CARDS. H. J. KOKEN CC. P; HANCOCK WZ — High-Class Designs and Illustrations Half Tone and Line Engraving Brass and Metal Signs Rubber Stamps 7 TENTH STREET AND PENNA. AVENUE, WASHINGTON, D. C. Kindly mention Tue Forester in writing. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. BEREA COLLEGE, BEREA, KENTUCKY. A YEAR'S WORK IN FORESTRY IS OFFERED. — Local Forest Growth Affords Fine Facilities for Study. Z 661 ‘Er raquia}das suadg wiosy [ey Excellent Advantages at Moderate Expense. LINCOLN HALL, BEREA COLLEGE. ONES" MORTICULT URE "Se anen?® For full information address S. C. MASON, M. Se., Professor of Horticulture and Forestry. PY TRAE ee Consulting Forester, Mahwah, N. J. Kindly mention THE ForEsTER 1n writing. A ” THE STATE AND FORESTAY _ Vou. V. AUGUST, 1899. edeR rete cee a z Columbus, Ohio, August 22-23. This meeting is proposed in response to the invitation of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which meets at Columbus August 22-26. The local arrangements are in charge of Prof. William Lazenby, of the Ohio State Uni- versity, Columbus. The sessions will be held on August 22 and 23 at Room 1, Horticultural Hall. Persons wishing to attend have the advantage of all favors as to railroad rates, excursions, etc., arranged for by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Full information will be furnished by the Secretary, Dr. L. O. Howard, of Washington, D. C. Missoula, Montana, September 25-27. The close relations between forestry and irrigation make it especially suitable that this Association should accept the in- vitation to hold a meeting in connection with the National Ir- rigation Congress, which convenes at Missoula, Montana, on September 25. The immense forest reserves in and surrounding the Yel- lowstone National Park lend an additional attraction to this meeting. A committee of arrangements will shortly be appointed, an- nouncement of which will be made in THe Forester. Until further notice, information can be obtained from Mr. I. D. V. Donnell, Chairman Executive Committee, National Irrigation Congress, Billings, Montana. Papers. Members are earnestly and cordially invited to submit pa- pers on forest topics, to be read at one or another of these meetings. Those which cannot be presented by the writer in person may be sent to the gentleman in charge of the arrange- ments, as named above. Selected papers will be published in THE ForEsTER. —] 1.00 a Year. inn AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION: BEREA COLLEGE, A Yi Excellent Advantages at Moderate Expense. For fv THE STATE AND OnEoTAT Vou. V. AUGUST, 1899. rT The Forester A MONTHLY MAGAZINE devoted to the care and use of forests and ferest trees \\ to related \, \ Ab we ‘7 The American Forestry Association. PUBLISHED BY PSS OSS Price 10 Cents. $1.00 a Year. Mt COPYRIGHT, 18Q9, BY THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, Entered at the Post Office in Washington, D. C., as second class matte ees pcanior arerounine ri TABLE OF CONTENTS. FOREST FIRE DEVASTATION IN COLORADO.-..:-:seccssssssssmesssessscssseetsssenuneces asseareuent . Frontispiece SUMMER MEETING OF THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION\..u0.cccssssescssssscessstecesssee 171 i Proceedings of the Convention. ae (From the official notes of the Secretary. ) Report of the Committee on Resolutions. aan THE STATE (AND! FORESTRY oi. 100) SU it os ceca bek aati aetna ee a Ue tee 179 a An Address delivered at the Summer Meeting. : (Number One of the Series.) WATER (CONSERVATION, INS SOULS 200108 eg iO Oe Tk A es a a ee Oe 181 A Paper Read at the Summer Meeting. (Number Two of the Series.) NaturE’s (STORAGE RESERVOIRS 3000 Wee ge lk AUR aU ee eee ee 183 A Paper Read at the Summer Meeting. (Number Three of the Series.) A FOREST EXPERIMENTAL, STATION 202.020 2008 2) M0 SGI eae ees ek ede an Jot 185 A Paper Read at the Summer Meeting. (Number Four of the Series.) SUMMER MEETING NOTES ........ccccees Pa UN 0 UO PASSAIC Deane SUL UTMR LAL RS i) AN bea 188 Insect Enemies of Trees. Sight-Seeing on Tally-Hos. MRECENT (LCR GISLATION 3002 Na OU a AOE ee aD ae A A NE a 189 Minnesota. Michigan Canada. AN INTERESTING” (DISCOVERY .1050 0 AR WI Nese de Se EC a Aa es aa 190 SPRUCE PULP) FOR | NEWSPAPERS .2..4 het 0p a ST ar aC eed ae Sea 190 PRESERVATION OF PHILIPPINE ForESTS......-- PRIDE MMO ia TMI PUN Aka ik nL UNUM Igo EDITORIAL The Summer Meeting. Minnesota’s New Forest Reserve. The Need of Forest Legislation. Coming Issues of THE FORESTER. Chips and Clips—News Items. Surveying Forest Lands. Counterfeiting Nature. A Montana Conflagration, Canadian Incentive for Forest Study. The Signs of the Times. REcENT PUBLICATIONS AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. ? POmresS TRY SCHOOL Atos ied MOE eNi ne For circular and information apply to © A. SCHENCK] BE. D., Forester to the BILTMORE ESTATE The Foremost School for Young Women a oe IN’ AMERICAGe = ATIONAL PARK SEMINARY is named from its proximity to the great National Rock WD Park, recently purchased by the Government and designed to become the most beauti- ful reservation of the National Capital. This whole region is marvelously beautiful and picturesque with its combination of forest, stream, hill and dale. It rises gradually from the City of Washington till at Forest Glen the Seminary stands on an eminence four hun- dred feet above the level of the city. Forty acres of sunny slopes and wild ravines, towering trees and winding paths, babbling brooks and tangled dells, combine to form a site seldom rivaled in varied and inspiring scenery, where the beautiful ts utilized to develop character. The altitude of its location precludes possibility of malaria. The equable climate, free from the rigors of a northern winter promotes health by inviting out-door sports. The building itself crowns the highest hill and was erected and equipped at an expense of $80,000; it has a frontage of two hundred and seventy-five feet, with three large center halls thirty by forty feet on each floor, which afford a charming rendezvous for student life; heated by steam and lighted by gas, with bath rooms plentiful and sanitary arrangements complete. The house is situated so that every room gets the sun at some time during the day. The close proximity to the National Capital, with all the educational and social advan- tages appertaining to such a residence, offers wonderful facilities to its pupils. The Seminary is within twenty minutes of the heart of the city and, with twenty trains daily, besides electric cars, easy access is afforded to all the Libraries, Museums, Departments of Government, Con- gress and Foreign Legations. These with the official and social life of the National Capital offer opportunities for profitable study. The course of study is planned to produce womanly women. There are twenty-two teachers and the limited number of pupils permits of much personal attention and individual instruction foreach. Health zs a matter of first consideration always. There are no nerve- straining examinations, ‘Thirty different States represented among the pupils, bringing together the daughters of representatives families throughout the entire Union. The Seminary’s watchword: ‘‘ We consider text-book training only a part of our work as educators. We shall be satisfied with nothing less than the development of the whole being.” The yearly expenses at National Park 4 Address are $350 to $500. Early application is neces- sary. Catalogue giving views of the school § J. A. CASSEDY, Principal, and opinion of enthusiastic patrons will be sent on application. P. O. Box 100. Forest Glen, Md. Kindly mention THE Forester in writing, THE FORESTER. HENRY ROME: The First Established and [ost Complete Newspaper Cutting Bureau in the World. Mo Fiftleas Avemue. New York. Established London 1881, New York 1884. Branches: London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney. ‘The Press Cutting Bureau... which I established and have carried on since 1881 in London and 1884 in New York, reads, through its hundreds of employes, every newspaper and periodical of importance published in the United States, Canada and Europe. It is patronized by thousands of sub- scribers, professional or business men, to whom are sent, day by day, newspaper clippings, collected from all these thousands of papers, referring either to them or any given subject... . Henry Romeiice @&,. 110 Fifth Avenue, New York. Kindly mention THE ForeESTER in writing. “OD INF LLYN The Forester. vou. V. AUGUST, 1899. No. 8. The American Forestry Association. A Notable Summer Meeting at Los Angeles. FROM THE OFFICIAL NOTES OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ASSOCIATION, The American Forestry Association held a special Summer Meeting at Los _ Angeles, Cal., on July 1g and 20. The arrangements were made by Mr. Abbot Kinney, Vice President for California, and were admirable in every respect. Prior to the date of the meeting the newspapers of Los Angeles and other towns in the State made frequent mention of the coming convention, both in their news and editorial columns, emphasizing strongly the importance of the subject and the value of an expert discussion of it. The sessions were held in Assembly Hall, 330 South Broadway. At 8 o’clock on Wednesday evening, July 19, the convention was called to order by Mr. Kinney, in the absence of the President of the Association. The hall was comfortably filled and the audience manifested deep interest in the proceedings. Among those present at this and other sessions were: Abbot Kinney, Vice President for California and President of the Forest and Water Society of Southern California; Gifford Pinchot, Forester of the U. S. De- partment of Agriculture; F. H. Newell, Hydrographer U. S. Geological Survey; William G. Kerckhoff, Vice-Pres. Forest and Water Society of Southern California; _W. H. Knight, Secretary Forest and Water Society of Southern California; Hon. W. S. Melick, former. member of the State Legislature; J. B. Lippincott, U. S. Geological Survey; H. Hawgood, Consulting Engineer; S. M. Woodbridge, Ph. D.; Prof. W. R. Dudley, of Stanford University; James D. Schuyler, Consulting En- gineer; F. H. Olmsted, City Engineer; Fred Eaton, mayor of Los Angeles; T. 5S. Van Dyke; Elwood Mead, Irrigation Expert, U. S. Department of Agriculture; George H. Maxwell, Chairman National Irrigation Association; A. J. McLatchie, University of Arizona; T. P. Lukens, Pasadena; C. M. Heintz, Editor Rural Californian; Lucius A. Booth, Oakland; C. L. Cory, Berkeley; N. W. Blanchard, Santa Paula; ‘James Boyd, Riverside; J. A. Lippincott, Philadelphia; C. G. Baldwin, Clare- mont; Prof. L. J. Stabler, University of Southern California; Capt. G. G. Mullins, rye2 THE FORESTER. August, U, S. A. (retired); Mary B. Moody, New Haven; Edgar W. Camp, Esq., Los Angeles; J. W. Mills, Pomona; E. F. C. Klokke, Los Angeles; Charles E. Rich- ards, Los Angeles; A. Campbell Johnson, Los Angeles; Ad. Petsch, Los Angeles; William F. Burbank, Los Angeles; C. E. Rhone, Los Angeles; Wallace W. Ever- ett. Editor Wood and Iron, San Francisco; Prof. M. H. Buckham, President Uni- versity of Vermont; Lew E. Aubury, Mining Engineer, Delegate from the Cali- fornia Miners Association; O. S. Breese, Manager Wining and Metallurgical Journal, Los Angeles (also Delegate from the California Miners Association); Charles H. Shinn, Berkeley, Collaborator, Division of Forestry, U. S. Department of Agricul- ture, and Inspector of Experiment Stations of the University of California; C. A. Colmore, Foreman Santa Monica Experiment Station, California; George P. Whit- tlesey, Washington, D. C., Recording Secretary and Treasurer of the American Forestry Association; W. Goodrich Jones, Temple, Tex.; Charles A. Keffer, Mesilla Park, Ariz.; Samuel B. Green, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.; Col. Adolph Wood, San Bernandino, Cal.; Charles S. Swisher, Washing- ton. D.C: Mr. Kinney welcomed the Association to Southern California, this being its first meeting on the Pacific Coast. He pointed out that the presence of persons from many parts of the Union showed a live interest in the subject of forestry, a subject which he regarded asa matter of vital importance to California, a question of expansion under our own flag. “ pine, ea we Excellent Advantages at Moderate Expense. LINCOLN HALL, BEREA COLLEGE. aYFae'™ HOKTICULTQRE “Stn? For full information address S. C. MASON, M. Se., Professor of Horticulture and Forestry. FF, R.o Mit Vee. Consulting Forester, Mahwah N43 Kindly mention THe Forester 1n writing, FORE PROBLEM IN THE Weal Vor. V. SEPTEMBER, 1899. iT he Forester A MONTHLY MAGAZINE devoted to the care and use of forests and forest trees and .) to related subjects. OS < WO a ll The American Forestry Association. SS OE: Price 10 Cents. $1.00 a Year. 14 i) COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, Enterediat the Post Office in Washingtor, D. C., as second class matter. PORTO RIAN = MINNESOTA'S TABLE OF CONTENTS. GROVE OF WILD CHERRY TREES IN NORTH CAROLINA cccssscccscccssssessesctscsssseen Frontispiece. — Tue Uniren States (FOREST RANGER SYSTEM ccosscctiercerctdesmpredrieealetdnien ninco 195 An Official Review. By the Commissioner of the General Land Office of the Depart- ment of the Interior. f THE FOREST PROBLEM IN THE: WEST 3. ee a a A Paper Read at the Summer Meeting. : (Number Five of the Series.) By the President of the Forest and Water Society of Southern California. Minnesota’s ProposED New NaTIONAL PaRK RII ens he UAELOE ibe ( E 204 Formation of a Forest Association. 4 PORES’ CONDITIONS “OF [PORTO WRICO sh Oa a a ea 206 First Paper—Conditions affecting Forest Growth. (By courtesy of the Secretary of Agriculture.) i ONTARIO (FOREST RESERVE 6 occcccc ccc e canada dn 9 8 UN) RR Se ne 210° i. THE AMERICAN \FoRESTRY ASSOCIATION! ...c00.000 ou ae fae APES) UBS Maa 211 )a A Special Meeting at Columbus, Ohio. | CURRENT (COMMENT 200001000 oe oe a OU ONC Ea pe Ucar 212 Results will Compensate. ., Investigation of Red Fir. A Popular Parasite. POREST PROTECTION fi 2.0002 GS A ae eA Sn Nae a 213, q Minnesota’s Example. Forest Fire Laws in Pennsylvania. An Enlightened Policy. The Dawn of Success. iH) BUDYTORVPAT rei ca ae EI eee freee ay HEME SENS ALND MARU, Adel) 21 5 i ; Interest in New Colds Possessions. j An Announcement of Interest. Live Features of Coming Issues. Chips and Clips—News Items. Forest Fires In Three States. The Power of Public Sentiment, Aboriginal Simplicity. An Alaskan Enterprise. A Relic of Old Manila. A Friendly Suggestion. RECENT PUBLICATIONS .cccsecessccsosssssesses 34 AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. POR ST TRY =SeHOoLt At BILTMORE N. C. For circular and information apply to G2A; SCHENCK Enh.. D., Forester to the BILTMORE ESTATE The Foremost School for Young Women =... IN AMERICAU~ ATIONAL PARK SEMINARY is named from its proximity to the great National Rock WD Park, recently purchased by the Government and designed to become the most beauti- ful reservation of the National Capital. This whole region is marvelously beautiful and picturesque with its combination of forest, stream, hill and dale. It rises gradually from the City of Washington till at Forest Glen the Seminary stands on an eminence four hun- dred feet above the level of the city. Forty acres of sunny slopes and wild ravines, towering trees and winding paths, babbling brocks and tangled dells, combine to form a site seldom rivaled in varied and inspiring scenery, where the beautiful zs utilized to develop character, The altitude of its location precludes possibility of malaria, The equable climate, free from the rigors of a northern winter promotes health by inviting out-door sports. The building itself crowns the highest hill and was erected and equipped at an expense of $80,000; it has a frontage of two hundred and seventy-five feet, with three large center halls thirty by forty feet on each floor, which afford a charming rendezvous for student life; heated by steam and lighted by gas, with bath rooms plentiful and sanitary arrangements complete. The house is situated so that every room gets the sun at some time during the day. The close proximity to the National Capital, with all the educational and social advan- tages appertaining to such a residence, offers wonderful facilities to its pupils. The Seminary is within twenty minutes of the heart of the city and, with twenty trains daily, besides electric cars, easy access is afforded to all the Libraries, Museums, Departments of Government, Con- gress and Foreign Legations. These with the official and social life of the National Capital offer opportunities for profitable study. The course of study is planned to produce womanly women. There are twenty-two teachers and the limited number of pupils permits of much personal attention and individual instruction foreach. Health zs a matter of first consideration always. There are no nerve- straining examinations, Thirty different States represented among the pupils, bringing together the daughters of representatives families throughout the entire Union. The Seminary’s watchword: *‘ We consider text-book training only a part of our work as educators, We shall be satisfied with nothing less than the development of the whole beng.” The yearly expenses at National Park + Address are $350 to $500. Early application is neces- in sary. Catalogue giving views of the school } A | eg Vie CASSEDY, Principal, and opinion of enthusiastic patrons will be sent on application. P. O. Box 122. Forest Glen, Md. Kindly mention THE ForRESTER in writing. THE FORESTER. HENRY ROMEIKE, The First Established and [ost Complete Newspaper Cutting Bureau in the World. 10 Pitta vy ciiue New York. Established London 1881, New York 1884. Branches: London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney. ‘The Press Cutting bureau. which I established and have carried on since 1881 in London and 1884 in New York, reads, through its hundreds of employes, every newspaper and periodical of importance published in the United States, Canada and Europe. It is patronized by thousands of sub- scribers, professional or business men, to whom are sent, day by day, newspaper clippings, collected from all these thousands of papers, referring either to them or any given subject... . Ficnry Romici=e @, 110 Fifth Awenue, New York. Kindly mention THE ForesTER in writing. easy | centane. i WILD CHERRY (PRUNUS SEROTINA), IN NORTH CAROLINA. GROVE OF A d for making fine furniture. ing an ish A very valuable timber for inside furn The Forester. Vor Vv. SEPTEMBER, 1899. No. 9. The United States Forest Ranger System. An Official Review of the National Forest Reserves and their Administration. BY THE COMMISSIONER OF OVX bebs, Much has been written as to the theory of forest preservation and the resulting benefits, but little is known, to the general public, of the administra- tive details in connection with the ob- jects in view. It may be of interest, therefore, to the readers of THE For- ESTER to be informed of some of the machinery which experience has thus far shown to be necessary and practicable. In the eleven States and Territories of Mxazona, Calitornia, Colorado; Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyo- ming there are 36 forest reserves, con- taining an aggregate area of about 46,- 000,000 acres. These reserves are divided into nine districts, each having a general officer, known as a Forest Superintendent, in charge. Each dis- trict is divided into supervisors’ dis- tricts, the number depending on the number of reserves, total area and diffi- culties of supervision, as affected by topography and liability to fires and depredations of all kinds. For each of these supervisors’ districts there is ap- pointed an officer called a forest super- visor, who has direct charge of the re- serve ora portion of a reserve forming his district. There are 39 such super- visors’ districts. Each reserve is di- vided into patrol districts, the size of THE GENERAL DEPARTMENT LAND OFFICE OF THE INTERIOR. each patrol depending upon topography and the liability to fires and depreda- tions; and a forest ranger, whose head- quarters shall be at some central point in his subdivision, 1s appointed for each such district. There are 350 patrol districts, or rangers’ subdivisions, in the 36 reserves. Two hundred and fifty rang- ers for immediate duty were authorized May 2, 1899, to serve until October 15, 1899. One hundred additional rangers were authorized to enter upon duty July I5, toserve until October 15,1899. The rangers report to the supervisors and are under their immediate supervision. The supervisors report to the superintendents and the superintendents report to the Commissioner of the General Land Office in Washington. The forest superintendents are di- rectly responsible to the Commissioner of the General Land Office for the proper administration of the reserves. They receive from the Commissioner all orders and instructions, and are required to see that they are carried out. The forest supervisor is responsible for the work pertaining to his district, and for the proper discharge of duties by the rangers, and reports to the superin- tendent. The respective duties of these officials are described in detail in the following pages. 196 THE FORESTER. The Superintendent. The forest superintendents are re- quired to post themselves thoroughly as to all the rules and regulations govern-— ing the reserve, as laid down in a gen- eral circular of instructions issued June 30, 1897, and reissued, with amend- ments, August 5, 1898; and to see that these regulations are enforced, to ob- serve the results of their operation and to report thereon. They are to obtain information against persons violating the provisions of the forest fire law, and report it to the proper United States at- torney, and to render all necessary assistance in their prosecution. They are to give special attention to the in- structions regarding forest fires and to co-operate with the supervisors in all large and important fires which are lia- ble to get beyond the control of the supervisors and their rangers, and, when necessary, to employ additional help to extinguish the fires. They are required to study the effect of sheep grazing upon the reserves ; to examine as to the question of the free use of timber and stone as provided by the regulations; timber trespasses ; lands in the reserves more valuable for mineral than for timber; areas in the reserves more valuable for agricultural than for forest uses. They also have charge of the appraisement of timber to be sold, and many other similar duties. They promulgate all orders from the Commis- sioner, and examine and pass upon all reports made to him by the supervisors and rangers. The Supervisor. The Supervisor must have his head- quarters in or near the reserve of which he Ms anchatee.. He must. familiares himself with all the conditions existing in his district, especially in regard to forest fires: He must see that notices of the forest-fire act of February 24, 1897, which are printed on cloth, are posted in conspicuous places in the reserve ; that all campers, hunters and others found in the reserve are duly warned as to their camp fires and their attention called to September, the fire act. They have immediate su- pervision of the rangers and are required to be in and through the reserve to see that the time of the rangers is fully occu- pied in. patrolling their districts, clearing up old trails, cutting new trails and per- forming their duties generally. They make weekly reports of daily service rendered, and monthly reports on the general conditions existing in the reserve. They also make detailed reports to the superintendent on forest fires, showing : First Class: The number of camp or small fires found left burning, which were afterward extinguished by the for- est officers or rangers. Second Class: The number of fires (not included in the first class) which had gained considerable headway before being located and extinguished. Total area, in acres, burned over; number of volunteers, if any, who aided; number of extra men hired, if any, to aid; total amount paid for the extra help; amount of other extra expense incurred (not in- cluding amount paid for extra help and for tools). Third Class: Number of large and im- portant fires requiring extraordinary ef- fort, time and expense to extinguish (not included in the first or second class), which were extinguished ; total area, in acres, burned over; number of volun- teers, if any, who aided ; number of ex- tra men hired to aid; total amount paid for the extra help ; total amount of other extra expense (not including amount paid for extra help and for tools). All Classes: Total amount expended during the month for tools, the dates of fires, the names and addresses of the par- ties responsible for their starting, the origin, the damage done, the probable market value of the timber burned and the effect upon the forest cover and water supply. The Ranger. The Rangers are required to be con- stantly on guard, to patrol their districts, to extinguish camp and other fires, to re- port to the supervisor all fires as indi- cated above, and to carry out their in- ee 1899. structions as prescribed by a general circular dated May 12,1899. They make monthly reports of daily service ren- dered, which reports are examined by the supervisors and superintendents and are then forwarded by the superintend- ents to the United States General Land Office. A ranger must provide himself with horse and equipment, while the Govern- ment furnishes him with the various im- plements necessary to open trails in the dense forest, to construct fire barriers and to extinguish and surround fires. Each ranger is provided with a nickel badge, which is worn as an evidence of his official authority. The official titles of the reserves and the men in charge of them are as follows : Arizona and New Mexico. The superintendent of the six reserves in Arizona and New Mexico is W. H. Buntain, of Santa Fe, New Mexico. These reserves have an aggregate area of 7,234,080 acres, consisting of, in Ari- zona, Grand Cafion, 1,851,520 acres; San Francisco Mountains, 975, 360 acres ; Black Mesa, 1,658,880 acres, and Pres- cott, 10,240 acres; in New Mexico, Pecos River, 411,040 acres; Gila River 2,327,040 acres. This district is divided into six super- visors’ districts, with Fred. S. Breen, of Flagstaff, Arizona, as Supervisor of the Francisco Mountains Reserves ; *W. P. Hermann, Flagstaff, Arizona, Supervisor of the Grand Cafion; Mathew H. Rowe, Showlow, Arizona, Supervisor of the Black Mesa; W. H. Thayer, Prescott, Arizona, Supervisor of the Prescott; J. B. Wilhoit, Pecos River, New Mexico, Supervisor of the Pecos River Reserve, and Albert S. Osterman, Silver City, New Mexico, Supervisor of the Gila River Reserve. Twenty-eight rangers were assigned to this district in May for immediate {Since the preparation of this article the death of Supervisor Hermann has been re- ported to the General Land Office. His former district has been placed temporarily under the direction of Supervisor Breen,—ED. ] AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 197 duty, and, on July 15, nine additional for the Arizona Reserves and five addi- tional for the New Mexico Reserves, making the total force of rangers for the Superintendent’s district forty-two. The twenty-eight first assigned were distributed as follows: Grand Cafion Reserve, 5; Prescott Reserve, none (the Supervisor acting as Ranger); San Fran- cisco Mountains, 8; Pecos River, 5, and Gila River, 5. The fourteen additional rangers were appointed as rangers-at- large, being assigned from time to time to such reserves as the Superintendent sees fit. Northern California. The Superintendent of the three re- serves in Northern California is Charles S. Newhall, of Fresno, Cal. These re- serves contain an aggregate area of 4,923,535 acres, and consist of the Stanis- laus Forest Reserve, 691,200 acres; Sierra Forest Reserve, 4,096,000 acres; and the Lake Tahoe Reserve, 136,335 acres. There are four supervisors’ districts, Withee ©. Bartlett. sballaceCaloamwas Supervisor of the Lake Tahoe Reserve, having also the general supervision of the Stanislaus, of which last-named Re- serve George Langenberg is the Super- visor in immediate charge, reporting to Mr. Bartlett, J. W. Dobson, Raymond, Cal., Supervisor of the Northern Divi- sion of the Sierra Reserve, and Harrison White, Visalia, Cal., Supervisor of the Southern Division of the Sierra Reserve. Twenty-six rangers were first author- ized, and 8 additional, on duty at large, for assignment to duty on July 15. Of those for immediate duty there were assigned to the Stanislaus 4, and to the Sierra Reserve 22. Southern California. The Superintendent of the five South- ern California reserves is B. F. Allen, of Los Angeles, Cal. These reserves con- tain an aggregate area of 3,784,594 acres, consisting of the Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake Reserve, with an area of 1,644,594 acres; San Bernardino, 737,- 198 THE FORESTER. 280 acres; San Gabriel, 555,520 acres; San Jacinto, 737,280 acres, and the Trabuco Cafion, 109,920 acres. They are divided into five supervisors’ dis- tricts, with B. F. Crawshaw, Santa Barbara, Cal., Supervisor of the West- ern Division of the Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake; Willis M. Slosson, Nord- hoff, Cal., Supervisor of the Eastern Di- vision of the Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake; W. A. Buick, San Bernardino, Cal., Supervisor of the San Bernardino, and W. A. Border, Los Angeles, Cal , Supervisor of the San Gabriel. The Trabuco Cafion and San Jacinto form the other supervisors’ districts over which Mr. Buick will soon assume juris- diction, a contingency caused by some special work, and Grant I. Taggart will take his place as Supervisor of the San Bernardino. Forty-five rangers in May and June, and 10 entering on duty July 15 were authorized. There have been assigned to the Western Division of the Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake 8; Eastern D1- vision of Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake, 8; San Bernardino, 8, and to the San Gabriel, 12. Colorado and Utah. The Superintendent of the five re- serves in Colorado and the two in Utah is W. T. S. May, of Denver, Colorado. These reserves have an aggregate area of 4,046,720 acres, comprising, in Colorado, the Battlement Mesa, 858,240 acres; Pike’s Peak, 184,320 acres; Plum Creek, £79; 200 (acres: South “Platte; 683,520 acres, and the White River Plateau, 1,290,000 Lacres,) In jUitah, the: “Bish Lake, 67,840 acres, and Uintah, 875,520 acres. This district is divided into seven su- pervisors’ districts, each reserve consti- tuting a district. E. C. Carter, Colorado Springs, Colo., is the Supervisor of the Pike’s Peak Reserve; Oliver T. Curtis, Debeque, Colo., of the Battlement Mesa; Stephen H. Standart, Pine, Colo., of the South Platte; Frank J. Steinmetz, Col- orado Springs, Colo., of the Plum Creek and White River Plateau, and George September, F. ,Bucher, .Coalvalle;s Witah; sof - the Uintah and Fish Lake reserves. Sixteen rangers were assigned in June for immediate duty, and 18 additional entered on duty July 15. Of the first- named on duty 2 were assigned to the Pike’s Peak Reserve, 2 to the Plum Creek, 3 to the South’ Platte: 2ate the the Battlement Mesa, 3 to the White River Plateau, 1 to the Fish Lake and 3 to the Uintah. Idaho. The Superintendent of those portions of the Bitter Root and Priest River Reserves lying in Idaho is James Glen- denning, of Grangeville, Idaho. This area consists of about 3,997,160 acres— about 3,456,000 acres of the Bitter Root and 541,160 acres of the Priest River Reserve being in this State. There are three supervisors’ districts, the Bitter Root having two. Benton Mires, Elk City, Idaho, is the Supervisor for the southern part of the Bitter Root, and W. D. Robbins, Grangeville, Idaho, for the north end. Robert S. Bragaw, Priest River, Idaho, is the Supervisor of the Priest River. Fifteen rangers were assigned for im- mediate duty—r1o0 to the Bitter Root and 5 to the Priest River Reserve. Eleven at large for duty from July 15 were authorized. ‘ Montana. The Superintendent of all the reserves in Montana is J. B. Collins, Missoula, Montana. These contain an area of 5,040,000 acres, comprising that portion of the Bitter Root Reserve lying in Mon- tana, with an area of 691,200 acres; the Flathead 1,382,400 acres; the Lewis and Clarke, 2,926,080 acres, and the Gallatin, 40, 320 acres. Each of these constitutes a super- visor’s District, John B. Weber, Hamil- ton, Montana, being the Supervisor of the Bitter Root Reserve in Montana; Gust Moser, Missoula, Montana, Super- visor of the Lewis and Clarke Reserve, and W. J. Brennan, Kalispell, Montana, supervisor of the Flathead Reserve. No eS eS 1899 supervisor for the Gallatin Reserve has yet been named permanently. Twenty-nine rangers were assigned to these reserves in June for immediate duty, 8 being for the Bitter Root, in Montana, g for the Flathead, 6 for the Lewis and Clarke and 6 for the Gallatin. There were also authorized for these reserves, 10n July 15, g ad- ditional rangers, for assignment to duty at the discretion of the Superintendent, making a total force of 38 rangers. Oregon. The three forest reserves in Oregon— the Cascade Range Reserve, area 4,492,- 800 acres; the Bull Run, area 142,080 acres, and the Ashland, area 18,560 acres, or an aggregate area of 4,653,440 acres—constitutea Superintendent’s Dis- trict, of which S. B. Ormsby, Salem, Oregon, is the Superintendent. There are three supervisors’ districts, the Northern Division of the Cascade Range Reserve and the Bull Run being under the supervision of W. H. Dufur, Dufur, Oregon; the Central Division of the Cascade Range forming another su- pervisor’s district, under Ralph b Dixon, of Roseburg; and the Southern Division and the Ashland another, in charge of Nat Langell, Jacksonville. Forty rangers were assigned for the entire season— 37 for the Cascade Range, 2 forthe Bull Runand 1 for the Ashland. South Dakota and Wyoming. The Black Hills Reserve, in South Dakota and Wyoming, the Teton, the Yellowstone National Park Timber Land Reserve, and the Big Horn Reserve, make a district of which C. W. Garbutt, Sheridan, Wyoming, is the Superin- tendent. The total area of these reserves Is 4,407,840 acres, the Black Hills, in South Dakota, having 1,166,080 acres, and in Wyoming 45,600 acres; the Teton 829,440 acres; the Yellowstone 1,239,040, and the Big Horn 1,127,680 acres. There are four supervisors’ districts. Charles Deloney, of Jackson, Wyoming, is the Supervisor of the Teton and that portion of the Yellowstone lying imme- AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 199 diately south thereof; A. D. Chamber- lain, Cody, Wyoming, is the Supervisor of the remainder of the Yellowstone Na- tional Park Reserve; W. N. Jackson, Big Horn, Wyoming, is the Supervisor of the Big Horn Reserve, and H. G. Hamaker, Custer, S. D., is the Super- visor of the Black Hills Reserve. Twenty-seven rangers—g for the Black Hills, 5 for the Yellowstone, 8 tor -thessbig’ Elorn and 5° for the Teton were authorized for immediate duty in June, and for duty July 15 9 additional for the Black Hills and g additional for the Wyoming reserves. W ashington. The Superintendent of the reserves in Washington is D. B. Sheller, Tacoma, Washington. These contain an aggre- gate area of 8,121,880 acres, comprising that part of the Priest River Reserve which lies in this State, area 103,960 acres; the Washington, 3,594,240 acres; the Olympic, 2,188,800 acres, and the Mount Rainier, 2,234,880 acres. The Washington and Priest River form a supervisor’s district, of which Edward Burin, Custer, Washington, is the Su- pervisor; F. C. Mathewson, of Shelton, is the Supervisor for the Olympic, and George McCoy, of Napavine, for the Mount Rainier. Twenty-three rangers—8 for the Wash- ington, 6 for the Olympic and g for the Mount Rainier—were authorized for im- mediate duty, and for duty on July 15 eleven more as rangers at-large. In concluding this review it may be proper to state that only persons physic- ally, as well as otherwise, qualified are selected for the position of ranger. Old age, indolence, weakness and intemper- ance are disqualifications which, when made known to the Department, will lead at once to the dismissal of the ob- jectionable ranger. These officers are the sentinels in the forest, and absence fromtheir post of dutyis not permissible. This regulation guarantees constant vigil- ance in the hour of fire peril or timber depredation. BINGER HERMANN. 200 THE FORESTER. September, The Forest Problem In The West. Being a Paper Read at the Summer Meeting, Los Angeles, Cal., 1899. (NUMBER FIVE OF THE SERIES. ) BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE FOREST The economic interest of the Ameri- can people in their forests everywhere, and especially in the West, is to preserve the integrity and water-holding power of the mountain water-sheds of the country. This is clearly the public interest, whether these mountain water-sheds could or could not support by their products and wise use asystem of management guaran- teeing the integrity of their water-hold- ing power. The public interest is both economic and humanitarian in preserv- ing the mountain forest covering. With- out forest preservation most of our re- maining wild public land districts cannot be settled, and districts already settled are likely to lose in man-sustaining power. This has occurred already over wide areas of the world from undue forest denudation, on the one side by the irregular or exhausted water supply and on the other by the destructive action of flood and torrent through sudden rain- fall delivery from bared areas. The proper preservation of forest balance does not require that ripe timber should not be cut, or that other uses, such as mining, should not be enjoyed. The interest and requirements of dis- tricts vary in what treatment of forested areas is most advantageous. In most of the West and in all of the Southwest, the conditions of topography, rainfall and climate exact the highest care and treatment of the comparatively small forested area, all of which in the South- west is on mountains or high plateaus only. In this district it were better, for the country and for its people, that no use should be made of forest lands or for- est products than to have the forests wasted and burned as at present is gen- erally being done. However, no such drastic remedy as the isolation of the forests from human AND WATER SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. use is necessary. .Under a proper and intelligent forest system -the integrity of the water-sheds can be safely maintained, and yet plenty of use can be found for both land and products; uses that can go on without fatal results to the forested area. It is only in the extreme southwestern mountains that the conditions are such as to counter-indicate the cutting of any timber or even firewood in the mount- ains. But even here mining, resorts, power companies and irrigation works can be established with no disadvantage to the trees or chaparral, but rather to their increased safety. The nation can gain by preserving its forests in safe proportion, and can in no way consent to see this proportion of safety to its people diminished. The nation will gain by forest preservation even though the system be without any resources or power of self-sustenance. While forestry has become a living issue in the Atlantic States, through the depletion of perennial flow of springs and streams and increased flood action, and probably by greater and increasingly injurious extremes of frost and heat aris- ing from forest destruction, in the West and Southwest effective forestry is a question of life or death. With irrigated districts, present or prospective, the conservation of the Forest Natural Reservoirs is at least as important as the conservation of any part of the rainfall by artificial storage diversion or distributing systems. ’ The lands on the mountains and water- sheds in this part of the United States are in large part Federal public lands. By the extensive reservation of forested mountain lands from sale or settlement, the Federal Government has committed itself to a rational forest system. What the situation demands and what the 1899. people desire is a forest management of these important mountain water-sheds that will serve the highest interests of Interests built. up under the neglect and waste and. the entire community. abuses of the Government’s forestal mistakes and laches should be treated with all the consideration that the safety of the communities affected and the welfare of the great majority of the people will permit. All foresters, and especially all fores- ters in the Southwest, endorse, and must endorse a Federal forest policy, whether the forest management pays its way or not. The Government forestry systems of European nations, of Canada, Algiers, India and Australia, are self-sustaining, and for the most part bring in consider- able revenues. Curiously enough, it is in the countries like Spain, Arabia, Persia and Turkey, in which forestry is neglected, where national productive power has most diminished, and in which both nation and people individu- ally are poorest. The success of other countries in maintaining national forest systems in- vites our attention to this subject. The principal revenue from all forest systems is from the sale of forest pro- ducts. These are mainly merchantable timber and fuel. The Western districts in which the principal areas of public lands exist, are situated so that one part or ancther of California would resemble their conditions closely enough for pre- liminary plans and outlines of forest management appropriate for the entire Western public land area. California contains mountains and plains, valleys, farm lands and deserts. In the northwest its climate is one of, if not the moistest in the United States; -in the southeast it is one of the most arid. In the Redwood belt there is a very large rainfall, and almost continu- ous fog and mist between the rainy sea- sons. In the Cocopah desert years pass without a drop of rain, or even a cloudy day. California conditions, carefully considered, can do much to outline a AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 201. forest and public land policy. the public land situation here? as California contains 99, 361,083 acres of land, of which The area appropriated is — 40,392,418-acres.-” The area unappropriated is 43,841,044 ~‘., The area reserved is 15, U2 7RO2 Taeeniee 99,361,083 acres. What is This gives a substantially accurate picture of our land situation. In the other Western States the public lands are in much larger proportion, as an an- nexed table will show. The above figures, however, do not give the exact facts. Of the appropri- ated area some has gone to the State for taxes. In some of the mountain coun- ties this tax areais quite considerable. The State Comptroller and the county officers thus far have found no general record of this tax land, therefore no one can now tell to what it amounts. Of the area reserved, a considerable part is patented and in private hands. In some reserved districts, the propor- tion of private holdings is large, in oth- ers very small. The National Yosemite Park, of about one million acres area, is a little more than half in private hands The San Gabriel Reserve, from the Cajon West has a very small proportionate area in private hands, while the San Bernardino part of the forest reserves of the South has a considerable area in private hands. The Reserve System suggests the pol- icy of Switzerland. Inthat republic ex- perience has demonstrated the immedi- ate and often awful results of forest de- nudation on steep, high mountains to lower agricultural lands From this experience has been evolved a forest system which lays out as a part of its functions forest reserve districts. The lands within these, whether public or private, are under public control, and not a tree can be cut without public au- thority. We may come to this system some day. There are in this State about 83,000 square miles of public lands in the hands of the Federal Government. An 202 examination made by expert civil engineers on section lines, and mapped by the old State Board of Forestry, shows in its reports that the mountain land with merchantable timber is substan- tially allin private hands. There is, speaking generally, no timber of mer- chantable quality and accessibility in California not in private hands. Fuel and small wood costs more to bring out of the high Sierras at present than it will bring. There are restricted districts where the waste and fallen wood, or small standing timber could pay its way for useas ties, posts, fuel or mining, but no large revenue is in sight from this source at present. Consequently, the sources of revenue and support of for- eign systems is absent in California. We may assume that the known con- ditions of California in this respect in one or another of its districts apply to those of the entire West. There is, however, a source of reve- nue to the Government from a rational management of its mountain forest lands, when handled in conjunction with the development by public irrigation works of the vast area of arid public land. The reason why there is such a large amount of public land in California and in the West generally, is that the land is allin an arid climate, and that it is therefore incapable of supporting a farmer or settler, without a secure sup- ply of water for irrigation, and often for domestic use. The mountain forested areas are all incapable of agriculture in the South- west. There is consequently no gain of productive area, as in the settlement of Ohio, for instance, by denuding them. On the other hand, these forests are the natural reservoirs of the Southwest. The forests in this section are of the highest importance both to the irrigation districts already developed, and also to the enormous areas that may by future irrigation works be made fertile. Storage reservoirs, diversion works, ditches, etc., are all safer and more per- manent when under a forested water- shed than when under a bare one. In THE FORESTER. September, the first case, with forest covering, there .is a minimum of flood action, and prac- tically no torrential detritus to fill up the works. From a denuded water-shed, the water delivery is irregular, torren- tial and detritus-laden. The public land now at its limits, or near its limitsof support of population, can, by judicious irrigation works, be made capable of supporting a popula- tion of between fifty and one hundred millions. Irrigated land has always been as capable as that for supporting the densest population from agricultural returns. We see this in the history of the Euphrates and the Nile. In both of these cases, and in the more modern de- velopments in India, we see that the im- portant works were carried out by the community or Government, were man- aged by the community, are thus man- aged, and that new work for further de- velopment in the application of water to land in genial and dry climates, such as those of India and Egypt, is planned or being executed solely as Government undertakings. There are three good reasons with us for this policy. The first is that the lands susceptible of improvement are largely public lands, The second is that the undertakings are too large for most private initiative, and the third is that a public administration of irrigated lands is the only one in which the land occu- pants can feel safe in not becoming serfs of the water company, as 1s now practi- cally the case in the rich, irrigated val- ley of the Po, where the returns are large, but the people in misery. Governments in the past and Govern- ments now recognize the advantage and propriety of making their lands produc- tive by public irrigation works. The peoples who have done this in the past have been among the greatest. One of the most powerful governments of the present day, that of Great Britain, is now, as it long has been, engaged in such irrigation development. The dam on the River Nile, near Assouan, will be the greatest land reclamation work in the world. The values created by the 1899. application of water to land in Egypt will far exceed the values created by the exclusion of water from land in Holland. Both are Government undertakings. In this country the Government has undertaken land reclamation by- exclud- ing water, as by the Mississippi dykes. It has also added to land-values and product-values by the construction of harbors and canals, thus reducing or re- moving freight tariffs or lighterage and landing tariffs The States on, or hav- ing rivers, have been benefited by this policy. So also the Coast States, or those on the Lakes or served by the great Sault Ste. Marie Canal have been benefited; so has the country generally been benefited. It is eminently proper that the people’s Government should apply this policy to the development of the rich and sunny Western lands that cannot produce and serve mankind without water. In this case the benefit is direct to the public. It is the public land that will be most benefited. It is homes for the people that will be created. It is of course markets and a high productive power population in our own bounds that we thus create. It is the conservative agri- culturist that we thus introduce and encourage to balance the more radical bodies of employes in the great manu- ‘facturing districts. Fifty million such Americans will consume more American products and support more American trade than all our present foreign trade combined. Taking the public land area as a whole we find some that is inherently worth- less, some that can be made good and productive, some where forests and their products can be safely used under rea- sonable regulations, some where the forests can only be safeguarded, but not used, as in the chaparral mountains of the South, and a wide district that is at present used for pasturage, excessive and premature. The pastures thus constantly deteriorate and carry less stock. The public land pastures have deteri- orated and are deteriorating in stock and sheep-carrying power. Fighting and dis- AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 203 order is everywhere present among the pasture users. Sometimes they have wars. These stock and sheep men, as far as seen, welcomed a proposed system of leasing the public lands appropriate to pasture, under judicious restfiction as to the number of stock permitted on each section and the time of year when thestock should goon. The public lands in California have a present value for pasturage that varies with seasons. It is estimated to have an annual rental value of not less than $250,000 and may ex- ceed half a million dollars. Its rental value varies with the seasonal rainfall. The stockmen would be glad to pay rent and thus know upon what feed they could rely, without the present accompani- ments of murder and arson. Those districts where pasturage in- jures the water-sheds could have the stock reduced to a safe number by reasonable regulation or entirely removed. When we consider the vital impor- tance of the entire forest question, and past and present precedent in the matter of forestry and irrigation; when we con- sider the effect of forest denudation in filling up navigable rivers and harbors, the importance of water to miners, to cities and to irrigators; when we further reflect on the empire at our hand and in our borders to be created by irrigation works, we can agree that forests, reser- voirs and public land management all go hand in hand. The land system asa unit can be self- supporting and revenue producing. All interests can be fairly dealt with and the country brought to its highest productive power. Those who engage in promoting this great work have strenuous efforts before them; they deserve the garlands of re- ward as civic patriots as much or more than those who foment distant foreign wars. The conquest of this empire within our bounds for our own children is more useful, more profitable, more secure and more glorious than any for- eign conquests can ever be. ApBpot KINNEY, Los Angeles, Cal. 204 THE FORESTER. September, Minnesota's Proposed New National Park. An Organization Formed in Chicago to Secure the Perpetuation of Natural Grandeur at the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. The most important forest reserve pro- ject ever inaugurated by public senti- ment in the United States was success- fully launched at Chicago on August II. The meeting was held at the Chicago Athletic Club, where there were assem- bled deputations of prominent citizens from Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and Chicago to consider the feasibility of creating a grand national park and forest reserve about the headwaters of the Mis- sissippi River in Northern Minnesota. This section is one of marvelous natural beauty, where there are eleven ~ hundred lakes replete with fish, untram- meled forest wilds abounding in game and an ozone unsurpassed. © By ‘those who have lived and hunted in that ‘region its value as a health-resort is‘highly re- garded. Its ‘location is one easily ac- -cessible to great numbers of people. Prominent among those who have recognized the advisability of pre-empt- ing these lands for the public, before timber pillagers and forest fires have marred the beauty of nature, has been Col. John S. Cooper, of Chicago. Two motives impelled him to arouse public sentiment to action: First, the duty of the National Government to take such action as should make the head- waters of the Mississippi common prop- erty forever; second, the preservation for historical,educational,sport and pleasure purposes of a region which otherwise, if left alone, is doomed ina short time to become a barren waste, denuded of tim- ber, crossed by dry water-w ays, unfit for agriculture and the scene of disastrous timber fires. The enthusiasm evinced at the pre- liminary meeting, to which reference was made editorially inthe August ForEsTER, left no doubt as to the immediate success of the plan to form a national organiza- tion. This having been done the future seems propitious for favorable action by Congress in consummation of the pro- ject. ‘‘The Minnesota National Park and Forestry Association’ was the title adopted for the organization, and offi- cers were chosen as follows: President Cyrus M. Northrop, Presi- dent of the University of Minnesota. First Vice President. — Theodore Roosevelt, Governor of New York. Second Vice President—Judge Horace L. Burton, of Tennessee, Third Vice President.—Judge Hub- bard, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Treasurer. —John H. Whitbeck, of Chicago. Corresponding Secretary. Col. Jolie S. Cooper, of Chicago. Recording Secretary.—H.M. Becker olrot. Paul: Executive Committee.—Mayor Carter H. Harrison, of Chicago; C. S. Dennis, EE: -W. Blatchford; C.l- iutehinsonm George M. Nelson, Messrs. Beard, Clark, Gray and Work, G. G. Hartley, A.xG. Comstock, {S; Hi: Stewarts; Se Stevenson, F. W. Leavitt, W. B. Mir- schon. The object of forming the association is thus described in the constitution adopted: ‘The object of this association is to preserve as a great national park, so far as practicable, the native forests, waters and topography of an extensive tract of land in the northern part of Minnesota, together with the wild game in the woods, that an intelligent system of forestry may be established therein, and that our citi- zens may have, for generations to come, a great region abounding in native and cultivated forests and waters, to which they can resort in search of health and enjoyment, and that preservation and re- newal of the forests may be inaugurated in the central Western States of the Union. eee: ae 1899. «‘Any citizen of the United States of good character and in sympathy with the object and purposes of this association shall be eligible to membership, and shall become such member when elected by the executive committee of the asso- ciation, but no dues shall be required from members. The funds necessary to carry out the object and purposes of this organization shall be raised by volun- tary contributions, and shall be paid to the treasurer, to be by him disbursed as directed by the executive board.” In order to assure a more general ap- preciation of the project and the desira- bility of early action by Congress, it was Turtel aid}, ne j - sy a ~. mee Z Y RE ch 5 D ae Paralle| rh 2] > Seie praccalgnes ys rfr. Belay SMES Pisce DOVE The Sea MANY POINT LAKE ox (ome =A @ AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. | * | WINAIBIGOSEESD ocx 205 together the objects of this association will be facilitated; therefore be it ‘« Resolved, That this association shall immediately organize for an expedition into that region during the coming Autumn, and that the following gentle- men be appointed a committee to have full charge of the same, viz: Colson S. Cooper, C- EsrReck; John H. Witbeck, Otis R. Glover, Mar- vin Hughitt, Jr., Wesley M. Lowrie, Henry S. Fitch, O. W. Nixon, George E. Coles Ea Pitcher, Harry G. McCart- ney, Dr. Frank Billings, W. C. Brown, T: 2: Shouts, B: Thomas and]. 8. Clow, of Chicago; Thomas H. Shevlin, MAP OF 1HE REGION WHICH CONGRESS WILL BE ASKED TO SET ASIDE AS A NEW NATIONAL PARK, decided to take a delegation of Congress- men and other prominent public men on a trip of investigation to the Leech Lake country early in October—the Indian Summer there—in order that they may gain personal knowledge of the proposed. reserve. The following resolution was passed providing for the trip: ‘¢Whereas, It is believed that there are no legal or practical obstacles in the way of establishing a national park in the northern part of Minnesota, which may not be overcome by the joint action of Congress, the State of Minnesota and private parties having vested interests in that territory, and that by bringing the representatives of all those interests Thomas Lowry, James Gray and C. A. Pillsbury, of Minneapolis; George R. Finch, George C. Squires, Charles Cris- tadoro, J. I. Hill: and ‘Charles 5. Fee, of St. Paul. The only circumstance lacking to make the spontaneity of thought and action complete was the reluctance of the Duluth delegates to enter heartily into the scheme, for fear of certain commer- cial disadvantages to that city by the withdrawal of nearby lands from settle- ment, if included in the proposed re- serve. Congressman Page Morris presented this view of some of his constituents, but added that all would approve if the 206 project would not conflict with the in- terests of Duluth people. Colonel Cooper replied, calling atten- tion to the fact that two hundred thou- sand tourists a year to such a reserve might be of greater financial interest to Duluth than the trade of scattered set- tlers in that region, after forest fires had devastated everything. Mr. Christadoro said the efforts now being made were to save for posterity ‘¢a few hundred acres” of forest land in Minnesota, and that those who criticized did not sufficiently understand this in- tention. He pleaded for recognition of the necessity of preserving natural forests for the benefit of future generations. The Duluth delegates were assured that no part of the purpose of the forest reserve organization is to interfere with the ownership of merchantable Pine, or the rights of Indians or settlers already on the ground. When this is generally THE FORESTER. September, understood by those having interests i1n- volved, it is believed that their cordial support will be enlisted forthwith. Various sub-committees will be ap- pointed on finance, press, etc., by the executive committee. There is every prospect of good results for forestry in general from such energetic efforts. Those who took part in the final or- ganization of the project, were: Chicago—Col. John S. Cooper, Henry S. Fitch, George H. Cole, SiC. Base man, Dr Nixon and F: S: Band. Minneapolis—Mayor Gray, S. F. John- son, Vice President Board of Trade; Drs. Beard, Bell, Moore, Crafts, T. H. Shevlin, A. H. Linton and F. W. Leavitt. St Paul—Drs. Bracken and Hutchin- son, Ross Clark, George M. Nelson, Charles Christadoro and E. V. Smalley. Duluth—Cok C. “Be. 4+Graves,.. Cone gressman Morris, F. A. Patrick and J. C. Hunter. Forest Conditions of Porto Rico. Review of the Forest Resources of the Island, by the Special Agent of the U, S. Geological Survey, for Issue by the Department of Agriculture. FIRST PAPER—CONDITIONS AFFECTING FOREST GROWTH. A FEW EXTRACTS FROM THE ADVANCE SHEETS. (BY COURTESY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. ) Porto Rico was originally mantled by forests from the level of the sea to the summit of its mountains. It is doubtful if there was a single foot of its area which was not at some time covered by tree growth, varying in height from the diminutive mangrove bushes which border the seashore to the gigantic deciduous trees mingled with the fronds and trunks of towering palms, which add height to the loftiest peaks and ridges. To understand the distribution and natural occurrence of these, it is necessary to explain briefly the topo- graphic and physical features of the island. The island is the most eastern and the smallest of the four Great Antilles. But though it nowhere attains the great alti- tudes of the other Antilles, the island is practically the eastward continuation of the Antillean chain of uplifts, the upward extension of a remarkable submerged mountain slope, which, at least on the north side, descends nearly 30,000 feet to the bottom of the Brownson Deep, until recently supposed to be the deepest hole in the world. The island is 95 miles long, 35 miles wide, and has an area of 3,668 square miles. It is 500 square miles lessin areathan Jamaica. Its areais 300 miles greater than that of Delaware, Rhode Island and the District of Colum- bia combined, and 1,300 square miles less than that of Connecticut. At the same time, in proportion to area, it is of 1899. all the Antilles the most productive, the most densely settled, and the most estab- lished in its customs and institutions. Itis also notable among the West Indian group, because its preponderant popula- tion is of the white race, and because it produces food-stuffs almost sufficient to supply its inhabitants, in addition to its exports to some of the neighboring islands. Its outline presents the appearance of an almost geometrically regular parallel- ogram, nearly three times as long as broad, with its sides following the four cardinal directions. The sea line is nearly straight, and the coast is usually low, especially on the southern side, although there are a few headlands. It is void of fringing keys and deep inden- tations of its coast, such as border Cuba. The coast line is 360 miles. Porto Rico, like all the Antilles, in comparison with the United States, has a configuration ancient in aspect, al- though comparatively new in geologic age. Of the four chief topographic features of the Great Antilles (central mountains, coast-border topography, in- terior plains and enclosed mountain basins) only the central mountains and coast- border topography are represented upon this island. The central mountains are largely of one physiographic type. The coast- bor- der topography is more complex and diversified, consisting of three sub- types, which may be called coast hills, parting valleys and playa plains. The mountains constitute the major surface of the island, approximately nine-tenths of the whole. The other features col- lectively make an irregular and lower lying belt around the coastal margin comparable to the narrow rim of a high- crowned alpine hat. The whole island is practically an elongated elevated sierra made up mostly of volcanic rock, surrounded by a narrow collar or dado of limestone hills, former marginal marine incrustations which have been elevated. Viewed from the sea, these mountains have a rugged and serrated aspect, consisting of numerous AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 207 peaks and summits with no definite crest line, rising from a general mass, whose steeply sloping sides are deeply corru- gated by drainageways; they present the aspect of a wrinkled handkerchief—a figure of description ascribed to Colum- bus in telling Queen Isabella of the Antilles. Their superfice has been etched by erosion into innumerable lat- eral ridges, separated by deep gorges. ~ The main crest line extends from Mayaguez on the west through Aibonito and Adjuntas to Humacoa on the east. This is called the central Cordillera west of Aibonito and the Sierra de Cayey east. of that town. There are virtually two crest lines in tne eastern half of the island. The nor- thern branch is the Sierra Luquiilo, which practically extends from the west of the San Juan-Ponce military road to the northeast cape. This range contains the highest island summit, El Yunque. These mountains, as a whole, when looked down upon from the highest points, present the aspect of a sea of conical peaks and beaded ridges, rather than a dividing ridge. The highest em- inences of the billowy summits nowhere exceed 3,500 feet, and this altitude. if at- tained at all, is reached by only one peak that of El Yunque, at the extreme north- east. The height of this peak is given on: the Spanish maps at 4,087 feet, but it is reported much lower by other authorities. Other summits of the island, although numerous, hardly anywhere exceed 3,000 feet: Through the mountainous mass nu- merous and copious streams ramify in every direction. These have deep valleys singularly free from cliffs, and they etch the surface into many lateral ridges and points. Of these streams, the largest and longest drain into the north coast, the next largest flow to the west, while the streams of the south and east sides, although copious, are comparatively short. The upper ramifications of the three principal rivers of the north coast reach southward nearly across the island. Besides the wide alluvial plains near the mouths of the streams, to be described 208 THE. FORESTER. later, the lower stretches of these nor- thern streams present considerable areas of bottom land, extending for some dis- tances within the margin of the mountain area, rarely broadening out into local circular mountain valleys. Their upper portions are steep angular gorges, how- ever, where habitations are confined to the slopes and not the valleys. There are other streams of the island which also present small areas of bottom land indenting the mountanous area for a very short distance from their coastal borders, notably the Portugues, near Ponce on the south, and the Anasco on the west. The most unobservant traveler re- marks the radical natural differences which take place upon passing from the mountains into the lower’ lying coastal plains and foothills, especially upon the south side. The coast-border topog- raphy comprises a narrow belt of low hills and plains encircling the: main or mountainous mass of the island, and broken in continuity upon the northeast, southeast and west by spurs of the cen- tral mountains which run across it into the sea. This border region of itself is an exceedingly diversified area, presenting two conspicuous major types of relief, coast hills and playa plains, and gener- ally a third type, which may be called parting valleys. On the north the coast hills stand as steeply sloping solitary mounds or domes, rising singly or in chains above wider extents of plain lying between them and the mountain front. The cit- adels of San Juan are built upon a hill of this character; others rise to the east and west of the city as far as Rio Grande and toward Arecibo. Along the shore from the southwest cape of Porto Rico to within three or four miles of Ponce, except where occa- sionally broken by playas, coast hills are finely developed. These hills, like those of the north coast, are the remants of what was once a steeply slanting bench plain. The slant is from the central mountains toward the sea, where the hills are in some places terminated by a September, steep scarp or sea bluff too feet in i height. The interior side scarp of these hills is bordered by a valley occupied by the lake of Guanica, separated by still another row of hills called the cerros from the central mountains. On the southwest end of the island there are two parallel rows of hills sepa- rated from each other and the interior mountains by long and fertile valleys. The interior chain of hills, which ex- tends from north of Cabo Rojo to within three miles of Yauco, passing west of San German, is of a peculiar type not seen elsewhere on the island. It is a single chain of highly rounded wooded hills of the type called ‘‘ knobs” in this country, and ‘‘cerros”’ by the Spaniards. They owe their configuration to a: thick cap stratum of hard mountain limestone, the lower portion being composed of the softer decomposing rock. Where the cap has been removed erosion has widened the valleys into great elongated plains or vegas. For want of a better, the term ‘‘playa plains” is used for the wide alluvial plains found at more or less frequent in- tervals along the entire coast between the hills which limit them. The word ‘‘playa”’ means literally ‘‘shore’’ or ‘‘strand.” Many cities of Porto Rico are situated upon the interior border of such plains where they meet the foot- hills, several miles from the port of entry, which is located at the immediate seashore, and which is usually designated ‘playa,’ in order to distinguish it from the city proper. These playa plains are usually fan-shaped in area, with their broader base next to the sea, where they are often many miles in width, and stand only a few feet above the ocean. They are bordered by escarpments composed of the sharp rise of the coast hills, and extend with constantly decreasing width backward up the stream valleys toward the central mountains. Ponce is situated upon a typical playa plain, which extends a short distance back of the city up the valley of the Rio Portugues. To the west of Ponce the playa plains are quite exceptional. 1899. The name ‘‘ parting valley” the writer has given to certain long and narrow valleys which sometimes occur between the foothills and the front central mount- ains.. Some of'the streams, as they emerge from the mountains and cross the lower country, tend either to bend along the mountain front as they pass from it or to send out laterals parallel to the ‘same. The erosion attendant upon such phenomena produces long parallel val- leys at the junction of the mountains and foothills. Parting valleys of this character are especially well developed on the south side of Porto Rico, such as the. plain of Saba Grande and the de- pression of Guanica lagoon. Other parting valleys of a similar character are developed in many places around: the rest of the island, although perhaps not quite so extensive in area. Several features which are more de- veloped upon the other Great Antilles are exceptional or lacking in the config- uration of Porto Rico—notably, interior mountain vallevs, bordering benches of elevated coral reef, the coast lagoons or lakes, and the mangrove swamps. The interior mountain valleys of Porto Rico -are not conspicuous features, nor are they completely closed (without drainage outlets), like those of Jamaica. Elevated reef benches or sedorucco, which in Cuba form the narrow coast rim of hard rock and protect a softer interior, thereby-producing the excellent pouch- shaped harbors, are but faintly developed in Porto Rico. This material was seen only at the entrance of San Juan Harbor. The coast lagoons or lakes are collec- tions of water in swales of the coastal plain on the north and in parting valleys of the type of Guanica, previously de- scribed. Mangrove swamps are ex- tensively developed around the interior margin of San Juan Harbor. Inthe Southern United States and the Antilles, where altitude is not a control- ling factor, the chemical and physical composition of the soils are two of the chief factors producing vegetal differ- ences. Inasmuch as the soils of Porto Rico, with the exception of that of the AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 209 playa plains, are all residual (the surface decay of the underlying rock), it is impossible to make a clear presentation of the forest conditions without a few remarks upon the nature of the rocks. Inasmuch as all ‘cultural and natural aspects are intimately associated with geologic structure, a few words upon this subject are absolutely essential to a complete understanding of the subject. But in abrief-review, suchas this, having called attention to the omission, we may speak briefly, not of the history, but only of the present condition of the soils. The chief and ‘radical differences of flora‘'in Porto Rico oecur between the red clay mountain soils and the calcareous foothill soils, the latter being of the open-textured white limestone’ type which abounds from Florida southward, but is not common in the United States. _ The mountain areas present but little if any barren indurated rock surface, but are covered with a deep red soil, to which vegetation clings tenaciously. This mountain soil is one of the most marked features of the island, and to it are largely due many of its agricultural and forest conditions. Were it. less te- nacious and sticky than it is (and lan- guage can hardly convey an idea of the unctuousness of this stickiness, which is especially disagreeable in a road mate- rial) the mountain slopes of Porto Rico would now be washed and dreary wastes of barren rock. This mountain soil is mostly red ferruginous clay, accom- panied by much pebble and other rock debris. It is naturally ameliorated by the vast amount of humus derived from the native vegetation. Decay is so rapid under perpetual warmth and moisture that the volcanic rocks quickly rot and weather into soils of this character. The regolith or decayed superfice of the rocks is unusually deep on these moun- tains, extending down 50 or 100 feet, correspondingly affording a_ splendid medium for root hold and penetration. Owing to this soil the mountains were originally wooded and are now cultivated to their very summits, verticality of slope presenting no obstacle to cultivation in 210 the minds of the natives. The writer has seen the steepest possible slopes cultivated to the highest degree in coffee and tobacco; in fact, the most produc- tive crops of this character are grown upon declivities upon which the Ameri- can farmer would not risk limb and life. Much of the soil of Porto Rico is now abandoned and in the condition known throughout the English-speaking West Indies as ‘‘ruinate.” This has resulted from long cultivation, from the failure to apply fertilizers, and, in some cases, from erosion. Land of this character was observed in many parts of the island. The reclamation of these lands by for- estry, or the methods of scientific agri- culture, is one of the problems which Porto Rico presents to the civilization of its new owners. Regarding the climate of Porto Rico, no attempt will be made to describe it other than to state a few facts relating to its bearing upon the distribution of life and culture. The whole island may be divided into a wet and a dry belt, on the north and south sides of the central Cordillera, respectively. The greatest rainfall, which sometimes attains 120 inches a year on the slopes of El Yun- que, is at the northeast end. On the south side, from Guayama to Cabo Rojo, THE FORESTER: September, the climate is dryer, but most of the island is wet in comparison with the standard of the United States. The higher mountains are slightly cooler than the coast belt, but the temperature is so uniformly warm that altitude has but little bearing upon dis- tribution of.vegetation. The mountains are constantly bathed in moisture, either by daily rainfalls or dense mists which collect upon them at night, except upon the lower portion of their southern slopes; hence, it may be said that the superfice is never dry and the subsoil is constantly saturated in the mountain region. On the southern coast, however, owing both to the porosity of the limestone, which quickly drains off the moisture, and to the intermittent dryer periods, the surface above has a parched and arid look, especially in the long dry season. Some portions of this south belt are very arid, and great complaint was heard in places that the rainfall for the past two years had been insufficient for domestic supply. In fact, to culti- vate the staple crops of the lowlands of the south coast, irrigation is necessary. This is practiced with great skill and at considerable cost along the whole south- ern border from Guayama to Cabo Rojo. [Continued in next issue. ] Ontario Forest Reserve. The Ontario government is making rapid progress toward the adoption of a complete system of reforestation, having recently set apart an important reserve in Frontenac and Addington Counties. After inquiries from time to time as to the most eligible territory for a reserva- tion in the eastern part of the province, the Commissioner of Crown Lands came to the conclusion that the McLaren limits, now operated by Isaac Allan, of Mississippi Station, were the most suit- able for the purpose. These limits cover parts of the townships of Abinger, Mil- ler, Barrie, Clarendon, Palmerston, Ashby, Denbigh, Effingham, South Caninto, Olden, North Sherbrooke and Oso, and contain an area of 27334 miles. The territory is watered by numerous lakes and streams and lies on the head- waters of the Mississippi River, a stream of considerable importance flowing into the Ottawa River, and on the head- waters of a branch of the Madawaska River. All the good land available has been either sold or located, and the merchantable pine timber has been almost entirely cut away. The Pine growth remaining consists of young trees springing up, which are spread over considerable areas of the territory, and, if protected from fires and allowed to attain a fair growth, will, it is deemed, become a valuable asset of the province in the near future.—Canada Lumber- Wan. 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 211 The American Forestry Association. A Special Meeting at Columbus. The American Forestry Association held a special meeting at Columbus, Ohio, on August 22 and 23. The meet- ing was held under the auspices of the Columbus Horticultural Society, and the arrangements made by the officers of that organization were all that could be desired. As an affiliated society of the American Association for the Advance- ment of Science, all privileges of accom- modations and entertainment, as well as railroad rates, were shared by members of the Forestry Association. The sessions were held in Horticul- tural Hall, Ohio State University. At 2 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, August 22, the meeting was called to order by William R. Lazenby, President of the Horticultural Society, who was made chairman of the convention. The attend- ance was not large, but all present mani- fested a deep interest in the proceedings and evinced an enthusiasm that was in- spiring. Among those present at this and the subsequent sessions were: Dr. W. J. Beal, Vice President for Michigan of the ’ American Forestry Association, and Pro- fessor of Botany and Forestry in the Michigan Agricultural College; Dr. C. E. Bessey, of Nebraska State University, Vice President for Nebraska; Rev. James Poindexter, President of the Ohio State Forestry Bureau; S. C. Mason, Profes- sor of Horticulture and Forestry, Berea College, Kentucky; William Saunders, Director of the Canadian Experimental Farms; Dr. B. B. Halsted, of the New Jersey Experiment Station; Prof. A. D. Hopkins, of the West Virginia Experi- ment Station, Vice President for West Virginia; John F. Cunningham, Secre- tary of the Columbus Horticultural So- Siety; Prof. J. A. Holmes, Vice Presi- Ment for North Carolina; Prof. L. C. Corbett, of West Virginia University; ie. ). Janney, Columbus; Prof. F. W. Rowe, of the New Hampshire Agricul- tural and Mechanical College; Prof. N. L. Britton, Superintendent of the Bo- tanical Garden, Bronx Park, New York City; W. R. Beattie, Columbus: T. A. Scott, Westerville; F. R. Luke, Ohio State University; Prof. J. H. Lageman, Columbus; J. F. Cowell, Superintendent of Parks; Buffalo, N. -Y.; Walliam R: Lazenby, Professor Horticulture and Forestry, Ohio State University, and President of the Columbus Horticultural Society; L. M. Freeman, Rex, Lecturer on Forestry. Telegrams and letters of regret were read from Gifford Pinchot, Forester of the U. S. Department of Agriculture; Dr. -€. “A;= Schenck, Forester *to the Biltmore Estate, North Carolina; W. W. Ashe, Consulting Forester, Raleigh, N. C.; Prof. John Craig, lowa Agricul- tural College, Ames, Iowa; George W. Minier, Austin, IIl., and others. In a brief opening address Professor Lazenby welcomed the Association to Columbus. Speaking of the rapid and reckless destruction of the forests of Ohio, one of the best agricultural States inthe Union, he called attention tothe av- erage annual rainfall of Ohio,and whether it had been materially increased or its dis- tribution greatly modified by the removal of the forests. ‘*We do know,” he said, ‘*that our soil rapidly loses its summer moisture; that our springs and wells are failing and our streams and rivers are more Capricious in their flow; droughts are more severe and floods are more common.” He urged the planting of trees upon all land that was not culti- vated or that was cultivated at a loss. After the appointment of a committee on resolutions and hearing verbal reports from the members representing different States, a formal address was delivered by Rev. James Poindexter, president of the Ohio Forestry Bureau, on the past 212 and future work of that department. John F. Cunningham also read a paper on ‘Observations upon the Woodlands of Ohio.” The session then adjourned, the re- mainder of the afternoon being spent in an inspection of the native trees and shrubs on the grounds of the State Uni- versity. At the morning session of the second day the following papers were presented and read: ‘‘Natural. Regeneration of Forests on Old Fields in Eastern Ken- tucky,”’ by Prof. S. C. Mason, of Ken- tucky; ‘‘ Lumbering in Northern Michi- gan,” by Dr. W. J. Beal, of Michigan; ‘“‘The Rate of Growth and Temperature of Various Varieties of Forest Trees,” by William R. Lazenby, of Ohio; ‘‘ Capi- talistic Review of Conservative Lum- bering,” by C. A. Schenck, of Biltmore, NVC: Results Will Compensate. The Minnesota forest reserve scheme will need the co-operation of the General Government, and it will doubtless re- ceive it. Both the last and the present national Administrations have shown their sympathy with forest preservation movements. During the past five years a number of large national parks have been created from Government lands. One of the latest of these is the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve in California, con- sisting of 136,335 acres which was set aside by the proclamation of President Mckinley last April. The Government will continue this policy and other bodies of public land will be withdrawn from sale and created into parks. One of the chief objects of the proposed Minnesota reserve 1S to protect the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The need of this is plain, and it should encourage the pro- moters to persevere in their plans not- withstanding the difficulties to be over- come. The results will compensate for all the labor and patience involved.— Editorial, Philadelphia Press. THE FORESTER September, These papers will be fully considered in coming issues of THE’ Forester. - A discussion was then held on twenty questions, which had _ been printed upon the programs, relating to the exten- sion of general interest in Forestry, and the characteristics of various trees, con- ditions of growth, insect enemies, etc. This proved to be a very profitable fea- ture of the session. During the afternoon a number of short excursions were taken to view large and unique specimens of native trees bor- dering the Olentangy River. Before the close of the meeting the Committee on Resolutions presented a report which was unanimously adopted. A paper on ‘‘Are the Trees Advanc- ing or Retreating upon the Nebraska Plains?” was read by C. E. Bessey, of Lincoln, Neb., at the meeting of the sec- tion on botany, of the Science Convention. Investigation of Red Fir. The Division of Forestry of the De- partment of Agriculture at the present time has sixteen men in the State of Washington gathering data regarding the growth of Red Fir and how best to keep the land in a productive condition. Fir is a rapidly growing timber and Gifford Pinchot, chief of the division, believes. that with proper care there should bea perpetual supply which should maintain Washington as a great lumber producing State in perpetuity.—A mer. Lumberman. A Popular Parasite. The mistletoe has become so popular as a Christmas decoration in England that it seems likely to be exterminated in certain places, It was formerly permit- ted to grow iv many apple orchards, sometimes seriously injuring the trees, but with the increased demand this has. all been removed. In some places steps. are being taken to propagate it, and young apple trees can now be purchased. on which the parasite has become estab~ lished.—Plant World. 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 213 Forest Protection. Minnesota’s Example. The annual report of the Chief Fire Warden of Minnesota, Gen. C. C. Andrews, has been recently sent out, and shows a very satisfactory and aggres- sive enforcement of the laws relating to forest fires. The object of the fire warden law is to prevent great forest fires from starting, or if, unfortunately, they have ‘started, to extinguish them before they become unmanageable. Prevention is the main feature of the law, as is seen in the im- portance attached to posting and publish- ing warning notices. Thus far the State has expended, under this law, less than $5,000 a year, including the one third of-county expenses which it pays; and the expense of the thirty-odd counties affected by the law has averaged less than $100 a year, yet the State has escaped the heavy losses suffered by nearby States. Reports from the fire wardens, made to the Chief Fire Warden, of forest fires in 1898, show that there were fifty-one such fires, which burned over 21,580 acres, much of which was light timber or cut-over lands. The total damage _ reported, $9,063, is accounted for in part by some of the damaged timber being cut the succeeding winter. Seventy- eight per cent of the whole number of fires reported were extinguished or con- trolled by fire wardens or their helpers. A man in Todd County was made to pay a fine of $100 and costs for carelessly causing a fire which spread a half mile into a neighbor’s field, where it fatally burned a woman and severely injured a boy who tried to protect her. There were sev- eral other vigorous and effective prosecu- tions. The number of acres reported as burned over by prairie fires was 54,360; damage, $13,436. The number of such fires caused by burning grass, straw or stubble was 23; by railroad locomotives, 14, other causes 5, unknown 25. The report contains numerous illustra- tions of the Minnesota forests, describes some of the timber country in Beltrami and Cass Counties, also a splendid Pine forest on the south shore of Cass Lake, recently made accessible by railway; and some very fine forest on the north shore of Vermillion Lake, belonging to the State University, which the Chief Fire Warden advocates being set apart as a demonstration forest for the use of the school of forestry connected with the Agricultural College and Experiment Station. If this were done, he thinks the State University of Minnesota would outrank all other Universities except Cornell in this country in the important science of forestry, which is so rapidly coming tothe front. The need of roads and paths in the Itasca State Park is commented upon. There is a splendid review of Euro- pean forestry, historically considered. In proportion as the people are informed in regard to forestry will they be dis- posed to use precaution against the rava- ages of forest fires. The importance of setting apart primeval Pine forest lands as a health resort is urged upon the State. Forest Fire Laws in Pennsylvania. Dr. J. T. Rothrock, State Forestry Commissioner of Pennsylvania, and Vice President of the American Forestry Association for the Keystone State, said, in a recent statement to the Philadel- phia ‘‘ North American ”’ : ‘‘The recent destructive forest fires in Centre County bring prominently for- ward the laws which were passed by the Legislature of 1897 for the suppression of forest fires, and the question may be raised, and doubtless will be, are these laws effective? ‘*The best answer to this is found in the fact that ten years ago the loss to this State by forest fires was estimated, by those most competent to judge, at $1,000,000 annually. In 1896 the loss was $557,056. In 1897 it was $394, 327. With every effort on the part of this 24 office to secure information, the loss to the State by forest fires in 1896 only sums up $53,345. In other words, some- thing has caused a gradual decrease in forest fires during the ten years past from $1,000,000 worth of property destroyed to $53,345—that 1s a saving in one year of $946,655. ‘ education in favor of forest preservation has begun to achieve successes in all parts of the Union. The people are be- ginning to understand more and more clearly the importance of the issue and the urgent necessity of applying a rem- edy to the evil of the careless wasting of cur noble woods.—San Francisco Call. 1899. Mme FORESTER. A MONTHLY MAGAZINE Devoted to Arboriculture and Forestry, the Care and Use of Forests and Forest Trees, and Related Subjects. ANNOUNCEMENT. TuHE ForeEsTER is the Official Organ of The American Forestry Association, Hon. JAMEs WILson, Sec’y of Agriculture, President. THE OFFICE OF PUBLICATION IS No. 17 Corcoran Building, Washington, D. C., where all communications should be addressed, The subscription price is One Dollar a year, and single copies are sold at ten cents. Make all checks, drafts, etc., payable to THE FORESTER. The patriotic interest of the American people in everything pertaining to the new colonial - possessions has prompted the publication of a Teview, which, while not exhaustive, is suffi- ciently full to answer the great majority of questions of immediate interest concerning forestry in Porto Rico. It embraces the results, in part, of observations made during a rapid reconnoissance through the military depart- ment of Porto Rico by R. T. Hill in January, 1899, during which be became familiar with its orests, and, by inquiry among various _per- sons engaged in wood-working trades, obtained valuable information as to the qualities and uses of the native timbers. The complete re- port contains not only aclear statement of the forest resources of Porto Rico and the extent of its timber lands, but also such succinct de- Scriptions of the physical features of the island as are necessary for an understanding of its forest problems. It will shortly be published by the Department of Agriculture. An announcement of interest to all who ap- preciate the undoubted advisability and ne- cessity of forest conservation in this country, s the appointment of Hon, John Gifford, of Princeton, N. J., to a chair of forestry at Cor- nell University. Mr. Gifford gave early evi- dence of his earnest consideration of the subject as well as of his zeal in promoting a scientific AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 205 investigation and popular realization of forest try in general, in the founding of the ‘‘New Jersey Forester,” which made its appearance at the beginning of 1895. As editor of the New magazine he worked assiduously for the advancement of the cause, and as proprietor showed that convincing enthusiasm which can- not be dampened by mere lack of financial sup- port, The magazine having developed under his capable management into an organ of con- siderable influence, far beyond the bounds of its original scope and local character, Mr. Gif- ford consented to a continuance of its publica- tion by The American Forestry Associa- tion. Through this medium THE FORESTER has reached every part of this country, and finds interested readers also in Canada, Eng- land, Germany, France, Italy, and even India, all of whom will follow with interest the fur- ther efforts of Mr. Gifford in his chosen field. The position which Mr. Gifford has just ac- cepted is the Assistant Professorship of Fores- try, which was offered him immediately upon his receiving the doctor’s degree in forestry at the University of Munich. He will take up his new work in the early Autumn, when there will be offered to the student body the following courses under his care: Forest protection, forest administration, forest history and poli- tics ; forestry, with special reference to silvi- culture ; and German forest literature, An interesting description of the country included in the proposed new National Park in Northern Minnesota will bea feature of the October issue of THE ForREsSTER, which will also contain further papers of the Summer Meeting at Los Angeles, additional notes of the special meeting at Columbus, and a report of the meeting at Missoula, Mont. An able article, of especial value to those whose interests are linked with forestry through irrigation, will treat of percolation and water supply, as affected by forests—a subject which has attracted very considerable attention. The work of State organizations, in arousing general public interest in forestry, will be de- scribed by taking the example of an active or- ganization—that of Massachusetts. Among other features of this and following numbers will be articles presenting views on forestry as applied to mining, sheep grazing, agriculture, and storage reservoirs. The arti- cles on colonial forests will be continued. THE FORESTER. September, CHIPS AND: CLIPS: India-rubber heels on shoes, decreas- ing the fatigue of marching, will be adopted, it is said, by the French army. Port Blakely, Wash., recently sent a steamer laden with three million feet of lumber to Taku and Woosung, China. The hardwoods in the vicinity of Cad- illac, Mich., are estimated at eleven bil- lion feet, of exceptionally fine quality. Notwithstanding a law to prevent the pollution of streams by mill refuse, the Ottawa River is reported to be filled with sawdust. At the Paris Exposition of 1900 the Canadian exhibit of forestry will be under the supervision of J. M. Macoun, of Ottawa. A complete collection of native woods will be shown. A large quantity of standing timber, including Elm, Basswood, White and Red Oak, Sycamore, Whitewood, Birch and Soft Maple, in Ontario, has been sold to a syndicate to manufacture for export to British markets. North Africa claimed a cargo of nearly half a million feet of Canadian lumber in the beginning of the month, four-fifths of it going to Tunis and the remainder to Morocco. Buenos Ayres took a cargo even larger than the preceding. The distinction of having produced the best quality of Cork White Pine ever grown in North America is accorded to the Cass River country, Michigan. Since 1864 nearly a billion feet of logs have been rafted down that river. Tamarack gum is being sought in Canada by a patent medicine company or use in its preparations. The tree grows well in the highlands of new On- _tario, north of the height of land, but is found only in swampy places i the older part of that province. In parts of South America where Ma- hogany is used for railroad ties and other ordinary uses, the native business men are said to prize the cheap Hemlock and Pine boards which are sent in the form of boxes and crates from this country. The Chinese propensity for decapita- tion has manifested itself in an unusual way recently. Li Hung Chang is re- ported to be one of the leading promoters of a huge lumber-mill project in China, to give some of the forest monarchs the coup-de-grace. A forest reserve is likely to be estab- lished in the Lake Temagamingue dis- trict of Ontario, as the result of a visit by the Commissioner of Crown Lands. A dense growth of White Pine exists all around the shores of the lake greatly in excess of what was previously known, The timber supply of Georgia has been estimated by lumbermen of that State as sufficient to last only nine years at the present rate of sawing, 2,600,000 feet daily. The timber resources of the State at present are placed at one and a half million acres, calculated to saw three thousand feet to the acre. The finest Spruce area in Canada, asit | is claimed to be, will be opened to de- | velopment by the new Restigouche & Western Railway, which is now being } constructed. The line extends from | Campbellton, N. B., a distance of 110 | miles to St. Leonards, on the St. John] River, to a region hitherto inaccessible. Although Colorado has considerable | timber, it is of coarse quality, suitable | only for the roughest uses. It is esti-} mated that four-fifths of the lumber and | timber used in the State is imported. | White Pine comes from Wisconsin and | Minnesota, alargeamount of Yellow Pine | is used, while the products of Oregon | and Washington mills also finds a regu- lar market. 1899. Forest Fires in Three States. Cheyenne, Wyoming, Aug. 27.—For- est fires are raging about Laramie Peak, in the northern portion of Laramie County. They have been burning for the past ten days, and have destroyed a large quantity of valuable timber. Deadwood, S. D., Aug. 27.—A fire has been raging in the timber east of this city in the Iwo Bit District for the past twenty-four hours. The country is very dry, and fears are entertained that the fire will get beyond control. Sixty range riders are fighting the flames. Denver, Colo., Aug. 27.—Forest fires, which it is thought were started by camp fires, are raging in the foothills near the entrance to Platte Canon, about twenty miles south of here. The fires started five miles up the canon, and burned over the mountains on both sides of the canon and are now devastating the tim- ber section along the foothills. Millions of feet of lumber have been consumed, and there are reports of loss of life. The Power of Public Sentiment. The Connecticut legislature has passed a law protecting the trailing arbutus. This is said to be the first law ever passed in any State of the Union for the protection of a wild flower. A newspa- paper article calling attention to the need of such a law is credited with hav- ing aroused sufficient public sentiment to secure the passage of the law. Aboriginal Simplicity. A novel tramway is in operation in British Columbia, It is formed of trees from which the bark has been peeled off, being firmly bolted together and used for fails. Upon these runs a car with grooved wheels ten inches thick. The tramway is two miles long. * An Alaskan Enterprise. The Alaskan trade is becoming the center of important lumber develop- ments. A newly-organized company at AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 2 Seattle, Wash., has secured large timber concessions, consisting of hard Cedar of an exceptionally fine quality, on the west coast of Alaska. Sunny Point, on Prince of Wales Island, has been selected as the industrial center of the business, with stores on Cholmondelay Sound. e A Relic of Old Manila. Rosewood and Mahogany attract the attention of visitors to the Hotel Orient in Manila. The interior is described as being beautifully finished in hand-sawed wood, the staircases of the first three floors being of Rosewood. Solid Mahog- any forms the floors, the boards being twenty-two feet long and two and a half feet wide. Though in use twenty years, these boards are stillin perfect condition. A Friendly Suggestion. Now that some attention is being paid by the most practical of lumbermen to forest subjects, the forest primer recently issued by the Division of Forestry of the Department of Agriculture at Washing- ton will be assured of a wider circulation and more general study than would for- merly have been the case. Timber own- ers are coming to realize that there are many comparatively inexpensive meth- ods by which their interests can be con- served and their properties, to some ex- tent, preserved from the dangers which threaten them by fire and insect pests. These are treated of quite elaborately in this so-called primer, which is such mainly because of its style and the direct and simple way in which the questions with which it deals are presented. The time is at hand, moreover, when more at- tention will be paid than in the past to conservative methods of lumbering, and it is not too much to hope that some of the simpler and less expensive methods of forest culture will be put into prac- tice. At any rate, there are many lum- bermen and timber owners who will read with interest this book, and perhaps find in it some suggestions of value to them in the conduct of their business. —/atoria/, American Lumberman. 218 THE FORESTER. September, Recent Publications. ‘Orchard and Forest Tree Culture” is the title of a pamphlet printed by order of the English Parliament and now being circulated. It gives the complete evidence of the official horticulturist, W. T. Macoun, of the Central Dominion Farm, Canada, before the Commit- tee on Agriculture and Colonization of the House of Commons, Mr. Macoun appeared in response to the committee’s request for such information as would enable them to care for the interests of tree-owners generally. He described fruit- tree culture at length, answering many ques- tions of the committeemen, and then spoke of his study of forest trees. “Taking the forest belts, which cover an area of about twenty-one acres,” he said the objects of planting were to find out how long it would take trees to reach a certain height; the rapidity of growth of each variety; the proper distance apart to plant to get the best results; and the value of trees as wind-breaks for crops grown in the vicinity of them. ‘‘During each year the heights of a large number of trees in this belt are taken, and the data published. This will be valuable when the time comes to reforest parts of Ontario, and I think that time is not far distant. ‘‘Tt has also been found that much depends on the way in which trees are plan‘ed, and the proportion of thick and thin-foliaged kinds there are in the belts. For instance, if a farmer plants a few acres of Ash expecting to reap a large crop in twenty-five or thirty yea’s, it is likely he will have to expend a great because the Ash is a thin-foliaged tree. By mixing some thick-foliaged trees, such as Box Elder, Maple, or other sorts, planted as acover | crop for the ground to prevent the growthof | weeds and to obtain proper forest conditions, he will be able to get the best conditions in the shortest time at the least expense. These area few of the objects and advantages of the - forest belt.” Several North American trees either new or little known, are described by Prof.C.S. | Sargent inthe Botanical Gazette. One of |} the trees is a new Elm (U/mus scrotina), with a trunk forty to fifty feet in height and from two to three feet in diameter, which has long been confused with the Cork Elm (UV. race- mosa), It is aa autumn-flowering spe:ies, and thus easily distinguished from all others. It is found on the banks of the French Broad River near Dandridge. Tenn.; on limestone bluffs of the Cumberland River near Nashville, Tenn. ; near Huntsville, Ala., and Rome, Ga. A magnificent new Palm is also described under the name of Serenoa arborescens, It is thirty or forty feet in height, with one or several stems only three or four inches in diameter. The leaves form a crown at the | summit of the stem, and are two feet wide and long, and are on petioles about two feet in length. It grows on the margin of swamps near the Chockoloskee River in Southwestern | Florida. In order to accumulate sufficient | material to determine the status of this and | other little-known forms, Professor Sargent made several exploring trips to the Keys of | amount of labor to bring these to perfection, Florida. NOTE. The edition of THE ForEsTER for November, 1898, having been exhausted, it has been found necessary to have a new one printed. Mem- bers of the Association and subscribers who may need copies of that issue (No. 11, Vol. IV,) to complete files for binding, will be supplied if they notify the publishers to that effect. A limited number of complete copies of Vol. IV of THe Forester are offered for sale. Price, postpaid, $1.00, unbound; durably bound in green cloth, $1.50. AMERICAN FORESTRY. ASSOCIATION. THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. OXGANIZED APRIL, 1882. INCORPORATED JANUARY, 1897. OFFICERS FOR 18g. President. Hon, James WILson, Secretary of Agriculture. first Vice President, Corresponding Secretary. Dr. B. E. FERNow. F, H. NEWELL, Recording Secretary and Treasurer, GrorGE P, WHITTLESEY. Directors. Epwarp A. Bowers. ARNOLD HaGueE., GIFFORD PINCHOT, James WILSON. CHARLES C, BINNEY. B. E. FERNow. HENRY GANNETT. GrorGE W. McLamaHANn, FREDERICK V, COVILLE, F. H. NEwELL, GrorGE P, WHITTLESEY. Vice Presidents, Sir H.G. Jo_y DE LorsinizreE, Pointe Platon, Wo. E. CHANDLER, Concord, N. H. Quebec. JoHN GIFFORD, Princeton, N, J. CuHaARLEs C. GEORGESON, Sitka, Alaska. Epwarp F. Hopart, Santa Fe, N. M. CHARLES Mour, Mobile, Ala. WarREN Hiciey, New York. N. Y. TD. M. Riorpan, Flagstaff, Ariz. J. A. Houmes, Raleigh. N. C. Tuomas C. McRag, Prescott, Ark. W. W. Barrett, Church’s Ferry, N. D. ApssotT KINNEY, Lamanda Park, Cal. E. T, Ensicn, Colorado Springs, Colo, RoBeRT Brown, New Haven, Conn. REUBEN H. Warper, North Bend, Ohio Wiuiiam T. Litt ez, Perry, Okla. E. W. Hammonp, Wimer, Ore. Wo. M. Cansy, Wilmington, Del. A. V. CLusss, Pensacola, Fla. R. B. REPPARD, Savannah, Ga. J. M. Coutrer, Chicago, Il. James Troop, Lafayette, Ind. Tuos. H. MacBripe, Iowa City, lowa. J. S. Emery, Lawrence, Kans. Joun R. Proctor, Frankfort, Ky. Lewis JoHnson, New Orleans, La. Joun W. GarreTT, Baltimore, Md. Joun E. Hosss, North Berwick, Me. J. D. W. Frencu, Boston, Mass. W. J. BEAL, Agricultural College, Mich. C. C. ANDREws, St. Paul, Minn. WILLIAM TRELEASE, St. Louis, Mo. CHARLES E, Bessey, Lincoln, Neb. J. T. RoruHrock, West Chester, Pa. H. G. RussE.i, E. Greenwich, R. I. H. A. GREEN, Chester, S. C. Tuomas T. WriGHT, Nashville, Tenn. W. GoopricH 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. ELwoop MEap, Cheyenne, Wyo. GrorGE W. McLananan, Washington, D,C Joun Craic, Ottawa, Ont. Wo. LittLe, Montreal, Quebec. Lieut. H. W. Frencu, Manila, P. I. The object of this Association is to promote : 1. A more rational and conservative treatment of the forest resources of this continent, 2. Tlie advancement of educational, legislative and other measures tending to promote this object. 3. The diffusion of knowledge regarding the conservation, management and renewal of forests, the methods of reforestation of waste lands, the proper utilization of forest products, the planting of trees for ornament, and cognate subjects of arboriculture. Owners of timber and woodlands are particularly invited to join the Association, as well as are all persons who are in sympathy with the objects herein set forth, THE FORESTER. THE INCREASING INTEREST in the history of American forests and the efforts that have been made | for their conservation, development, and use, has led THE ForRESTER to secure, for the benefit of its readers, a number of complete sets of the |; “Proceedings of the American Forestry Congress” and “Proceedings of the American Forestry Association” covering a period from December, 1888, to December, 1897. These issues include many valuable papers on forestry as read at the various annual meetings throughout the country during the years named, | including the sessions in WASHINGTON, QUEBEC, ATLANTA, GA., BROOKLYN, N. Y., SPRINGFIELD, MASS., ASHEVILLE, N. C., NASHVILLE, TENN., and the WORLD'S FAIR CONGRESS IN 1893. Those who desire a complete library to keep pace with the rapidly | advancing interest in forestry can hardly afford to be without these | valuable pamphlets. The complete series, covering the years named, will be sent postpaid to any address in the United States at the | following prices: In one large volume Handsomely bound in red cloth, with gilt lettering and re-enforced corners ; : : $2.00 Just as durably but less ornately, in green . 1.75 THE ForeEsTER will endeavor to supply separate pamphlets upon application, at a uniform price of 25 cents, whenever complets sets will not be broken thereby, For any further information address THE FOR Sik WASHINGTON, D. ¢. Kindly mention THE ForEsTER in writing. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. “‘Valuable . . . cannot fail to be of the ‘“«The sections are marvels of mechanical greatest practical assistance.”—Review of dexterity . . . most interesting.”—MVew Reviews. York Times. HOUGH'S ‘‘ AMERICAN WOODS.” PUBLICATION on the trees of the United States illustrated by actuad specimens of the woods, showing three distinct views of the grain of each spe- cies, with full explanatory text. (Sam- ples of the specimens used, 10 cents.) ““Exceedingly valuable for study. A work where plant life does the writing and no one can read without thinking.”’— G. A. Parker, Hartford, Conn. “Most valuable and the price reason- able.’”’—Prof. C. E. Bessey, Lincoln, Neb. Preparations of Woods for Stereop- ticon and Microscope. Wooden Cross-Section Cards for fancy and business purposes. (Samples free.) Views of Typical Trees showing habits of growth, Write for circulars, addressing R. B. HOUGH. 10 Collins St., Lowville, N. Y. PREPARATIONS OF WOODS FOR STEREOPTICON AND MICROSCOPIC VIEWS OF TYPICAL TREES, WOODEN CROSS-SECTION CARDS. H. J. KOKEN Ci Ps HANCOCK Wag — TY pvING High-Class Designs and Illustrations Sass ———— Half Tone and Line —— Engraving Brass and Metal Signs Rubber Stamps a TENTH STREET AND PENNA. AVENUE, WASHINGTON, D. C. Kindly mention THE Forester in writing. THE FORESTER. BEREA COLLEGE, BEREA, KENTUCKY. A YEAR’S WORK IN FORESTRY IS OFFERED. Local Forest Growth Affords Fine Facilities for Study. te" aul *66g1 *€1 raquiaydas susdg wis, [ey al 3 er . er ene some, Excellent Advantages at Moderate Expense. LINCOLN HALL, BEREA COLLEGE. 47848 N HORTICULTURE "Secthi?® For full information address S. C. MASON, M. Se., Professor of Horticulture and Forestry. F. R. MET eee Consulting Forester, Mahwailaee nt Kindly mention THE ForeEsTER 10 writing. TUNEOINY IN MAQOKUHUOEI to Tou. V. OCTOBER, 1899. No. 10. ay Ae eee _ The Forester A MONTHLY MAGAZINE devoted to the care and use of forests and forest trees and \ PUBLISHED BY _ The American Forestry Association. oe rice 10 Cents. $1.00 a Year. i, COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. Entered at the Post Office in Washington, D, C., as second class matter. ARI7ZNNA SW oe IRRIGATION TABLE OF CONTENTS. In THE PINERIES NEAR Du Bois, PENNSYLVANIA 200..-cc:csecs---sesesceeceesseaeesenes Frontispiece. — oe AM THe (MASSACHUSETTS . FORESTRY ASSOCIATHON. 4 0) Uh ee 219% Some Suggestions for State Organizations, By the Secretary of the Association. RECLAMATION \OF DRIFTING, SAND DUNES 22 oi) oes eae Co ae ee A Paper Read at the Summer Meeting. (Number Six of the Series.) MINNESOTA’S PARK! FOR THE PEOPLE. ee Ne sR aly he Ae Oe See le A Symposium of Views and Descriptions. ae EXAMPLE (OF) PENNSYLVANIA? Hoc. es ak Id eT a ese Reappointment of the State Commissioner of Forestry. SHEEP GRAZING! IN VARIZONA 2.5. 0cc lah nn ENA A at A Paper Regarding Its Effect on Forest Reserves. BOREST) CONDITIONS:'OF -PORTO RICO. 18 Oe ee ee eee ee Nase) Be Second Paper—Forest Aspects of the Island. (By courtesy of the Secretary of Agriculture.) PRRIGAEION AND PORESTRY 2.200.000 1205. Anes le eid aaa oe Real ibaa ete The Joint Meeting in Montana. Resolutions Adopted at Columbus. HGOREST SPROTBCLION 38008 bee eee Aa SU Ee AR a Os ee Cea Fires in Nehasane Park, Adirondacks. A Bit of Historical Information. THE KIND OF TREES TO PLANT MounicipaAL CARE OF TREES Forest Fires or a Monto na een e cwcemen een des conn wenn wasn nn - sae wenn e ea ew ene sek eens nen n dete een a anne ene snews Pawaceneennseen THE. PREVENTION (OF )/ROREST {FAURES.). saab ae OU BN kA SN ea et Three Chapters on a Question of Importance. Regarding Communications. The Minnesota Park. A History of American Forestry. Chips and Clips—News Items. The Almighty Dollar. In Enlightened Africa. RECENT PUBLICATIONS EDITORIAL FOR e mien en ent pean mmm mati anna a mentee anna wenn ee nanan a esna naan mei tase nna an Oe nnges asaunasuanssnasasneasnaseuceaes AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. BOWES lRYeSeEtooL At BILTMORE N. C. For circular and information apply to CA. SCHENGES Fh. Forester to the BILTMORE ESTATE National Geographic Magazine. A JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY—PHYSICAL, COMMERCIAL, POLITICAL $e Editor: JOHN HYDE, Statistician of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, AssociATE EDITORS: ma Ww. GREELY, WILLIS L. MOORE, Chief Stgnal Officer, U. S. Army. Chief of the U. S. Weather Bureau W J McGEE, Has ERIRCHELT, Ethnologist tn Charge, Bureau of Superintendent of the U.S. Coast and American Ethnology. Geodetic Survey. HENRY GANNETT, : MARCUS BAKER, Chief Geographer, U. S. Geological U.S. Geological Survey. Survey. C. HART MERRIAM, F 0) Pe aAUsSa LN, Chief of the Biological Survey, U.S. Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, O.S Department of Agriculture. Treasury Department. DAVID J. HILL, ELIZA RUHAMAH SCIDMORE, Assistant Secretary of State. Author of ‘Java, the Garden of the East,” etc. CHARLES H. ALLEN, CARL LOUISE GARRISON, Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Principal of Phelps School, Wash- ington, D. C. Assistant Editor: GILBERT H. GROSVENOR, Washington, D. C. $2.50 a Year, 25 cents a Copy, Three’ Months Trial Subscription, 50 Cents. Requests for Sample Copies should invariably be accompanied by 25 cents. Corcoran Building, W ashington, IE eged Ss Kindly mention THE ForesTEr in writing, THE FORESTER. HENRY ROMBEIKE] The First Established and [ost Complete Newspaper Cutting Bureau in the World. mo Mimth Avenue New York: Established London 1881, New York 1884. Branches: London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney. ‘The Press Cuttige Bureau. which I established and have carried on since 1881 in London and 1884 in New York, reads, through its hundreds of employes, every newspaper and periodical of importance published in the United States, Canada and Europe. It is patronized by thousands of sub- scribers, professional or business men, to whom are sent, day by day, newspaper clippings, collected from all these thousands of papers, — referring either to them or any given subject... . Fienmry IRonitetae @, 110 Fifth Awenue, New York. € | Kindly mention Tne Forester in writing, JANIA PENNSYLYV NEAR DU BOIS, NERIES I THE P IN The Forester. Vou. V. OCT OBER} 1890: No. 10. Massachusetts Forestry Association. What It Is and What It Does; Some Suggestions for Similar Organizations in other States. By THE SECRETARY OF THE ASSOCIATION. In talking with a Southern gentleman at the National Capital within the past year I was told that ‘‘ Massachusetts has had her day, and in the present hour she cuts but a small figure in these United States.” Perhaps Massachusetts people will be unwilling to accept this statement in its widest application, but we must admit that in point of proportional forest re- sources we are sadly behind many of our sister States. This, of course, is in a measure due to the fact that the State is very generally fertile, and, as we under- stand the principles of forestry, it is not desirable, as a rule, to hold in timber and cordwood the land which is capable of growing other crops more profitably. By the census returns of 1895 (the latest available statistics on this subject) it appears that the woodland area of this State is nearly a million and a half acres, and that its valuation is almost $24,- 000,000. This is a gain of over 71,000 acres in ten years, but the valuation shows a depreciation of more than $1, 300,000 in a like period, notwithstand- ing the increased acreage. In point of valuation our woodland is to-day some $440,000 ahead of what 1. was thirty years ago, and the acreage shows almost identi- cally the same figures in increase. On the whole, judging from the census re- turns of woodlands of various classes, their character appears to have improved in the ten years, from 1885 to 1895, but the depreciation of considerably more than a million dollars in value in that time seems to indicate that further im- provement is possible. As to the so-called unimproved and unimprovable land of the State, which includes permanent pastures, swamps and other waste country, it is pleasing to note that its area has declined since 1885 by nearly 250,000 acres, It is not so reassuring, however, to note that the value has shrunk by nearly $4,000,000, which seems out of proportion to the loss in area. This loss is not offset by any gain in arable land, for there has been a loss in area in that class, and with a gain in valuation notwithstanding. It is not offset by the gain of 71,000 acres in woodland, for that is less than one- third of the total loss of unimproved and unimprovable lands. Some of this un- improved land has, no doubt, gone into residential property, but the tremendous loss in valuation still remains. ‘‘But why all these dry-as-dust statis- tics >’? some one asks. It is to show more clearly one reason why the Massa- chusetts Forestry Association exists. The problem in this State is, not to in- crease our wooded area as a whole, neces- sarily, but to make the most of what we have in the way of growing trees, and in 220 making lands which are worthless for other purposes, yield a revenue both to their owners and to the Common- wealth. This is the home problem. Beyond our political borders we have a natural interest in wide areas of commercially valuable forest in the States to the north. Massachusetts is dependent on those forests in many ways. Many of the streams which rise in their midst furnish water power to important manu- facturing interests in Massachusetts. Those forests have a more or less direct bearing also on the generai commercial prosperity of Massachusetts, inasmuch as Boston is the business center of New England. If the forests are mismanaged and wrecked, many lines of business enterprise in Massachusetts will be seri- ously affected. It is impossible, how- ever, for a Massachusetts association to exert any direct influence in other States, but its Forestry Association hopes to be able to inspire citizens in those States to act for themselves and to assist in the work as far as it may be permitted. At the time that the initial conferences were being held looking to the forma- tion of the Massachusetts Forestry Asso- ciation, the organizers placed themselves on record to the effect that unless the As- sociation could have influential support, both moral and material, its field would be restricted and its services be practi- cally valueles. It must be a business corporation in every sense of the word, but any profits which may accrue belong, not to the corporate members as such, but to the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts and to New England at large. As an earnest of this spirit one gentle- man subscribed $1,100 on the spot. Since then four others have done like- wise. These donations of $1,000 and the life membership fees are invested in the permanent fund, which it is hoped will shortly be swelled by other dona- tions, that the Association may be en- abled to enter upon its career of greater usefulness. The Association was barely on its feet and trying its first steps when the hurri- THE FOREBS@ER: October, cane of war swept down upon the land, and the child was obliged to retire and wait for the storm to pass. At the time of the incorporation, which wasin June, 1898, the membership numbered one patron (a subscriber of $1,000 or more), tour lite members, and some_ thirty annual members. Almost immediately after the cessation of hostilities with Spain the Association arose once more, and applications for membership began to come in. The growth has ever since been steady and healthy and the rolls showed on the first of October 5 patrons, 18 lite members, 239 annual members. This growth seems to indicate that there is an intelligent public interest in the subject of forestry and tree-culture in Massachusetts, and the Association has been thus encouraged to apply its energies systematically to increase that interest. During’ the past Winter it has carefully prepared a bill providing for the codification and amendment ot the laws relative to the preservation of trees, and has given its support to several other legislative measures bearing upon the forestal welfare of the Common- wealth. Most of the bills succeeded, but most important of all in the eyes of the Association was its own codification bill. This provided that every town in the State should annually elect a Tree Warden, who should have sole charge of and be held directly responsible for the roadside trees and shrubbery. The bill carefully defined his duties and increased his powers. Heretofore the election of a Tree Warden has been permissive merely, and not more than five or six towns ever availed themselves of the privilege. It is now mandatory with all towns. The law having been enacted, the Massachusetts Forestry Association will endeavor at once to interest respon- sible citizens in the several towns of the State tn the necessity for choosing none but competent and public spirited men for the post, and offering whatever assistance the Association may be able to render once the Warden is duly in- stalled in office. Naturally the Associa- tion cannot exert any influence in the 1899. electioneering line, as it is not a politi- cal organization and has no desire to meddle with the private affairs of the towns. As the office carries no salary unless the towns see fit to provide one, none but public-spirited persons will seek the position, The Tree Warden law is, of course, primarily for shade tree protection, but it will indirectly awaken an interest in the better management of woodlands and timber. The original draft of the bill also included a most important pro- vision for a forest fire warden system, but this the legislative joint committee on agriculture did not see fit to report, on the ground that its provisions were too drastic. This matter must therefore be left for another year. ‘hat there is sore need of a more stringent fire law is shown by the records of the past Spring. Six towns, situated in various parts of the State, have thus far this year been subjected to heavy losses. Much of this destruction might have been prevented had there been an adequate law govern- ing the setting of fires, defining a system for their prompt extinguishment, fixing the responsibility for their origin, and providing for the punishment of the offenders. With a view to bringing the subject of forestry and of roadside. tree culture more generally and more forcefully before the people of Massachusetts, in a plain way, the Association has spent the Sum- mer months this year in securing an original set of photographs of existing conditions, ideal and otherwise, through- out the State, from which lantern slides may be made. Lectures will soon be pre- pared to accompany the pictures (for the pictures will carry greater conviction than mere words, and are therefore the primary factors), and next Winter will be started a campaign which it is hoped will be as successful as those which have been conducted in similar fashion in Pennsylvania and other States. Another means of helping farmers in the improvement of their woodlots and in the planting to trees some of their valueless waste land, and for the guid- AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 221 ance of Tree Wardens and others in caring for shade trees and roadside shrubbery, is found in a concise little book, which the Association expects to publish before long. This book is the work of Warren H. Manning, of the Executive Committee of the Associa- tion, and the funds for its publication are being subscribed by members and other interested persons. In many other ways the Association has been and is still active. For ex- ample, a committee of business men has been hard at work for many weeks past in taking testimony from persons repre- senting various lumber interests all over the country on the subject of a lumber tariff. They have studied the matter carefully and from all sides, and now report that the interests of our forests demand that foreign lumber of all kinds shall be admitted duty free. Another committee, composed of members living in the cities and towns infested by the notorious gypsy moth, has been engaged during the past Summer in following the State’s work of attempting to exterminate this pest. This committee, after studying the work, will return a report to the next General Court, advising a continuation of the crusade in its present form, or sug- gesting some new plan of action in accordance with what it considers the in- terests of the State demand The As- sociation also furnishes articles relating to forestry and tree-culture to the daily press, and it is most encouraging to note the readiness of the papers generally to publish all such articles. In several in- stances these articles have been accorded positions in the editorial columns. On the whole the outlook for a life of useful activity seems bright to the Massa- chusetts Forestry Association. It already possesses the courage to go ahead, and it needs only the active support of every interested citizen of the State to hasten the day when scientific forestry shall be as common as are destructive lumbering operations and forest fires at the present time. ALLEN CHAMBERLAIN, Winchester, Mass. THE FORESTER. October, The Reclamation of Drifting Sand Dunes. (GOLDEN GATE PARK, CALIFORNIA. ) Being a Paper Read at the Summer Meeting, Los Angeles, Cal., 1899. (NUMBER SIX OF THE SERIES.) About 700 of the 1,040 acres com- posing the reservation were originally acres of drifting sand that moved with every gale, heavy storms sometimes moving it to a depth of three feet in twenty-four hours. This sand is sharp and clean, with nothing in its composi- tion of a loamy nature, barren and poor, so poor that barley sown on its surface, after being plowed and cultivated in a favorable season with plenty of moist- ure, grew only about six inches in height, and failed to perfect its seed, although perfectly protected from winds by a high embankment on its westerly side. The first operation necessary in the reclamation of ground of this sterile nature, was to bind the sand to prevent its moving. Experiments were made by sowing barley, also by sowing seeds of the blue and yellow shrub lupin Lupinus Arborea, also by planting seeds of Pinus Maritima, all of which were partially successful; but the first complete success was with the planting of the entire area with the sea bent grass (Calamagrestis Arenaria), which was done by planting the roots about three feet apart, and run in with the plow. A furrow was run about fifteen inches deep, in which afew roots were dropped, about three feet apart; then two furrows were turned, in which no roots were set; in the third furrow roots were again planted, and so on over the entire tract. Where the dunes were too steep for horses to travel, pits were dug by hand and the roots planted the same distance apart as when the land was plowed, care being taken to firmly press with the foot the sand immediately about the roots. Moist or even wet weather is, of course, the best time to plant this grass, the best season for planting being between December 1 and February 15. If planting be de- layed much later, dry weather is apt to set in before the plants become firmly rooted, and the consequence is many are lost either by drought or by being blown out by the winds. Where any large areas of plants were blown out by the roots, care was taken to have the ground immediately re- planted, a gang of men being sent after every storm to pick up the scattered roots and to plant them deeper if possi- ble than before. The entire tract being planted with this grass, the next opera- tion was the building of brush fences across the wind about 100 yards apart and from four to six feet in height, on the sheltered side of which young seed- ling trees were planted, averaging five feet apart. A variety of trees were ex- perimented with, among which were the Norway Maple, which is so highly recom- mended in European works of reclama- tion; the Tamarix and the Poplar, the Monterey Cypress, the Pinus Insignis, the Pinus Maritima, the Acacia Lophan- tha, the Acacia Latifolia and the Euca- lyptus, Viminalis, Globulas, etc. All these made satisfactory progress, ex- cepting the Norway Maple and the Pop- lar, the summer winds blowing off every leaf, almost as soon as formed. The Acacia Latifolia and Acacia Lophantha, the Monterey Pine, the Monterey Cy- press and the Tamarix are all about equally well adapted for standing exposed sea winds, and all seem to thrive equally well in the sand; but we find that the barren sand does not contain nutriment sufficient to grow trees more than ten feet in height, or until the tree begins to form heart wood. About that stage of growth the tree begins to show signs of distress, the leaves of the conifers gradually grow shorter, the bark gets bound and the 1899. whole tree shows a stunted, starved look. Acres and acres are now in that state, and unless given assistance will die out- right. Several years ago the work of fertilizing the forest trees was begun, and wherever a load of loam, manure or other good rich dressing was spread, the hungry tree responded very quickly by making good growth, a more thrifty look was noticed, and in less than a year they had a vigorous, healthy look, showing that want of nourishment alone was the cause of their stunted appearance. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 223 Now that the young Pines, Cypress, Eucalyptus, etc , are up twenty or more feet high, with good soil and plenty of water, most any tree that thrives in the neighborhood will do well. The Willow, the Elm and the Poplar, as well as the Oak and the Maple, are doing very well, and all of the shrubs, such as Rhodo- dendrons, Azaleas and many others very well, indeed, protected as they are by the shelter of the hardier kinds. Joun McLaren. Minnesota’s Park for the People. Symposium of Views of the Forest Expert, the Lumberman and the Press. Friends of forestry and others have long wished to have a portion of our northern Minnesota forest reserved as a park, health resort and game preserve. The Itasca State Park already created, of less than 20,000 acres, but for the in- crease of which the last legislature ap- propriated $20,000, has realized this wish only in part. Coley ohny Ss: Cooper, of Chicago, having come forward with a project of a ‘national park’ of 7,000,000 acres, the happy audacity of his plan has aroused the interest and discussion which are desired. I do not suppose that anything like 7,000,000 acres will be taken for a na- tional park, but hope that a reasonably extensive area will be appropriated be- fore interest in the subject subsides. The annual report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office shows that the United States still holds in northern Minnesota 6,000,000 acres of public land, stretching (though not all in a compact body) from the eastern limit on the north shore of Lake Superior to the Red River Valley, a distance of 350 miles. In the eastern and northern parts the surface is broken, and to some extent rockv. There are extensive swamps, mostly covered with stunted Spruce. But the region as a whole, though perhaps of a sombre cast, abounds with clear lakes and streams, is a natural forest of Pine, Spruce and mixed woods ; has always been, and still is, the covert of valuable game, and is well adapted from its prevailing sandy soil and coniferous foliage for a national park health resort. There are spots that are ideal for sylvan beauty. Contiguous to these United States lands are, in round numbers, a million acres of valuable Pine and mineral lands belonging to private parties, anda million or more acres ot cut-over lands belonging to private parties ; also about three mil- lion acres of school and swamp lands be- longing to the State of Minnesota as the gift of Congress. Of the 6,000,000 acres of United States lands, probably 3,000,000 acres are non-agricultural, yet suited for forestry. I speak only for myself, but I favor a national park, and one just as extensive as it can reasonably be. I will not venture now to advise how it should be created. It might be by act of Con- gress authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to select and set apart all such tracts as are unsuited for agriculture, or a commission of disinterested and emi- nent men, such as selected and set apart the national forest reserves, might be authorized to createit. Under the latter 224 THE FORESTER. system is a method of eliminating all lands better suited for other purposes than for forestry. The authority that would be least lable to political and local influence would have my prefer- ence, Much opposition to the proposed na- tional park is being made by the news- papers of northern Minnesota from a mis- taken apprehension that it will withdraw farming lands from settlement, obstruct lumbering and retard the general pros- perity. In answer to this I have re- peatedly, in various newspapers, cited the example of the Black Forest (so called from the dark color of its conif- erous woods), a tract ninety miles long by from thirteen to forty miles wide, lying in Baden and Wurtemburg, and which, though essentially a forest, managed on forest principles, and a most popular health and summer resort, still has within its limits cities and villages, a popula- tion of a million, fine roads, manufac- tures and cultivated farms. The Thurin- gian and all other forests illustrate a similar fact that land which is better fitted for forest than for agriculture can be maintained as forest so as to yield a continuous revenueand afford the benefits of a park, without preventing the culti- vation of any neighboring agricultural land. If I am not mistaken the Adiron- dacks, in which the State of New York now holds a million acres as a forest re- serve and park, contains several villages, many private summer homes, good roads, and while affording all the benefits of a park, of a fish and game preserve, and of a summer resort, is the theater of active prosperity; and there can be no doubt whatever that if a reasonably ex- tensive national park be established in northern Minnesota it will greatly in- crease rather than retard the general prosperity. Under the free and easy public land system which the people, through their Congress and Government, have per- mitted, the timber lands in Minnesota, as well as elsewhere, have been disposed of in a prodigal manner. Within the past fifty yearsa hundred million dollars’ October, worth of Pine has been cut in Minnesota, for which the Government has received less than $7,000,000. The greater and best part of the Pine forest has been cut; and now, if the people of the country at large wish to reserve a few groves of the remaining Pine belonging to the Government as a future health resort, it does not become any one to make too violent an opposition. The lumbermen of Minnesota, as a class, are broad-minded and liberal, and will not oppose a suitable national park. But timber thieves and all suchas ‘‘ dead and down” timber rascals will oppose it and make their opposition felt. It is a question which concerns the public quite generally and ought to be decided promptly or it will be too late. C. C. ANDREWS, Chief Fire Warden of Minnesota and Secretary of the Minnesota State Forestry Board. St. Paul; Minn: The Minnesota National Park and Forestry Association has set itself to the task of securing a national park for the plain people of the United States. In area, its acres will count by the millions, and in scenic and native conditions this combined forest reserve and park will be among the most picturesque and primal solitudes that are grouped around the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Its forests are magnificent and stately, the cascade and rivulet trickle down its slopes and gorges. It has lakes that silver spot its open landscapes, the air is crispy and bracing, it is easily access- ible to some twenty millions of people, and for Nimrods, Waltons and tourists it has the savage beast, the game fish and a vestige of what is left of old Amer- ica, and of unvandalized domain. It is proposed to keep the ruthless axe of the nomadic chopper out of the woods, and to spare the coming generation a gloomy vista of blackened stumps, sand-stran- gled streams and gorges filled with slash- ings or sawdust. This forest is one of the few left east of the Rocky Mountains; but in all its 1899. grim grandeur of massiveness and mag- nitude, it will be but a desolation of slabs and stumps and moss-covered charcoal in less than a decade if timber rapacity is not repressed. The move- ment now being made has forest preser- vation as one of its objects, and if an act of Congress can be secured to make national property of this splendid do- main, the timber thief, the fire fiend, and some other repellant annexes to camps and saw mills, will give up the ghost or quit the country. The regulat- ing of timber cutting will avert the cli- matic catastrophes that follow the whole- sale destruction of forests the wide world over, and will give the people of the Mississippi Valley a domain as large as an ancient kingdom, where the debili- tated can renew their strength, feast their eyes on landscapes tranquilizing and superb, or carry out their Nimrodic instincts to the haunt of the wolf and the den of the bear. It would seem that public opinion would be a unit in this movement, but, while it is not unani- mous, there is sufficient weight and mo- mentum to give the project a reasonable hope of success. In the establishment of forest reserves and national parks the Government of the United States has confined itself to the Pacific coast and the extreme West, the whole making an aggregate of 4o0,- 000,000 acres. The Mississippi Valley has not had a Lazarus crumb from the tablecloth of Dives. It may be the country has grown too fast, and has ribbed out an empire before its juvenile mouth was filled with second teeth. It is no longer a stripling. It is now the commercial spine of a nation. It has turned the sod of the prairie, and made a patchwork of orchards and _ fields of the wilderness. It teems with life. The church is on the hill and the school house in the valley. The throats of furnaces breathe like Vesuvius. The chasms are bridged, the streams spanned, and steel rails spread a web of blue-white lines on mountain slopes and from sea to sea. From the valley of the American Nile crowds of men and women make their AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 225 annual trips to the hills of New Hamp- shire, the rock-ribbed slopes of Old Maine, the gorges of the Adirondacks, the crags and woods of the White Moun- tains, to the Yosemite and the Yellow- stone, and the white and yellow sand- lines of two oceans. What about a Minnesota diversion for Nimrods, Wal- tons and tourists? It is within twenty- four hours’ reach of twenty millions of people, who, if rigid and forceful in their several avocations, are as eager and in- tent in their once a- year go-out for health or rest, or in man-like quest of some sport or other that shakes the sawdust out of brains, and nerves the hand for the gun or the fishing-rod. In a commercial sense, aside from all other considerations, a home park for the tribes of the Valley would b2 a mag- net for the largest dollar ever made. It has been a matter of dispute with some as to whether or not this privilege would be abused. Would it become a monop- oly, or a whole mob of monopolies, as has been the traditional practice of some sportsmen’s clubs in securing the control of hunting and camping grounds? In this instance exclusiveness would be im- possible. The Minnesota National Park would be for allthe people. It will have no necktie or club button privileges, if the program as on the card is lived up to. Such an outing place as is pro- posed, if anywhere near the descriptions given of its natural characteristics, and! if free from that yellow paint that too often gets on scenic maps, the Park of the Valley would be a godsend to its. people and an honor to the nation. The last of the great Pine timber tracts: of the Northwest lies in the upper por- tion of Minnesota, a vast region of many thousand square miles which was once too remote from transportation to make the marketing of its lumber easily prac- tical. Out by the port of Duluth, and south by the highway of the Mississippi River, and out also from the stations of the railroads which have been steadily invading that region, there have long 226 been coming the old streams of logs. Minnesota is by no means a new region for the lumberman, but a part of the State, more especially that covered by certain Indian reservations, is still un- cut, and is looked on eagerly by the eyes of those men whose capital is invested in the lumber trade. The eastern and northwestern portions of Minnesota have been well logged off. The forest fires at Hinckley and elsewhere, which wiped out whole villages and destroyed scores of lives, show what possibilities of ruin there are latent in a slashed-off, aban- doned lumber country. Little by little the axe and the saw have been working toward the last of the great North- western Pine forests. It is not the purpose of this forestry organization to injure any existing prop- erty rights. It is the intention to be not unjust, but just, to the Indians who live in that country. It is not the intention to rob the State of Minnesota, or any citizen of that State in any particular, but to benefit that State and its citizens. The organization is not presumptuous enough to ask for any given limits for this national playground. The gentle- men of the organization have merely asked the members of Congress to come out and see that country, and then to decide the question whether it should belong to the people of America or be given over to the axe and saw of a few lumbermen, who must soon ruin it, as they have ruined the Pine tracts farther to the east. The organization of the National Park and Forestry Association will give im- petus to the general movement to save the forests in the States and Territories. There is now very little opposition to the plans inaugurated by the Govern- ment for the preservation of forests, and in most of the older States there is a strong sentiment in favor of a system under which the trees so ruthlessly de- stroyed in the timber States of the East may be replaced. In the prairie States much progress has been made. THE FORESTER. October, The State of Minnesota, under its own forest laws, is taking some care of its forest lands, and each year a report of the wardens is submitted as to ravages of fire and destruction from other causes. Of the 11,890,000 acres of natural forest in the State 10,889,000 acres are in twen- ty-three counties. Seven million acres lie to the west of Duluth, and here the members of the new park association propose toestablish a national park that shall preserve the natural forest, its plants and animals. The only opposi- tion to this will come from those who believe that it would be against the in- terests of the State to reserve any great extent of wild land from settlement. This opposition may be overcome by the plan pursued in other States where parks have been located in a way not to inter- fere with the development of remote sections of the State. The necessity for prompt action, in view of the rapidity with which large areas of forest are denuded of timber, is shown in the following press dispatches from that section of country: ‘¢Two hundred men are now gather- ing in camps on Turtle River, north of Cass Lake, to cut 300,000,000 feet of Pine. The camps on the upper branches of the Mississippi, where 300,000,000 additional feet of Pine is to be cut, were established last year, and 35,000,000 feet has been driven down the Missis- sippi to Bemidji, and is now being loaded on cars—8o0,000 feet each day— and railroaded out of that region on the Brainerd & Northern. ‘‘Tf the Ojibway Pine is sold to these lumbermen under the Nelson law, every Pine tree in the whole region, except at Itasca Lake, in the State Park, will be cut and turned into lumber before the expiration of the ensuing fifteen years at the present rate of destruction. It will then be absolutely impossible to prevent devastating and enormous forest fires similar to those which have heretofore occurred in the cut-off Pine regions of Minnesota.”’ 1899 The Congressional party invited to explore the country advocated for a Government reserve by the Minnesota National Parkand Forestry Association, left Chicago Thursday, September 28, arrived in St. Paul the next morning, left the same evening over the Great Northern Railway, and at last accounts had reached Walker, Minn., where a houseboat was taken for a trip down Leech Lake. The original itinerary was changed so as to visit Otter Tail Point, where a council was being held by the Pillager and Chippewa Indians. After meeting several influential chiefs, the party returned to Walker for a banquet AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 227 in their honor in the evening. On Thursday, October 5, the party was expected to proceed by special train to Duluth, thence to Minneapolis and Chi- cago, concluding the journey on Octo- ber 7. The present plan of the Association is to ask that only 800,000 acres be set aside now, to begin the new park. This area would include seventy lakes of con- siderable size, besides several hundred small ones, with a number of square miles of finest White Pine trees. The settlers in this region have become en- thusiastic supporters of the plan, since they have learned of its true scope. ihe @xample offfennsylvania. Reappointment of a Worthy Official in Spite of Political Clamor— Unanimous Approval by the Press. The Governor of Pennsylvania, on September 18, reappointed for four years, as State Commissioner of Forestry, Dr. J. T. Rothrock, vice president of the American Forestry Association for Penn- sylvania. Joseph Trimble Rothrock was born in McVeytown, Mifflin County, Pa., April g, 1839. He was graduated from Har- vard University in 1854, and in 1868 re- ceived his medical degree from the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania. From March, 1865, to November, 1866, he was engaged in exploration in British Columbia and in Alaska. He had previously served in the civil war. From 1869 to 1873 he was actively engaged in the practice of medicine in Wilkesbarre. From 1873 to 1876 he was surgeon and botanist to the Wheeler Exploring Expedition of the United States Engineering Corps and served in Colorado, Arizona, New Mex- ico and California. The University of Pennsylvania elected him Professor of Botany in 1876, which position he still holds, though granted leave of absence since 1893 to serve as Commissioner of Forestry of the State. He has delivered many lectures in the interest of forestry, and has written several books on the subject. Governor Stone has done the State a service and added luster to his adminis- tration by reappointing Joseph T. Roth- rock as Commissioner of Forestry for another four years’ term. This State first waked up to the necessity of doing something for the preservation and per- petuation of her forests about eight years ago. This awakening was due largely to the public addresses and writ- ings of Professor Rothrock, and when the Legislature in 1893 was moved to authorize the appointment of a Forestry Commission to look into the subject of State forestry, Dr. Rothrock, though a Republican, was selected by the Demo- cratic Governor Pattison as the head of that commission The State has made progress since then. The Forestry Commission made a most instructive and valuable report on the forests of the State. The com- mission of two gave place toa single Commissioner of Forestry, to which place Governor Hastings appointed the 228 one man in the State pre-eminently qual- ified for the position, Joseph T. Roth- rock. The commission had collected information on forests and forestry. The Commissioner applied himself to the task of getting legislation under which forests might be protected and new growths of timber encouraged. Asaresult we have our fire-warden law, acts to encourage tree planting, the act providing for the creation of forest reservations at the headwaters of our chief rivers, the act providing for the purchase by the State of unsettled lands, sold for taxes, for the purpose of creating forestry reservations out of them. Before Dr. Rothrock came to their res- cue our forests had scarcely a single law on the statute book in their interest. Now Pennsylvania stands in the van of the States which manifest an intelligent concern for their forests and provide for their protection. We will have three large forest reservations as soon as the Legislature will appropriate the money to secure the land, and many smaller reservations through the purchase by the State of wild lands fit for forest growth. Our forests will be protected from burn- ing by fire wardens, and partial relief from taxation will encourage farmers to plant trees. A new and intelligent interest has been awakened in this State on the sub- ject of forestry, and to no one man is this due so much as to Dr. Rothrock. He has been the soul and inspiration of the forestry movement in Pennsylvania— its intelligence and executive head. We are glad that Governor Stone recognizes this, and we embrace with pleasure this opportunity to commend him for a most excellent appointment.—P/z/la. Press. Recently Governor Stone has made several appointments which merit the hearty commendation of his fellow citi- zens. The one, however, which has probably caused the most general satis- faction is the reappointment of Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock to the position of Commissioner of Forestry, All who THE FORESTER. October, have the interest of forest culture at heart will feel particular gratification, be- cause it insures fora term, at least, the continued advance of this important work in Pennsylvania. Dr. Rothrock is eminently fitted for the post of Com- missioner of Forestry; in fact, there is probably not another available man in the State as well equipped for the work as he is. He has held the office since its creation, and he has done more than any one else to bring the State to a realizing sense of the importance of taking active steps for the preservation of the forest area which remains, and to interest agriculturists and others in the subject of tree planting and the desira- bility of planting more woodlands. In every respect he has filled his office worthily, and it would have been a se- vere blow to the forest interests of Penn- sylvania if he had been removed. Governor Stone, since his incum- bency, has frequently made removals and appointments which have not met with popular approval. He has often shown too much partisan zeal in such matters and too great an inclination to listen to the voice of ex-Senator Quay rather than to that of the people. Dr, Rothrock, it is said, was marked for re- moval, to make room for some one hav- ing greater ability as a political worker. The report carried widespread dissatis- faction and protest, and it is gratifying to learn that it was without foundation, or, if his removal was in contemplation, that Governor Stone has listened to the voice of the people, and not to the de- mands of the factional politicians. It is much pleasanter to commend than to disapprove, and for once Governor Stone merits the hearty approval of the citizens of the whole State by his reap- pointment of Dr. Rothrock as Commis- sioner of Forestry.—Phila. Ledger. So little has yet been done in this country toward the protection of our for- ests that any step in this direction, in whatever part of the United States, is cause for national satisfaction. Six years 1899. ago some public-spirited citizens of Pennsylvania induced the Legislature to authorize the appointment of a Forestry Commission, and Governor Pattison, himself a Democrat, selected as its head Dr. Joseph T, Rothrock, a Republican, who was universally admitted to be the best man for the place. Two years later, when a single Commissioner of Forestry was given charge of the matter, Gov- ernor Hastings appointed Dr. Rothrock, with the approval of all good citizens. Under his leadership, acts have been passed by the Legislature for the crea- tion of forest reservations at the head- waters of the State’s chief rivers, and for the purchase by the State of unset- tled lands sold for taxes, with a view to creating forest reservations out of them, while a body of fire wardens has been established to protect the forests from burning. On every public ground, Dr. Rothrock deserved reappointment when his term expired. But, although a Republican in his opinions, he is no politician, and hun- gry office-seekers clamored for his place as a reward for their services to the party or the machine. There was fear that the Quay Governor would yield to these demands, but he has happily disap- pointed the public by commissioning Dr. Rothrock for another four years. The advocates of forest reform throughout the country will be encouraged by this evidence that the movement has already grown strong enough to command the respect of the politicians. — Avening mast, IV. Y. City. While there are many things in the administration of the affairs of the State to criticize, there are also some to com- mend. One of these is the reappoint- ment this week of Prof. J. T. Roth- rock to be Commissioner of Forestry. It was reported a few months ago that Professor Rothrock would be retired at the expiration of his present term, but Governor Stone has shown that he is not utterly devoid of sense in retaining in the AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 229 service of the State this most capable and popular servant. As Commissioner of Forestry, Pro- fessor Rothrock has given the Common- wealth the benefit of his large experience and the enthusiasm which he brings to the consideration of the subject. He believes that there is no one thing more deserving the attention of the people than the restoration of the forests and those still left in the mountain region of Pennsylvania. He has been at the head of all these movements to promote tree culture, and through his efforts much good has resulted. The laws relating to forest protection and growth have been largely enacted through his personal ef- forts, and it would have been a lasting shame to remove him from a position of such great usefulness. With the assurance of a certain ten- ure, Professor Rothrock can go ahead with those plans which have been under consideration in his department, and the whole State will applaud the Governor for once setting aside merely political considerations in making an appoint- ment.—Cvty and State, Philadelphia. In the reappointment of Professor Rothrock as State Commissioner of For- estry Governor Stone certainly consulted the best interests of the Commonwealth, wisely casting political considerations to the winds. In technical and practical knowledge of the subject of forestry Professor Rothrock is easily in the front ranks of his profession. During his eight years of service in his present position he has become thoroughly familiar with the needs of Pennsylvania in the matter of reforesting its denuded and barren acres, and is better qualified than any other man to make practical suggestions as to the best means of protecting the existing forest area of the State. Professor Rothrock’s reappointment 1s to be commended without qualification, and the State is to be congratulated upon the prospect of securing his efficient serv- ices for another term.—//z/a. Times. 230 THE FORESTER. October, Sheep Grazing in Arizona. A Paper on the Statement that the Forest Reserves are Injured by Grazing. [THE ForEsTER assumes no responsibility for views expressed in signed communications, The opposite view on this question will be published in the November issue,—Ep. ]. The object of the American Forestry Association and of the Department of Forestry of the United States Govern- ment is to be attained, if at all, by candid, conservative and careful investi- gation of all the conditions of each local- ity and the establishment, for each local- ity, of such conservative regulations as the conditions, after such study, are found to require. There have been in the past many statements of a general nature, some of them coming from ap- parently high authority, that were based upon facts and conditions found in ]im- ited localities and applicable only to such localities. Such statements are extremely unfortunate, not only because they are unjust to local interests, but- that they break the confidence of the settler of these localities in the Depart- ment of Forestry and bring into ridicule the whole plan of forest reservation among the settlers, on whom, in Ari- zona, at least, the preservation of the young forest most depends. In the July ForESTER appeared an article on ‘‘ Natural Reforestation in the Southwest,” in which the author dis- cussed sheep grazing in the forest re- serves of ‘*Central Arizona” from the standpoint, evidently, of facts and con- ditions found in California, and falls into the grievous errors above referred to. Ido not wish to criticize the author, who, we feel, was the victim of misplaced confidence, with, possibly, too much the- ory on the science of Forestry, but jus- tice to the high aims of the Department of Forestry, as well as to local interests, demand that the facts be known and that these errors be corrected before injustice be done. I quote from the article re- ferred to: ‘‘The topography of Southern Cali- fornia and Arizona is such that, at best, much of the rainfall flows off in imme- diate floods,’’ etc. After the statement in most positive terms of the necessity of excluding sheep from the forests of both California and Arizona, the writer adds, in justification of his position : ‘As a specific instance in illustration of the destructive effect of grazing, the forest reserve in Central Arizona may be cited. Many of the streams which flow into the Salt River have their sources in these reservations. Whenever sheep have been driven there in large numbers, the farmers of the Salt River valley have suffered material injury from the canals and laterals filling with sand and silt.” Then follows a paragraph on the same subject which is probably quite practical and true for the precipitous mountains of Southern California, but, if intended to apply to the forest reserves of Central Arizona, it is worthy the pen of a Cer- vantes. There are three forest reserves in Ari- zona: the ‘‘ Black Mesa,” the ‘*Grand Cafion,’’ and the ‘‘San Francisco Moun- tain’’ Forest Reserve. The former lies on the east border of the Territory. The writer 1s personally familiar with very little of it, but understands the soil and conditions there are very similar to those of the other two reserves. As the waters of the ‘‘Grand Cafion”’ reserve all flow, when they flow at all, into the Colorado River, that reserve could not be referred to or affect this question.- In fact, only a small per cent of the other two re- serves lie on the southern slope. After a residence of eleven years at the foot of the San Francisco Mountains, and con- © stant familiarity with all parts of the lat- ter reserve, and with the grazing of both cattle and sheep thereon, we are forced to the conclusion that the author of the -article referred to has been imposed | upon by the parties from whom he de- ~ | rived his information. 1899. The district composing this reserve, and the western end of the ‘Black Mesa” forest reserve as well, is a_ pla- teau comparatively level, averaging six to seven thousand feet above sea level, covered for the most part by an open forest of pine timber bounded on the bor- ders, where the plateau descends into the deserts or timberless plains, with a belt, a few miles in width, of scrubby Cedar. On the south it breaks off ab- ruptly into the tributaries of Salt River, the headwaters of which extend into this plateau in the form of precipitous cafions one thousand to fifteen hundred feet deep, which are fed by numberless springs that burst out at the bottom of these cafions. The formation of this entire plateau is volcanic. Itis covered with extinct vol- canoes and evidences of volcanic influ- ence. ‘The stratified formation is every- where broken and shattered, and the soil is of a loose, porous nature, so that the rains and melting snows are drunk up by the soil lke a sponge and appear again, if atall, only at the bottom of the cafions, or small springs at rare inter- vals on the Mesa which disappear in a short distance from the point at which they rise. We have absolutely no run- ning streams on this Mesa, or forest re- serve. It is not precipitous and does not wash. Toillustrate: The draw that passes through Flagstaff heads at the foot of Mt. Agassiz and topcgraphically drains an areaof more than two hundred square miles, has no outlet but empties into a little valley five miles east of town. It seldom runs to this valley and never more than once or twice during the year, and is often dry the entire year. The forest reserve districts of Arizona have been used for grazing sheep for twenty to thirty years. We have never before heard it claimed that ‘‘The ca- nals and laterals of Salt River valley filled with sand and silt’’ because of the sheep grazing on the forest reserves which lie two hundred miles further up theriver ; and one familiar with the moun- tain plateaus and with the dry, sandy, dusty, and windy districts and plains AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 231 through which the waters of the Salt River and the canals and laterals of the Salt River valley flow, after leaving the mountain forest reserves, would be hard to convince that the sheep on the moun- tain materially affected the filling of the canals and laterals referred to. If there were any such results, they would be constant, and it could not be said that ‘Whenever sheep have been driven there in large numbers,” etc., these re- sults were seen, because the ranges of these forest reserves have been used con- stantly for twenty years, and the results would be constant and universal in the Salt River valley. There is little in common with the sheep-grazing industry of Arizona and that of many districts, perhaps any dis- trict of California. The scarcity of wa- ter on the mountain plateaus of Arizona has confined the summer ranges of each individual sheep breeder to a more or less definite locality during the summer and dry season, within which he owns or controls the permanent water supply. He is a settler. Thisis his home from which he comes and goes as the season may require. There is no undergrowth or ‘cover,’’ and none is needed to ‘‘hold back the snow or prevent surface floods.”’ The great enemy to the forest and to the wool-growers is the forest fires which burn up the feed for the flocks and de- stroy the young and tender Pines. The grazing off of the grass and weeds by the sheep and the vigilance of the sheep owners are the greatest safeguards against these forest fires. Where the timber has been cut and the laps and brush left scattered upon the ground, these fires are inevitable, and destructive to much of the larger growth. Steps should be taken to require parties cutting timber to clean up carefully all combustible mate- rial left behind, whether on private or reserve lands. It is the popular idea that sheep graze in close, compact herds and hence tram- ple out what they do not feed off. This is incorrect. They are not closely herded or bunched except in driving or corral- ling, which, in well-managed herds, is 232 seldom done, and when scattered on the range the tramping of the small tree plants is slight. | There are in the San Francisco Moun- tain forest reservation districts on which sheep have been grazed constantly for twenty years or more, others on which cattle only have grazed, and a few dis- tricts on which neither have grazed at any time to any considerable extent, and we have yet to find the man who can go over these districts and point out which district has been grazed by sheep, which by cattle, or the district on which no stock has ranged. There is practically no difference in the growth of these dis- tricts. It is claimed by the oldest set- tlers that forest fires were more frequent THE FORESTER. October, and destructive in the early settlement before the grazing by sheep and cattle, and that in the growth of the young Pine, the reforestation is greater where it has been protected by the stock and the owners of’ the stock. Systematic efforts on the part of both the Depart- ment and the herdsmen will bring much better results. Let us have an intelli- gent, candid investigation of this ques- tion in each locality by capable men who come seeking truth, and without precon- ceived notions and theories which they, consciously or unconsciously, seek al- ways to sustain and prove. (Szgned ) E. S. GOsney, Flagstaff, Arizona Forest Conditions of Porto Rico. Review of the Forest Resources of the Island, by the Special Agent of the U. S. Geological Survey, for Issue by the Department of Agriculture. SECOND PAPER—FOREST ASPECTS OF THE ISLAND. By CourTESY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, Those who have read Kingsley’s 1n- teresting description of the tropical for- ests of Trinidad, or Lafcadio Hearn’s vivid pictures of the vast woods of Mar- tinique, will be disappointed not to find such forests and woods duplicated in Porto Rico, except in the single instance of the summit portion of El Yunque, in the Sierra Luquillo, where there are about eight square miles of virgin forest. The island, although wooded in the sense that it is still dotted by many beautiful trees, is largely deforested from a commercial point of view. Porto Rico, at the time of its discovery, was undoubt- edly completely covered by forests of many species of trees, but these can hardly be said to exist at present. A few insignificant patches of culled forest also occur in the central and northwest- ern portions of the island which will be described presently. To the casual observer, the aspect of Porto Rico, in places, is still that of an open wooded landscape. The farms and plantations, excepting the tobacco and sugar fields, are not cleanly cleared like those of the United States, but, on the contrary, individual trees are abundant and well distributed everywhere. Along the roadsides, around every hut, and throughout the coffee plantations are many trees, a few of which are remnants of the aboriginal forests, while most of them have been planted for shade or fruit. Grange trees, Mangoes, Aguacates, Breadfruit, Mameys, and other stately trees are common, while, as in our own deforested region, there are a few timber- making trees which have been spared the ax. Besides these larger trees, Flam- boyantes, Nisperos and Guanabonas of smaller growth add their foliage to the wooded aspect of the island. So far as was observed by reconnois- sance methods the island presents two strongly marked and contrasting zones of vegetation. One includes the whole of the mountains and north coast re- gion and the other is the foothill country 1899. of the south coast. The first is a region of great and constant humidity, high alti- tudes and stiff clay soils; the other a region of dry calcareous soils, seasonal aridity and lowaltitude. The transition between these vegetal zones is very abrupt and immediately noticeable as soon as one passes from one of these regions to the other. It is true that the rainfall is less on the south coast and the country in general more arid, but there is also an immense difference in the capacity of the two geologic soils for retaining moisture and for root penetra- tion, the clay soils being always satur- ated, while the limestones are porous and dry. The climate of Porto Rico, although in general warm and humid, has a milder temperature and a greater constancy of moisture on the highlands than in the lowlands, while upon the latter there are occasional periods of drought. Accord- ingly, the mountains are constantly clad with fresh green verdure (consisting of such remnants of the primitive flora as have escaped the destruction of man) and cultivated trees, while the flora of the border region has at times a dry and yellow aspect. The Mountain Woodlands. The general growth of the mountain region consists of deciduous trees of many species, freely intermingled with shrub and grass, and above 1,000 feet with tree ferns. In some places the undergrowth is made up largely of ferns of numerous species, many of which are so tall and dense of growth as to consti- tute a veritable jungle. Much of the mountain landscape is now occupied by cultivated crops of coffee, tobacco, fruit trees, shrubs, etc., broken by verdant pastures of tall Para and Guinea grass, which constitute the staple forage of the island. There are many large cultivated shrubs and bushes, attaining the size of a peach tree, which give an aspect of primeval wildness to one who first sees the country ; hence, it is that some of these mountainous portions of the island which have the AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 233 aspect of thick primeval forests, when first viewed from a distance by the trav- eler from the temperate climes, are really the most highly cultivated. Such wooded lands are often occupied by the coffee plantations. The coffee bush, which attains no great height, is always accompanied by an overgrowth of dense shade (the first essential to the life of the coffee bush), so that the latter has the appearance of an underbrush in the midst of high forest trees. The writer has often found it difficult toconvince a fellow traveler that he was in a coffee planta- tion and not a jungle, until a tree could be found full of the bright red berries which distinguish the coffee plant. In fact, a Porto Rican coffee plantation, with its accompanying shade trees, is an artificial forest. In preparing a coffee plantation, the native forest is either thinned of all except the highest trees or completely cleared of all growth and new trees planted for the express purpose of affording shade, These trees grow so rapidly that, by the time the coffee bush reaches maturity at the end of seven years, they are very tall forest trees, giving a dense shade above the bush. The mountain trees are, of many genera. They are largely hard woods, occurring singly or in varied associations, and not as collections of a single species, such as the Pine forests of the United States. The Forest of El Yunque. Single specimens or small groups of trees, however, which have been spared the woodman’s ax, may be found through- out the upland portion of the island. In one place, however, the original forest has been preserved. This forest is upon the summit of El Yunque, the highest peak of the island, situated near the northeast end, and has been protected by its inaccessibility. Although the mountain is hardly over 3,200 feet in altitude, it is constantly bathed in mois- ture, and the steep trails to its summit through red clay and mud are almos impassable for man and beast. T forests on El Yunque consist of 234 almost impenetrable jungle of trees, underbrush and lianas, and are exceed- ingly wet, the rainfall inches per year. Some of the trees of the primeval forest of El Yunque have been described by Dr. George Eggers, the only botanist who has studied it, in a letter written to Sir Joseph Hooker in 1883, as published in ‘‘ Nature ”’ (Lon- don, 1884): ‘“‘As for the general character of the Sierra Yunque forests, they of course resemble in their main outlines those of the other West India Islands. Here I found several interesting trees, especially abeautiful 7a/auwma, withimmense white, odorous flowers and silvery leaves, which would be very ornamental. The wood is used for timber, and called Sabino. A Hirtella, with crimson flowers, I also found rather common. An unknown tree, with beautiful, orange-like foliage and large, purple flowers, split along one side; and several other as yet unde- termined trees and shrubs are among the most remarkable things found. One of the most conspicuous trees in some parts is the Coccoloba macrophylla, which I found on my first visit to Porto Rico. This tree is found up to an alti- tude of 2,000 feet, but chiefly near the coast, where it forms extensive woods in some places which, at the time of flow- ering, with immense purple spikes more than a yard long, are very striking. The tree is named Ortegon by the inhabi- tants. It does not seem to occur on any of the British islands, but to be confined to Porto Rico and Hayti.”’ Logs are still cut from the edge of the Yunque forest, but the cost in time and labor of securing timber therefrom is far more than it would be to import similar woods from Santo Domingo. A few acres of forest are also preserved here and there in the Sierra Cayey and the Cordillera Central, notably between Aibonito and Adjuntas. Collectively, these small patches will not aggregate ten square miles of standing timber, and have been largely culled of their most valuable trees. There is also a small patch of forest preserved in the pepino THE FORESTER. averaging 120 October, hills, near Aguadilla, upona small piece of land belonging to the Government. There may be a few more acres else- where. Otherwise, in a commercial sense, the mountains are deforested, although some excellent trees still stand, just as Walnut trees are found preserved in the deforested areas of the United States. The Coast-Border Woodlands. The second class of flora inhabits the foothills belt lying between the south- ern front of the Central Mountains and the southern coast, a region which is comparatively arid. The wide playa plains and stream valleys of this belt were also once covered with large trees, a few scattered examples of which have been preserved, but in general these have been destroyed in order to clear the land for sugar culture. This flora is markedly different from that of the mountain region, although there are a few species of trees common to both regions. It is largely of the type of low, shrubby, thorny, leguminous, and acacia-like trees, with compound leaves and thorny trunks or stems cov- ered by Z7//andsta (Spanish moss), and largely of the type of growth known in the United States as the Chaparral. In the dry season this flora produces a brownish landscape, as_ distinguished from the evergreen of the mountain region. This Chaparral-lke flora is thorny and dense, especially on the coast hills between Ponce and Yauco, In this region it is accompanied by a thick un- dergrowth of grass, and, with the rolling hills and ‘‘tepetate’”’ soil, repeats nearly every aspect of the Lower Rio Grande country of Texas. The limestone summits of the hills, or cerros, west of Yauco are covered bya remarkable growth of Chaparral, includ- ing Tree Cactus, among which are or- gan-pipe forms resembling those of the California deserts and the tree opuntias of Mexico, accompanied by thorny brush, the whole draped by moss. The products of the forests and other vegetation of Porto Rico are numerous, 1899 although of no great export value. They are of greatest importance tothe inhabit- ants of the island, however. The names of the woods here given are as they were written by the native Porto Ricans who assisted in their col- lection, and as they are spelled in the Commercial Directory of Porto Rico. Among the products of the forest the following trees are used by man: For TIMBER AND FuEL —Algarroba, Ausubo, Capa Blanca, Capa Prieta, Laurel Sabino, Laurel Blanca, Guaya- can, Ucar (Ucare or Jucare), Espejuelo, Moca, Maricao, Mauricio, Ortegon, Tachuelo, Cedro, Cojoba, Aceitillo, Guaraguao, Maga, Yaiti, Palo Santo, Tortuguillo, Zerrezuela, Guayarote, Hi- guereta, Tabanuco, Mora, Hueso, Hachuelo, ‘‘ Ileucedran.”’ For Corpace.—Mahagua, a tall mal- vaceous bush. For DyrEING aND Tanninc.—Moca, Brasilete, Achiote, Granadillo, Maricao, Dividivi, Mora, Gengibrillo, Camasey, Vijao, Mangle. Resinous Trees.—Tabanuco, Pajuil, Algarrobo, Mamey, Masa, Cupey, Maria, Guayaco. Forest TREES YIELDING FRUITS.— Pina, Nispero (Medlar Tree), Mango, Guanabana, Cocotero, Aguacate, Na- ranjo, Jacana, Mamey, Wild Orange. The writer, during his stay upon the island, collected sixteen specimens of the native woods, which are utilized by the people in construction and other in- dustries. Nine of these were found to be very hard, close grained and heavy. The samples of equal size and of ap- proximately the same condition vary but little in weight and are remarkably simi- lar in hardness, The following shows the comparative weight of the nine sam- ples. Mora, 61.8 pounds per cubic foot ; Guayacan, 76.8 pounds per cubic foot ; Hueso, 60.0 pounds per cubic foot ; Au- subo, 70.2 pounds per cubic foot; Ucare Negro, 64.2 pounds per cubic foot ; Pata de Caba, 60.0 pounds per cubic foot ; Ucare Blanca, 61.8 pounds per cubic foot; Hachuelo, 70.2 pounds per cubic AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 235: foot ; Algarrobo, 64.2 pounds per cubic foot. Extreme density 1s shown by small pores (ducts) and in numerous, minute, mostly continuous medullary rays, im- perceptible to the naked eye. The main structure is made up of thick-walled cells. The annual layers of growth are small and comparatively indistinct, ow- ing to the irregular diffusion of the large ducts, which in most northern woods clearly mark the layers of growth. The wood fibers are strongly interlaced (cross-grained), giving a ‘‘tough,” un- cleavable character to the wood. The samples of Mora, Guayacan, Hueso and Ucare Blanca show a tendency to check and warp in seasoning, while Ausubo, Ucare Negro, Pata de Caba, Hachuelo, and Algarrobo appear to maintain good. form in drying out. The injury from checking of the former is, however, not great, and appears not to impair the usefulness of these woods for certain purposes. All are capable of receiving a high polish and require but little « fill- ing.” Ausubo, Ucare Negro, Pata de Caba, Hachuelo and Algarrobo are eminently cabinet woods of great value and attrac- tiveness; Mora and Ucare Blanca are less attractive for this purpose, but may have limited use. Guayacan and Ausubo- are especially adapted for small turnery, tool handles, etc., where great hardness and wearing qualities are needed. Pata de Caba and Algarrobo closely resemble the rosewoods of commerce. With a permanent black stain, Ucare Negro and Hachuelo are useful substitutes for Ebony. Ausubo is similar in appear- ance and a good substitute for the valu- able ‘* Coccobola” (Coccoloba), so much imitated by inferior woods. Laurel Sa- bino, Cedro, Capa Blanca, Capa Prieta, Guaraguao and Maga are characteristi- cally lighter, softer and coarser grained than the nine species above mentioned. The weight of these samples varies but little, the average being 38 pounds per cubic foot. With the exception of Lau- rel Sabino, all are attractive in grain and suitable for finishing woods. 236 THE FORESTER. The following descriptions give, in part, the specific characters of the vari- ous samples: Mora.—Color, bright orange-brown, probably darkening with age and expo- sure. Radially cut and polished surface satiny. Similar in general appearance to Osage Orange. Much used for fellies. GuayacAan.—Heartwood dull yellow- ish-brown, with dark olive-brown streaks; sapwood pale yellow, with brownish areas. Smoothed surface, oily to the touch. Exceedingly hard, brittle and difficult to cut. It grows in compara- tive abundance in the entire mountain chain and on the southern coast of the island, producing a wood which is very solid and resistant. On this account it is much sought after in the shipyards for blocks, pulleys, spokes, tires, and many other things requiring great strength. The resin from the Guayacan Lignum Vite is highly valued for gout. LauREL Sapino.—Color, clear olive- brown, A straight-grained wood, simi- lar in color bat finer grained than the heart of Tulip and Cucumber tree of the United States. Crpro.—Color, pale reddish-brown. Wood fibers interlaced, the wood split- ting irregularly. Very similar to the Mahogany of commerce. Probably Ce- drela odorata, the well-known cigar-box wood of commerce It is no longer abundant in Porto Rico, and is now largely imported from Santo Domingo, ‘costing $150 per 1,000 feet. It still grows in Aguadilla and near Aibonito, Juana Diaz, Cayey and Luquillo. _ Hueso.—Color, light yellow, with irregular, thin yellow-brown streaks ; wood fibers strongly interlaced. A tough, uncleavable wood, used for hubs. Aususo.—Color, clear, dull, reddish- brown. Wood fibers slightly interlaced and appearing straight grained. Re- sembles somewhat a fine-grained Teak, It is the chief and most-used timber on the island, being noted for its great dura- bility. It is used in the making of wagon spokes, which are turned out by ma- ‘chinery in Ponce, and small stocks of it were noticed in several towns. It is October, close grained and beautiful in color, and should be utilized for veneering; it would make most excellent furniture. UcarE Necro.—Color, dark umber- brown. Wood fibers interlaced, but appearing to be straight grained. Re- motely resembles a very fine-grained Black Walnut. PaTa DE CaBAand ALGARROBO.—T hese samples are so similar in details of struct- ure as to be from the same or closely related species. Color, rich, blackish- brown, irregularly mottled, and streaked with areas of pale reddish-brown; sap- wood (present in Pata de Caba) light brown. Wood fibers strongly interlaced, giving smoothed surface a ‘‘ curled” ap- pearance. Very attractive cabinet woods. Ucara Branca.—Color, light ashy-~ brown. Wood fibers strongly inter- laced. Remotely resembling fine-grain- ed heartwood of American Elm. Guaracuao. — Light reddish. brown, streaked with lighter and darker shades. An exceedingly cross-grained, porous wood, somewhat similar in color to Cedro. Suitable for a cabinet wood. Capa Branca.—Color, clear light- brown. Structurally similar on the radial section to American Beech. Straight grained, and suitable for interior finish. Used for rollers in coffee hulling mills. Capa Prieta.—Color, rich light-brown, with darker streaks and mottlings. Wood fibers interlaced, but wood appearing to be straight grained. MRadial section structurally similar to Capa Blanca. Tangential section somewhat similar to dark heartwood of American Elm. Hand- some wood for interior finish. Used for flooring. HacuvueELo.—Color, rich, dark yellow- ish-brown, with streaks and mottlings of light yellow-brown. Wood fibers inter- laced, but appearing rather straight grained on the finished surface. Valu- able for cabinet work. Maca.—Color, rich chocolate-brown. Wood fibers slightly cross grained, the smoothed surface appearing straight grained. The rich color and attractive grain of this wood should make it val- uable for cabinet work. 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 237 Irrigation and Forestry. The Joint Meeting in Montana—Resolutions Adopted at Columbus. The eighth Congress of the National Irrigation Association was held at Mis- soula, Montana, September 25, 26 and 27. On invitation, The American For- estry Association joined in the meetings through the presence of its many mem- bers. The close relations between forestry and irrigation made the meetings of value to those more especially interested in the former subject, though the papers and discussions aimed primarily at a more general understanding and appre- ciation of the latter. The scope of this work, as described at the Congress by G. E. Mitchell, of Washington, D. C., is: ‘The proper presentation of the prob- lem of satisfactorily disposing of the grazing lands by the leasing system and the securing ofa just and equitable share of improvement appropriations for the development and improvement of inte- rior States along with the seaboard SAEs... More than two hundred duly accredited delegates, from seventeen States and Territories, were present at the sessions. Ali the Western States were represented, and among the more distant States were Maryland, West Virginia, South Caro- lina and Indiana. Among the repre- sentatives from Government Depart- ments in the District of Columbia were F. H. Newell, Corresponding Secretary of the American Forestry Association, and Bailey Willis, U. S. Geological Sur- vey; J. W. Toumey and Milton Whitney, U. S. Department of Agriculture; Judge Best and Walter H. Graves, U S. De- partment of the Interior; and E. J. Glass, U. S. Weather Bureau. Nearly ascore of papers were read by men prominently identified with the ir- rigation interests and general develop- ment of arid lands in the West. The congress was the most successful one held in four years. (Further report in next issue.) At the special meeting at Columbus, Ohio, August 22 and 23, an account of which appeared in the September issue of Tur Forester, the resolutions pre- sented and adopted in the name of The American Forestry Association declared in favor of— 1. The creation of an international commission, through M. Meline, of Paris, to arrange for a Congress of For- estry at the Paris Exposition of rgoo. 2. The purchase and reservation, by the State of Ohio, of tracts of timber land at the headwaters of the principal rivers of the State in order to prevent the increasing loss of life and property by flood, and for the better preservation of a water supply in time of drought. 3. The establishment of colleges and schools of forestry in the various States, with as much assistance as possible, in encouragement of the work, from the Department of Agriculture. 4. Commending the policy adopted by the State of Pennsylvania in the appoint- ment of an expert forester to organize and conduct the forest interests of the State, and to educate its citizens in practical forestry. 5. Urging the suitable presentation of the subject of forestry at the meetings of teachers’ associations, farmers’ institutes, and other similar gatherings, ‘‘to the end that the people may be taught to: give earnest attention to this much-neg- lected, but vitally important interest.” 6. Extending the thanks of the Asso- ciation to the Columbus Horticultural Society for the arrangements made for the special meeting, and in recognition of the work being accomplished by the Society. The report was signed by W. J. Beal, vice president of the association for Michigan ; C. E. Bessey, vice president for Nebraska, and William R. Lazenby, professor of forestry at Ohio State Uni- versity. 238 THE FORESTER. October, Forest Protection. Fires in Nehasane Park. The extreme drought in the Adiron- dacks during the past summer has been almost unprecedented. For months practically no rain fell and the surface of the ground in the dense forest, which usually contains a considerable amount of moisture, became thoroughly dry. Even the moss in many of the swamps, usually saturated with water, was so dry as to be readily burned by fire. In con- sequence numerous fires were started in all parts of the woods, and the methods of forest protection employed by the State and private owners were put toa severe test. Probably no more complete organization for forest protection is found in the Adirondacks than in Nehasane Park, the property of Dr. W. S. Webb, in Herkimer and Hamilton counties, New York. The park is primarily a game preserve and the system of protection was devised by Dr. Webb to prevent poaching as well as to guard against forest fires. The park, which covers an area of about 40,000 acres, is divided into four sections, each watched over by an ex- perienced woodsman, who lives at a point from which all parts of his section can be easily and quickly reached. The houses of the rangers are connected by telephone and there is an admirable system of roads and trails. In case of fire in the park, the superintendent, who lives at Nehasane station, and the rangers are notified by telephone, and all avail- able men are called out to extinguish it. If it occurs along the railroad which traverses the park, the ‘‘ Nehasane Fire Service” is put into use. This consists of a large tank placed on a flat car to which is attached a box freight car. con- taining a small engine, used to pump the water from the tank, and a complete outfit of fire hose, axes and other articles used in fighting fire. In case of asevere fire along the railroad Dr. Webb is noti- fied by telegraph and a locomotive is dispatched to draw the ‘“ Fire Service ” to the scene. During the past season extra men were employed to follow each train on speeders and to extinguish any fires which were set. Some days as many as five fires were started by the locomotives and immediately extinguished. In sev- eral cases, however, the ‘‘ Fire Service” had to be called into play, and with its aid the fires, which might have proved very disastrous, were put out. One very severe fire was started in September and burned over about four acres before it could becontrolled. The workmen from the lumber camps on the park were called to assist and at one time as many as 100 men were fighting the fire. Trenches were dug completely about it, streams of water were thrown by the ‘‘Fire Service,” and sand was brought from the railroad track. A constant watch was kept on the fire after it was once controlled. This meas- ure was very necessary, for the fire con- tinued to smoulder in the deep duff and every now and then burst forth anew. Trees were undermined and, as they toppled over, scattered sparks in all di- rections. Occasionally the fire would run up a Birch tree and pieces of burn- ing bark would be blown over the trenches upon the dry leaves. If con- stant vigilance had not been exercised in the manner described a considerable area would doubtless nave suffered. e A Bit of Historical Information. The awakening interest of lumbermen in forest protection is shown by the fol- lowing excerpt from a letter to the Divi- sion of Forestry from a prominent lum- ber firm in Michigan, regarding the abuse, rather than the use, of the forest wealth of that section. That lumbermen themselves speak in this vein is sufficient evidence that the facts are exactly as stated, and that no one can offer in rebuttal any argument 1899. on the score of ‘‘sentimental reasons,”’ or ‘‘theorizing opinions” of ‘‘misin- formed enthusiasts’’—terms which are sometimes applied to those who favor forest conservation as opposed to forest destruction. The letter reads: ‘«¢Answering your circular letter of July 5, 1899, upon subject of protection of forest, we beg to say that positively no effort to do this, other than to save valuable standing timber when aflame or threatened, has ever been made in this vicinity. To protect trees too young and small for sawing is not thought of. Owners of timber simply go on their lands and as quickly as possible remove timber fit for lumber, with positively no thought or care for the life and protec- tion of the young trees, or varieties not at the time valuable for lumber, leaving debris to dry and finally burn, resulting in the total destruction of all remaining. ‘Large areas are now simply scenes of desolation. Waste—pure, simple and shameful—has characterized the remov- al of the forests once here, which were magnificent. Many varieties, notably Hemlock, Beech, Soft Elm, were left to burn, or were destroyed in clearing lands. We think it is within the truth to say that not over 50 per cent of the possible quantity available for man’s use has been utilized—the remainder has_ perished. Tis true that the demand for the cream only, largely accounts for the waste; still, splendid interest on the cost of protecting, years ago, the timber not then valuable, would now be realized, as is instanced by the fact that despised Soft Elm, the very best of which was bringing only $3.00 per M in log, is now sought for at from $9.00 to $11.00, and the lumber is in demand at $18.00 to $28 00, shipping point. Beech would not then be accepted at any price in logs. The lumber now fetches $10.00 to $15.00. The destruction of Michigan forests is relieved from the charge of act of van- dalism only by the fact that the owners did it, and, under the law, could do as they wished with their own; but their action has deprived posterity of a fine heritage.” AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 239 The Kind of Trees to Plant. The example set by Kansas City in improving its streets by the construction of parallel parkways in which to plant shade trees on scientific principles, has been followed by other towns through Missouri and adjoining States. In reply to inquiries, the City Forester of Kan- sas City, L. F. Timming, gives the fol- lowing observations on his experiments : ‘¢The tree which ranks first in my es- timation as a shade and ornamental tree is the Hard Maple, of which there are two varieties ; namely, the Sugar Maple and the Black Maple, but on account of their slow growth I prefer to alternate them during the first ten years with some faster-growing variety, for example, the Soft Maple. Of the Soft Maple we also have two varieties, namely the Red Scar- let Maple and the White or Silver Maple, of which the former is less liable to be- come affected by insects than the latter. As an all-round shade tree for our city I know of none better than the Soft Maple, but it requires some training while young in order to keep the head in proper bal- ance with the trunk If once well de- veloped it will stand high winds about as well as the average tree, but it is lable to be attacked by the treesoc moth, but not to any great extent ‘¢The Sycamore tree has also two vari- eties, the Oriental and the Sycamore Maple. The Oriental Plane tree is the better, and is an imported variety. The Sycamore Maple is our common native Sycamore, and it belongs to the Maple family, and is therefore subject to the same natural requirements as the Soft Maple. It is a rapid grower and does not break as easily as the Soft Maple, and is not so liable to be attacked by in- sects as the Soft Maple or the Elm. It bears transplanting and trimming re- markably well. Its drawback is that it grows too large for an ordinary street tree, and as it becomes full grown the bareness of its branches and the con- stant shedding of its leaves during the summer are its principal objections. Deep soil is preferable, but not an es- sential.” 240 Municipal Care of Trees. The Department of Forestry of the City of Springfield, Mass., has shown commendable energy in the protection of trees along streets in that city. The City Forester, William F. Gale, has lately issued a circular letter saying : ‘«The cutting of roots of trees being one of the most common injuries to which shade trees are subject, the Supervisors of Highways and Bridges, at the request of the City Forester, have instructed the employees of the city having the laying of walks and the setting of curbings, THE FORESTER. October, not to cut the roots of trees without his consent. ‘‘The attention of contractors, exca- vators, builders, and all others having to do with the laying of walks and grad. ing, is called to the order of the Super- visors, and they are requested to instruct their men that the cutting of roots of trees within the highway is woz allowed, except as provided above. Section 7 of Chapter 54, Public Statutes of this State, which forbids the mutilation of trees, applies to their roots as much as to any other portion of the tree.” Forest Fires Extensive forest fires throughout the Adiron- dacks were not only the cause of some property loss, but of much uneasiness to summer resi- dents and campers. However, Col. William F, Fox, superintendent of State forests, in an interview concerning the fires, declared that the reports were exaggerated. He said the fires were alarming in appear- ance, and made much smoke, but that with few exceptions no merchantable timber was de- stroyed, as the fires in almost every instance stopped when they reached a piece of thick woods, The most damage to timber was done by the fire on top of Black Mountain, Schroon Lake, Fulton Chain. The Tupper Lake fire threatened the lands of the Cornell College of Forestry at Axton, in Franklin County. The college professors, with a large body of students, fought this fire and kept it out of the college forest. They were assisted further by some engineers of the State engineer’s office, who were busy surveying the lines of the col- lege tract. All the lumber and wood pulp companies put men at work to save their own woods. ‘There were 281 fire wardens at work, who receive $2 a day, one-half of which is paid by the town in which the fire wardens are put to work. Theexpense of paying for this work, so far as the State is concerned, will be taken out of the $350,000 appropriated this year to buy forest lands. In New England, the forest fires in South Harwich and South Chatham continued with unabated energy. One section of fire, which threatened to sweep through the entire village of South Chatham, was checked by backfires and trenching just in time to save the village from a general conflagration. The fire wardens and their gangs of men came from all direc- tions and fought the flames. After having been beaten back, the fire soon started again in two new forks, one toward the of a Month. western section of South Harwich and the other toward the eastern section of Chatham, the former having crossed the railroad track. Everything was as dry as tinder, there having been no rain for about two months. In Arkansas disastrous fires were reported in the southern portion of Calhoun County, the only hope of relief being a heavy rainfall. Fire fighters worked day and night, several being prostrated by the heat while at work. A large area in the Ouachita Valley was devastated, and large herds of stock were driven from their pasturage. Considerable property of stave-makers in the woods was destroyed, A great fire was reported in the early part of September in the Sierra Madre Mountains. southeast of Old Baldy, in Southern Califor- nia. The fire started in Stoddard’s Canyon, the press reports estimating that at least 40,000 acres were burned over, some of the trees be- ing from four to six feet in diameter and nearly 200 feet high. Forest Superintendent B. F. Allen issued a statement denying these claims, and placing the area at 3,000 acres, entirely of brush, Big Timber, Mont., September 26.—A raging forest fire is in progress west of this town, on the east side of the Crazy Mountains. It is likely that disastrous results will follow to some of the ranchers in the Norwegian settle- ment, toward which the fire is rapidly approach- ing. The fire is between the east fork of the Big Timber Creek and Antelope Creek, and will in all probability destroy an area of sixty square miles of fine timber before it burns out. The flames are plainly visible from this town, twenty-five miles distant. The whole east side of the Crazy range is brilliantly illuminated and presents an awe-inspiring spectacle. 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, 241 The Prevention of Forest Fires. Three Chapters on a Question of Importance. A Letter. To the Editor of THE ForeEstER: I en- close an article published in the Oakland Enquirer a short time ago. You will see that, in the absence of expert knowledge, this article does not venture upon posi- tive assertions, but puts the view of the matter taken by the old mountaineers as a plausible hypothesis. I would like to be informed, either through Tur For- ESTER or in some other way, whether the government bureau has ever considered this aspect of the forest problem in Cal. ifornia and, if so, what arguments it re- lies on to refute the mountaineers. Scientific authority is the best in these matters, we all know, and yet the practi- cal experience of old-time residents of the forest regions cannot be despised, and unless these old-timers are seriously mistaken in their premises, the Govern- ment is incurring a serious risk in the Yosemite National Park and in the for- est reserves, by excluding all fires, in- stead of letting fires run through the for- ests periodically, thereby destroying the undergrowth and, more particularly, the accumulation of dead trees, leaves and branches. A Clipping. Aside from the stockmen who would be glad to browse their flocks and herds upon the national domain, every one in the forest regions of California indorses the policy of maintaining national parks and forest reserves. But it is hard to find in the region of the California re- serves a single settler or landowner who believes that the present plan of forest protection will bring forth good results in the long run. The great point of difference is the extinguishment of forest fires. During the summer the efforts of the Govern- ment foresters are devoted to preventing fires and to extinguishing them when they do occur, the object being, of course, the praiseworthy one of saving the forests from destruction. But in the judgment of the settlers, while this seems wise for the time being, the ultimate effects are likely to be bad, for the rea- son that there will be such a growth of underbrush and such an accumulation of forest debris that sooner or later there will come fires with which no human ex- ertion can cope. And then the forests will go up in one mighty blaze. In the view of the settlers, California, with its rainless summers, calls for a dif- ferent method of forest preservation from that which would be judicious in more moist climates. They say that the true method is to burn over the forests every summer, whereby the fires would be made so light that the trees would suffer no injury, and great fires capable of de- stroying a whole forest will be prevented. This is exactly what the Indians used to do, the settlers argue, and wholesale de- struction of forests in their time was un- known. So firmly rooted is this convic- tion among settlers and forest owners in the Sierra region of California that on some occasions private owners have re- fused assistance to put out fires on tim- ber lands owned by them, because they wanted them burned over as a measure of safety. The idea that the Indians were better foresters than the scientific experts of the present day seems a peculiar one, but it 1s seriously maintained by many intelligent people.—Zditorial, Oakland Enquirer. e A Comment. (By the Superintendent of Working Plans, Division of Forestry.) California is not the only State in which the annual burning of the forest is considered among the residents the best method of protecting the timber from heavy fires. In certain sections of the East, notably in the Atlantic Pine belt, 242 many owners of timberland make it a practice to burn over their land every spring soon after the snow melts and before the surface of the ground has be- come so dry that light fires cannot be kept under control. The object of this annual burning is to destroy the layer of leaves, twigs, etc., which has accumu- lated on the ground during the previous year. If the work is done soon after the snow melts, the ground is somewhat moist so that the fire burns slowly and can be kept under perfect control. The season of growth has not fairly started at this time and the fire is less liable to injure the timber than if the burning were done after the sap had begun to run. Most land owners who treat their for- ests in this manner burn the entire area, merely with the view of protecting the standing timber. In ¢his they are suc- cessful, but at the same time a large amount of young growth is destroyed. If the owner of an open Pine forest wishes merely to save the standing tim- ber without regard to the future value of the land, no better plan can be recom- mended than to burn the area every year in the manner just described. The ulti- mate effect on the forest is, however, disastrous The effect of repeated fires on the productive power of forest land was studied in Southern New Jersey in 1897 by Gifford Pinchot, the results of whose investigations have been published by the New Jersey Geological Survey. In this report it is shown that repeated fires, combined with steady cutting of merchantable timber, reduce the forest so completely that the land is practically worthless. Many figures are given to show that burned areas in New Jersey are producing not more than one-sixth of the amount of wood they might have yielded, and that the quality of the pro- duct is vastly inferior to what would have grown on unburned land. It is shown also that even this small amount of timber would not have grown were it not for the marvelous power of the Pitch Pine to resist fire and to sprout after the trees were killed back. THE FORESTER. October, Careful observers in the Sierras re- port that there were formerly many open parks and meadows which, since the occupancy of the country by the whites, have been covered with forest trees. Knowing as we do that in former times the Indians burned the forest reg- ularly, the inference must be drawn that these openings were caused by fire; in other words, that the forest was gradu- ally becoming less dense in burned sec- tions and, on the edge of the timber belt, was probably gradually retreating from the prairies. It is obvious that if the young growth is constantly de- stroyed by fire, there will be no trees to replace the old specimens which die or are cut down. In advocating the annual burning of the California forests the mountaineers are considering only the protection of the standing timber and are ignoring the future production for coming genera- tions. gly 5 > he ee nn re 1899. AMERICAN ruled that the shade trees in the street in front of a man’s property belong to him, and cannot be cut down or mutilated with- out his consent. The suit was one in which a property owner sued a telephone company for cut- ting off the limbs of his trees in order to make room for its wires. The decision is prima facie evidence that the value of FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 261 “= trees is becoming more generally recog- nized everywhere and augurs well foe greater public interest in forestry itself. There can be no doubt that were the gen- eral public more fully aware of the principles of forestry, there would be manifested a very pronounced sentiment for the protection of trees, both in the cities and forests. In the Woods of Minnesota. Trip of a German Forest Expert Over the Site of the Proposed National Park. Some Considerations Indicating Large Profits to the State from Small Expenditure. BY THE FORESTER OF THE VANDERBILT FOREST, BILTMORE, N. C. The map tells us that Leech Lake’s shoreline extends over 574 miles. The state of Minnesota, measured from north to south, is only 384 miles long. Imagine! If the shoreline, with all its bays and beaches and spurs and tongues, was - stretched lengthways through Minnesota it would reach way down into Iowa! But shorelines do not belong to the chapter of economics. Safely landed, with the help of an In- dian pilot, we enter the woods. As usual, a belt of low hardwoods, Oaks, Elms, Maples, Birches and so on, occupies a narrow strip of land along the water-front. Nature has selected the fittest. Storms blowing across the lake with unbroken force are sure to turn over any Pines that might boldly show their heads beyond the level of the hardwood crowns. ‘The long body of the Pine is a capital lever for the wind, with the help of which a tree is easily uprooted. The shallow root system of the White Pine subjects it badly to the storm’s deadly attacks. A look at the big hole caused by the wind tearing outa bce by its roots allows us to judge the quality of the soil. It con- sists of sand, with a slight admixture of loam, a Soil which abroad, where the population is dense, is Bousidered good for farming. No wonder, then, that “the im- migrant-settler is easily induced to occupy such and similar ground, offered to him by Uncle Sam’s kindness free of charge, or at a low price by speculators who secure from lumbermen, at a nominal sum, large tracts, denuded of tree growth. We see such land advertised in the papers as ‘*the bonanza of Minnesota,” ‘¢the poor man’s paradise,” ‘* the Cripple Creek of the farmer.” But woe to the inexperienced new-comer, trapped by these eulogies! To bring the ground in tillable condition is expensive, while the growth of potatoes, corn or cereals will exhaust the soil thoroughly in five years. There is so much good land available in the United States that it does not pay to occupy medium land cleared from its cover of trees, even if it is given to the farmer free of charge. The federal and state governments have allowed, in the state of Minnesota alone, an area of several million acres to be transformed into an unproduc- tive waste. The main principle of polit- ical economy, that the productiveness of every acre of national soil must be main- tained or increased, has been overlooked. If the production of meat and hides pays best on a given soil, let us use it for cat- tle pasture. Where field crops are most remunerative, let us raise them. On land which is so rocky or so sandy as to bear 262 tree growth only, let us raise trees, and that kind and size of trees which pay best. A look at the Pine woods surrounding us on Leech Lake tells us in a moment how trees should be raised. At the foot of their mother-trees we find millions of small Pine seedlings trailing on the ground. Where a windfall has removed the parent trees, the children at once shoot ahead towards the sky, growing at the rate of twenty inches per year. Why should we not imitate the wind, cutting all such old trees which have reached merchantable size and allowing their progeny of seed- lings to fill the gap! This natural system of working a forest will allow ground fit only for tree-growth to continue to be pro- ductive after the virgin timber has been removed. If Nature herself were not sure to restore young trees in the place of the old ones, there would not be any forests on this globe. Imitating nature’s ways, it is easy to maintain forests. Why, now, does the timber owner al- low the ground to be barren? Why does he give it up to the state for non-payment of taxes after cutting the old trees? Does he not realize that sapling trees thirty years old are worth twenty-five cents apiece, if the value of trees 120 years old is $2, fig- uring at three per cent. compound interest ? Does he not see that skillful handling of the ax when removing old trees can result in 500 saplings per acre, which will grow up into timber of superior quality stand- ing close together andclearing one another from side branches? The timber owner is well aware of all these natural facts. But he is aware, too, of another not natural fact: The absolute certainty of the second growth to fall prey to fires before it has time to fortify itself against conflagration by forming a heavy layer of fire-proof bark around its stump. In the case of the flat-rooted White Pine, even old trees, having their long roots imbedded in combustile mould, are badly subject to death from fires. The owner is undoubtedly wise, when leaving the land bare and barren. But is the commonwealth wise in allow- ing the area of barren land to increase an- nually, in Minnesota alone, 125,000 acres? THE FORESTER. November, Should it not either employ a staff of guards to prevent fires on private land after lumber- ing, or else establish as a national forest and keep under proper care all such land as is fit for growing trees, and for nothing else? We, the public, ruling and loving this country, must select through our legisla- tures that way which is best adapted to our peculiar economic and legal conditions. For our legislators, a knowledge of the facts prevailing in northern Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin is indispensable, if they want to solve the difficult problem. Col. John S. Cooper’s excursion, starting from Chicago on September 28th, affords a chance to see the actual conditions. The facts form the argument upon which the urgently needed change of Governmental laid policy must be ececk Two trains, consisting of thirty cars each, loaded high with 110,000 feet board measure of pine logs, passed the depot while the tourists were awaiting their train. Six freights of that description pass Walker day by day, each one carrying to the mills what the last 150 years have pro- duced on an area of twelve acres. ‘There is not one, but hundreds of logging camps in the woods, and we might well be proud of the achievements of American genius in forest utilization. We do uvemess ona larger scale than all Europe taken together. Minnesota alone produces 1,250,000,000 feet of lumber annually, and it might con- tinue to do so if 10,000,000 acres of pine land were treated after conservative prin- ciples. A short ride through interesting forests and swamps takes us over to Cass Lake. The white man has not had a chance yet to ruin the beauty of the Chippewa re- serve. Instigated by the dead-and-down timber act, he has tried, of course, to put his hand on its chief value, the timber. As there was not enough dead-and-down timber to make logging remunerative, he has worked hard with kerosene and fire- brand to accelerate the death rate of trees. Charred Pine trees on hundreds of acres bear witness to the deed. There cannot be any doubt that on good land the farmer’s plow must follow the 1899. lumberman’s ax. On medium and poor land, however, the tree must be followed by the tree, lest the national soil be al- lowed to lie unproductive. We hear a great deal of talk relative to reclaiming barren soil for production by means of ir- rigation. Why does no one lift his voice with a view of preventing productive lands from being changed into a barren waste? Reforestation of absolutely denuded tracts is difficult and expensive. France and Switzerland are spending millions of francs annually to restore the forest on tracts wherefrom reckless use removed it decades ago. We learn abroad how to do this.and that. There are a few things which we should learn not to do. Forest destruction is one of them. Forests and swamps are nature’s storage basins. If we destroy them agriculture and commerce must suffer. Suppose the advantage annually derived from the mere existence of forests, owing to their influ- ence on Water supply, public health, com- merce and manufacture amounts to a million dollars. Should we not spend $200,000 annually for the maintenance of forests? We maintain an army, a navy, an administration, a foreign service. Should we not employ local police, or- ganized after the army pattern, to guard the forests on our private, state and federal land? Germany and France have a forest service. Why not we? THE ‘‘ ForEST SOLDIER.” After some slight training the ‘‘ forest soldier” might be. employed for laying out and keeping i in order public roads travers- ing the forest. The importance of roads to transport forest produce and for fire- breaks will make it advisable to put road matters in charge of the foresters. The revenue derivable from sale of forest pro- duce will soon be sufficient to more than cover all expenses. The American people have seen their way clear in many a case. If they only were aware of the facts they would soon find a broad highway out of the difficulty. This is an economic question, and on bet- ter business men than the American peo- ple the sun never shown. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 263 The facts are plain enough; millions of acres in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and elsewhere, productive of timber, have laid idle for years. Private enterprise cannot transform the waste into produc- tive land, the transformation not having proved to be remunerative under the pres- ent economic conditions. Change the con- ditions! We not only complain of the non-production of 150 feet board measure per acre per annum on the deserted land. Every 150 feet board measure produced means employment of common labor in manufacturing hundreds of commodities out of wood fiber—furniture, etc. The labor required to transform 150 feet board measure into some sort of a manufactured product averages about $3. If 50,000,- ooo acres fit for timber growth are lying idie, $150,000,000 are lost annually to the American laborer in the near future. Bewildered at our own conclusions we stop—just in time—to see at our feet the foot-prints of deer—long, pointed, a nar- now bench left between the hoofs, the hind hoofs slightly impressed in the wet soil. This is a stag’s calling-card, and big animal he was. Game is getting scarce, losing its abode in the vanishing forests. Large forests cannot and _ shall not be kept for sport and fun only. But if sport and fun can be had in addition to economic use, why not have them? Con- stant use makes the instrument dull, and even sharp American wits will require filing now and then. The White Pine, being exacting, re- quires nourishment and help to propagate its family. Often a generation of Poplars and Birches must act as nurses for the much-exacting aristocrats. The old tree, on the other hand, although it sends its roots over a space of 600 square feet, em- bracing rocks and dead stumps with root fibers, is readily killed by heavy No wonder, then, that the lumbermen, instead of leaving this sensitive treasure in the forest, prefer to transform it into fire-proof money at the quickest possible rate. If you have not seen those giants of the woods, overtowering their neighbors by sixty feet, go quickly, before they all dis- fires. 264 appear. Even if the country adopts a system of forestry, such giants will not be produced any more. They are losing rather than gaining in volume and value. Now 300 years old, they have not added more than two per cent. annually to their volume for the last 150 years. Soon they will fall and decay. On the dead body, nature will plant the most beautiful velvet of tender mosses, decorating the old giant’s grave. And after a while, amongst’ THE FORESTER. November, the mosses a seed will germinate, develop- ing into a White Pine. The young gen- eration builds up its new organism on that made by its ancestors, just as human be- ings continue business footing on their fathers’ work. There is no room in the dictionary for all our names; all we can secure to last longer than our life is a good name and memory, cherished by loving children. C. ALWIN SCHENCK. Dispelling an Illusion. The fear of some citizens of Minnesota that the creation of a great National Park and Forest Reservation in that State would interfere with their material prosperity has been dispelled in large part by a considera- tion of the business and population in the Adirondack Park in New York. In a re- cent letter in reply to inquiries addressed to him by: the Chief (Forest) Fire War- den of Minnesota, Colonel William F. Fox, Superintendent of State Forests of New York, says: GENERAL C. C. ANDREWS, St: Paul) Minn. My Dear Sir:—I take pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 3d, and would respectfully submit the following information in reply to your in- quiries. According to the State Census of 1892, there was a population of 32,071 within the boundaries of the great forest of Northern New York, or what is termed the Adirondack Park. This population has increased largely since the census was taken, it having doubled in some localities. The figures given embrace permanent 'res- idents only, and do not include the very large number of hotel people and tourists who frequent the forests during the Sum- mer season. There are a/so a great many sportsmen who go into the woods during the Spring months to enjoy the fishing, also the hunters who go there in the Fall for the deer and partridge shooting. Of late years the fixed or winter popu- lation throughout the Adirondacks have become strong advocates of forest preser- vation. They admit freely that they can make more money out of the Summer people, tourists and sportsmen who fre- quent the forests than they can obtain from the lumbermen. There are over 1,000 guides in the Adirondacks. In the An- nual Report of the Forest Commission for 1893 I published the names and postoffice addresses of 788 of these guides. When these men work for the lumbermen they receive $1.00 per day and board. During the Spring, Summer and Fall, while em- ployed as guides, they receive $3.00 per day with board and other expenses. The livelihood of these men and provision for their families depends upon the existence of the forests. In further reply to your inquiries I would say that the population of the Adiron- dack forest is more largely scattered than the figures given you would indicate. There is little tendency to concentrate in villages. Still, there are several villages which are entirely dependent upon the people who come to the woods for pleasure or health. The village of Saranac Lake contains about 2,200 people. This place is built up largely by wealthy persons who, on account of pulmonary troubles, are obliged to live in the forests. Lake Placid, with a population of about 1,500, is composed almost entirely of hotels and boarding houses. In the Summer it has a population of several thousand. These people do not want any lumbering done 1899. near them. There is more money for them in a standing forest than in saw mills and river driving. They would rather see the logs standing in the trees than in piles in the skidways. The vil- lages of Wells, Indian Lake and Long Lake have each a population of from 700 to goo people, one-half of whom obtain their livelihood by work as guides. In the Catskill forests there are several beautiful villages, notably Pine Hills, Tannersville, Palenville, Hunter, Stam- ford, Margaretville and Fleischmans, with a population of from 800 to 1,200 each. These villages are all dependent for their existence upon the Summer residents, who throng this region on account of its near- ness to New York City; but the villagers are well aware that if the forests which AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 265 > cover the Catskill Mountains are ever re- moved or destroyed they will lose the patronage of the Summer people and their occupation will be gone. Of the many thousands who frequent our Adirondack and Catskill forests each Summer a good proportion are from outside States. The large amount of money which these out- siders leave within the State of New York will exceed the millions which the State is paying for the purchase and preserva- tion of its forests. Hoping and trusting that the forest movement in your State will be successful in every way, I am Yours with great respect, WILLIAM F. Fox, Superintendent State Forests. A young and prosperous nation is nec- essarily unthinking, so far as the consider- ation of posterity is concerned. But with nations as with individuals, age is inevi- table, and may we have the good sense to profit by the experience of some older countries in a matter of beauty and utility, an tinicipation of an age that will surely come. As the years roll on and each suc- ceeding generation continues to ignore its duty and to set aside all obligation to re- _ tain the beautiful in age, our country will soon be deprived of one of its greatest glories—its primeval forests. It is nature and the gods alone who are eternally young. ‘* For there is hope of a tree if it _ be cut down, that it will sprout again.” Nature is kind to her children and in spite of the many wounds inflicted upon her _ motherly breast by the greed and thought- lessness of man, she is ever prompt to heal the wounds and lend her care to the new life intrusted to her keeping. Happily the time has come when the attention of our people is being called to this important subject through the efforts of the American Forestry Association. To the majority of persons, the word For the Majesty of the Forest. forestry suggests a vague idea of planting trees and beautifying generally, when in reality this is but a branch of the subject. ‘Forestry is simply the management of lands grown with forests, and its object is to derive from such lands the greatest pos- sible benefit for the owner.” Forestry does not necessitate the appro- priation of good agricultural lands; one of its greatest advantages is that wood and timber can be profitably grown on soil that is unfit for farming purposes. Ger- many discovered this some centuries ago, and a system of forest schools was estab- lished which has led to the grand results seen there to-day. Nor does forestry inter- fere with the march of civilization, nor the growth of cities. The Black Forest is an illustration of this. The forests of Germany are its crown- ing beauty as well as the source of health, wealth, and national independence. And perhaps there is not a nation in the world that has paid more attention to the study and application of the beautiful in forestry and arboriculture than Japan. The Japa- nese make the most of every inch of ground, and take care to plant Firs and 266 Cypresses in barren soils that are fit for nothing else. For ornament and _ shade, however, the roads are lined on both sides with superb Pine trees, which give great beauty to the country and make travelling in warm weather a pleasure. And we, too, are lying the foundation for a like record in the years to come. The United States has recently set apart 46,000,000 acres of mountain lands as a forest reserve, and has appointed a suffi- cient force to insure their administration and protection from fire. It is an inter- esting fact, that for the first time in the history of our country, the President in his last annual message, devoted space to the subject of forestry. We have much to look forward to from the increasing interest manifested in our National and State Parks, and in the con- scientious efforts of the officers of the As- sociation to enforce the laws in punish- ment of wilful destruction and for the still THE FORESTER. November, more disastrous results arising from care- lessness in starting forest and prairie fires. The fire wardens in our State have done much to stop this evil, and the report for 1898 shows, of the total number of fires, 78 per cent. controlled or extinguished by fire wardens. The States of New York and Pennsyl- vania have made more progress in a busi- ness-like treatment of forestry than any others in the Union. Pennsylvania sets the valuable example of being willing to sink large amounts of money without hope of return, simply because she appreciates the immense indirect advantage to be de- rived from a proper care of her forests. And let us hope that the people of Minne- sota may be equally far-seeing, and may not withhold their hearty co6peration and substantial aid in furthering the work so well begun. REBECCA B. FLANDRAU. In the Courant, St. Paul. The Forests of the Nation. The annual report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office of the Depart- ment of the Interior, which will shortly be issued, contains the following recommen- dations referring especially to forestry : The changing and enlarging of the limits of the Mount Ranier National Park, State of Washington, on the lines advised by Bailey Willis, of the United States Geological Survey, in his article, prepared especially for THe Forersrer, and published in the May issue of this year. The extension of the Yellowstone National Park. The appropriation of three hundred thousand dollars for the expenses of the forest service in connection with the creation and administration of forest reservations. The enactment of a law that shall empower forest officers, special agents, and other officers having authority in relation to the protection of public lands and the timber thereon, to make arrests, without process in hand, for the violation of the laws or rules and regulations relating to the forest reserves or other forest lands of the United States. The authority to rent or lease lands within forest reservations for any purposes not incompatible with the purposes for which such reservations are created. Legislative provision for the entry of lands within forest reservations which are found to be more valuable for the coal therein than for forest uses. Protecting the Government in the exchange of lands within forest reservations for those without, by legislative provision that the natural state of the tract relinquished shall not have been changed except to such an extent as may have been necessary in clearing the land for actual cultivation. Recommendation in matter of perfected claims to lands in forest reserves (Act June 4, 1897), where ownership is established and land is reconveyed to the United States. 1899. DHE FORESTER. A MONTHLY MAGAZINE Devoted to Arboriculture and Forestry, the Care and Use of Forests and Forest Trees, and Related Subjects. ANNOUNCEMENT. THE FORESTER is the Official Organ of The American Forestry Association, Hon. JAMES WILSON, Sec’y of Agriculture, President. THE OFFICE OF PUBLICATION IS No. 107 Corcoran Building, Washington, D. C., where all communications should be addressed. The subscription price is One Dollar a year, and single copies are sold at ten cents. Make all checks, drafts, etc., payable to THE FORESTER. SPECIAL ANNOUNCETIENT. The next issue of THE FORESTER will be the Christmas number. It is the intention of the editor to make it noteworthy in a number of ways. There will be moreof the new features which have marked the recent progress of the magazine, and which have received the warm commendation of its readers. Its con- tents will be even more diversified than usual. THE FORESTER during the year 1899 has aimed to commend itself on its own merits to all who should iook through its pages. If the editor may judge from letters written by its Teaders, it has improved in quality as well as in size and appearance, and it is confidently be- lieved that the Christmas issue will be voted the best and most attractive number of a good volume. But this end has not been reached without in- creased expenditures of a very considerable sort, cheerfully authorized in the firm belief that the improved magazine would be more welcome than ever to its old friends, through whose help, linked with the efforts of the management, THE FORESTER would reach many new subscribers. And in the consummation of this plan every friend of forestry can do yeoman’s service. “ AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 267 “‘ Rally ’round the tree’’ is the watch word, a little energy and personal influence the requis- ites. Public interest in forestry is everywhere increasing rapidly, in proportion as its impor- tance becomes known. To bring the subject forward, THE FORESTER makes the following offer: To all who subscribe during the present month will be sent THE FORESTER up to Jan- uary I, 1901, with the issues of the last three months of this year, including the handsome Christmas number—fifteen months for $1.00. Attention is also asked to the blank applica- tion for membership in The American Forestry Association, to be found on the page facing page 270 of this issue. et each member have this filled in and returned by a prospective new mem- ber. All applications come before the commit- tee on membership for ratification. New mem- bers whose annual dues are paid during the current month will be furnished the above men- tioned copiesof THE FORESTER gratis. Dupli- cate blanks with-any further information may be secured by addressing The American Fores- try Association, Washington, D. C. There are many evidences of a public awaken- ing throughout the United States to the realiza- tion that the perpetuation of forests is a matter directly affecting the welfare of state and nation. There can be no denying the fact that the at- tention of thoughtful people has been much aroused lately to the importance of the sub- eC The prospect of a great National Park in northern Minnesota has stimulated other parts of the country to action. In a letter to THE FORESTER, a member of the American Forestry Association says of this movement : ‘Western North Carolina, it seems to us here, is par excellence the place for a National Park, Thousands upon thousands of acres of virgin forest, at an altitude ranging from 2,000 to 6,c00 feet, are now inviting such a beneficent move- ment. Apart from the Vanderbilt forest of nearly 100,000 acres, the woodman’s ax is fast getting in its work in this most beautiful moun- tain section of America, and a few years from now the opportunity of establishing a National Park here may be lost. Senator J. D. Pritchard, a man of ability and influence, is interesting himself in the project and I bespeak for the en- terprise your cooperation.” 268 CHIPS AND CLIPS: Autumn tree-planting gives emphasis to the growing interest in forestry. The forests which have wood ‘‘to burn,” as the colloquial phrase goes, jus- tify their name at this season of the year by frequent fires. One million people are supported by forestry in Germany and two millions more by manufactures of which forest products form the principal material. The steady advance in prices in the lumber trade was brought to mind rather forcibly by a pack of Chicago thieves who recently stole 60 feet of a picket fence. A feature of the forests of British Co- lumbia, especially of the coast, is their density. As much as 500,000 feet of lumber has been taken from a single acre. Cornelius W. Smith, of Syracuse, N. Y., president of the New York State Fish, Game and Forest League, died at his home of heart disease, October 28, aged 54 years. The municipal authorities of Camden, N. J., have prohibited the further posting of handbills and advertisements on trees in the public streets on account of damage done to the trees. A series of tests, to determine the strength of British Columbia Douglas Fir produced very satisfactory results regard- ing the relative value of the various quali- ties submitted. Elihu Stewart, Canadian Chief Inspec- tor of Timber and Forestry, made an official trip through Manitoba and British Columbia lately to investigate the condi- tion of the forests of Western Canada. The local authorities in Ulster County, N. Y., are securing options on 9,000 acres of wild lands for forest reserve purposes, THE FORESTER: November, under a legislative act appropriating $50,- ooo for purchasing lands in the Catskills. Pacific Coast lumbermen expect that Russia, with her trans-Siberian railway, the development of seaport facilities and | the establishment of commerce on the Pacific will prove a valuable customer in | the near future. ] Pennsylvania seems to be experiencing | a considerable awakening to the good | which Commissioner Rothrock can accom- | plish if provided with the necessary means. | But the State Treasury has no funds for forestry at present. In Europe there are a number of good examples of remunerative forestry. The duchy of Baden derives a net annual rev- enue of $667,000 from 240,000 acres of public forest, and the kingdom of Wur- temburg $1,700,000 from its 418,000 acres of public forest. The White Spruce is a very useful tim- ber, grows in low swampy lands, and does not occur in large compact bodies, but in- terspersed among Fir and other trees. It almost equals the Fir in circumference, but does not grow to such a height nor is its stem so clear of branches. Japan is taking kindly to the principles| of forestry, the government now making} provision for perpetuating the forests on a definite plan. In the main islands the forest cover has been considerably de-| nuded, and an imperial edict has decreed that young trees shall be planted for every, mature tree cut down. The city of Santa Barbara, Cal., has consummated the purchase of 3,500 acres of mountain lands in the Santa Yfez range, in accordance with an act of Congress al lowing an option of $1.25 an acre, for purposes of water conservation. A tunnel will be built to Santa Yiez River, a dis+ tance of three and a half miles, to suppl the water. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. _ ORGANIZED APRIL, 1882. INCORPORATED, JANUARY, 1897. THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. e OFFICERS FOR 18g9. President, : Hon. JAMES WILSON, Secretary of Agriculture. 4 First Vice President. Corresponding Secretary. Dr. B. E. FERNOW. F. H. NEWELL. 5 Recording Secretary and Treasurer, GEORGE P. WHITTLESEY. | Directors, _ JAMES WILSON. CHARLES C. BINNEY. EDWARD A. BOWERS. FREDERICK V. COVILLE. B. E. FERNOW. HENRY GANNETT. ‘° ARNOLD HAGUE. F. H. NEWELL. GEORGE W. McCLANAHAN. GIFFORD PINCHOT. GEORGE P. WHITTLESEY. Vice Presidents. Str H. G. JoLy DE LOTBINIERE, Pointe Platon’ Wwm. E. CHANDLER, Concord, N. H. Quebec. JOHN GIFFORD, Princeton, N. J. CHARLES C. GEORGESON, Sitka, Alaska. EDWARD F. HoBart, Santa Fe, N. M. CHARLES Mouwr, Mobile, Ala. WARRON HIGLeEy, New York, N. Y. D. M. RIORDAN, Flagstaff, Ariz. J. A. HOLMES, Raleigh, N. C. THOMAS C. MCRAE, Prescott, Ark. W. W. BARRETT, Church’s Ferry, N. D. ABBOTT KINNEY, Lamanda Park, Cal. REUBEN H. WARDER, North Bend, Ohio. E. T. ENSIGN, Colorado Springs, Colo. WILLIAM T. LITTLE, Perry, Okla. ROBERT BROWN, New Haven, Conn. E. W. HAMMOND, Witmer, Ore. Wo. M. Cansy, Wilmington, Del. J. T. RoTHROCK, West Chester, Pa. A. V. CLUBBS, Pensacola, Fla. H. G. RUSSELL, E. Greenwich, R. I. R. B. REPPARD, Savannah, Ga. H. A. GREEN, Chester, S. C. J. M. CoutTeERr, Chicago, Ill. THOMAS T. WRIGHT, Nashville, Tenn. JAMES Troop, Lafayette, Ind. W. GoopRICH JONES, Temple, Texas. THOMAS H. MACBRIDE, Iowa City, Iowa. C. A. WHITING, Salt Lake, Utah. J. S. EMERY, Lawrence, Kans. REDFIELD PROCTOR, Proctor, Vt. JouHN R. Proctor, Frankfort, Ky. D. O. NouURSE, Blacksburg, Va. LEWIS JOHNSON, New Orleans, La. _ EDMUND S. MEANY, Seattle, Wash. JOHN W. GARRETT, Baltimore, Md. A. D. HOPKINS, Morgantown, W. Va. JouHN E. Hosss, North Berwick, Me. H. C. PuTNAM, Eau Claire, Wis. J. D. W. FRENCH, Boston, Mass. ELWoOoD MEAD, Cheyenne, Wyo. W. J. BEAL, Agricultural College, Mich. GEORGE W. MCLANAHAN, Washington, D. C. Cc. C. ANDREWS, St. Paul, Minn. JOHN CRAIG, Ottawa, Ont. WILLIAM TRELEASE, St. Louis, Mo. Wo. LITTLE, Montreal, Quebec. CHARLES E. BESSEY, Lincoln, Neb. Lieut. H. W. FRENCH, Manila, P. I. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP. ; To the Assistant Secretary, : AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, Washington, D. C. DEAR Sir: I hereby signify my desire to become a member of the American Forestry Association. Very truly yours, : Na VILE wccvcnccccccccocccccscncvcccsccscsscocsececaseneuencucsncnnensnnascnannscanacansnanaacenacencncacaancacesscsacne - ; | PE OMA GATES See eae Hace nas Ta ease sas Saale yan a aee cna eae ee [ New York State College of Forestry, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, N. Y., THE FORES TER. \ Offers a complete four-year course in Forestry leading to the degree of Bachelor in the Science of Forestry (B.S. F.). Special students for shorter terms accepted if properly prepared. Tuition $100 per year. New York State students free. The Spring terms of the junior and senior years are spent in the Demonstra- tion Forest in the Adirondacks, devoted to practical work. Requirements for admission similar to those in other branches of the Univer- | sity. Send for prospectus. Instruction in preparatory and collateral branches given by the Faculty of | the University. ; For further information address, Director of State College of Forestry, Ithaca, INGO: B. E. FERNOW, EEDs FILIBERT ROTH, Assistant Professor. Director. | JOHN GIFFORD, D.Oec., Assistant Professor. THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. The object of this Association is to promote: continent. 2. The advancement of educational, legislative and other measures tending to | promote this object. 3. The diffusion of knowledge regarding the conservation, management and re-| newal of forests, the methods of reforestation of waste lands, the proper util-| ization of forest products, the planting of trees for ornament, and cognate’ subjects of arboriculture. | Owners of timber and woodlands are particularly invited to join the Association, | as well as are all persons who are in sympathy with the objects herein set forth. Fill) in the blank application on the preceding page, and address only THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, D. C. | Kindly mention THE FORESTER in writing. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. Hough's “American Woods”’ A PUBLICATION ON THE TREES OF THE UNITED STATES ILLUSTRATED BY ACTUAL SPECIMENS OF THE WOODS “A work where plant life does the writing, and which no one can read without thinking.’’—G. A. PARKER, Esq., Hartford, Conn. ““T know of nothing so well calculated to make young people fall in love with trees.’”.—E. H. RUSSELL, Principal State Normal School, Worcester, Mass. “This is a unique and beautiful publication for which the lovers of nature owe a great debt to Mr. Hough.’’—Dr. A. E. WINSHIP, Editor of Journal of Education, Boston, Mass. “You must be working more in the interest of mankind generally than for yourself, to furnish so much for so small a compensation.’’—C. H. Baker, C. E., Seattle, Wash. “Cannot show my appreciation better than by subscribing for an addi- tional copy.’’—Professor GEO. L. GOODALE, Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. WOOD SPECIMENS FOR CLASS USE PREPARATION OF WOODS FOR STEREOPTICON AND MICROSCOPE VIEWS OF TYPICAL TREES ‘WOODEN CROSS-SECTION CARDS for invitations, menus, personal cards, etc. Admirably adapted lo India-ink work and painting for gift cards, etc. Send for circulars and enclose ten cents for sample specimens from **cAmerican Woods”” Address ROMEYN B. HOUGH, Lowvitte, N. Y. FE. R. MEIBR, Consulting Forester Mahwah, N._J. Kindly mention THE FORESTER in writing. THE FORESTER. After looking through this issue, write us, if you are not already a member of... . The American Forestry Association We would like to tell you why you should be. i N one “ee = ‘ — er = Sea oS SS = SE ——e = SSS —————— % = ee SHE IWAS BLIND. A blindness comes to me now and then. I have it now. It is queer—I can see your eyes but not your nose. I can’t read because some of the letters are blurred; dark spots cover them; it is very uncomfortable. I know all about it; it’s DYSPEPSIA. Take one of these; it will cure you in ten minutes. What is it ? A Ripans Tabule. Ve. case of bad health that R'I'P’A‘N'S will not benefit. They banish pain and prolong life, One gives relief. Note the word R'I'P’A'N'S on the package and accept no substitute. R*I’-P’A‘N’S, 0 for5 cents or twelve packets for 48 cents, may be had at any drug store. Tn samples and ove thou- éand testimonials will be mailed to any address for 5 cents, forwarded to the Ripans Chemical Co., No. 10 Spruce St., New York. — “= ees Kindly mention THE FORESTER in writing. | SEGIETANT WILQUN UN FUntat HT, low. V. DECEMBER, 1899. No. 12. WY of i C Q af - oF of I ot. ul Al ouF ae CGPYRIGHT, 1808, vAPHE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. om =a EE e Post ein Washington, D. C., as second class matter, - | EFFECT OF FORESTRY ~ic--_ THE PRACTICAL IN TABLE OF CONTENTS. (AN EXAMPLE OF SCIENTIFIC PORESTRY) 235, cucigiyaue orang eesmsed senye .....Frontispiece. WHAT Forestry MANS TO ‘THE UNITED BTATHS A eee els cen as Pes 2714 By the Secretary of Agriculture. . HE PRACTICAL IN POREGTRY, 6:5. isl asus dugdoredaraseeee naib clde A hie ee ce aBivis era en nat at 275 a Blending of Ideas Regarding Lumbering, Forest Conservation and Reforestation. From the Lumberman’s Standpoint. ForESTS FOR THE RICH ONLY..,..........+. OME ee Mer inal Mame ena Eons KSA Mah 316) 278 9 EFFECT OF FORESTS 'ON WATER SUPPLY.,.j.-ccesscrsceneececusbeneseeees Sai cena stant . 299 4 II.—Investigations Regarding Capillary Action and the Effects of Forest Cover. CHANGING Mt. Rarntrer’s BOUNDARIES........- AER IRC RN HOG GO RAR Wa ate 282 Official Recommendation of the Commissioner of the General Land Office. In THE SOUTHERN ALLEGHENIES. D6. ,ivesscdsua te iedonodsteseneede Sa ota ra eee 283am Establishment of a National Park and Forest Reserve in North Caro- lina. INFLUENCE OF Forests UPON STORAGE RESERVOIRS...........cceeeceeeeeees SCREEN 285 Some Conditions Essential to the Maintenance of Streamflow and Water — Conservation. For’ AN INTERNATIONAL, CONGRESB i) evr nc banda a Ue uae Cibetdcmains pate wai mete ee uae ue zes ECONOMIC SLREE (PLANTING (olin Un US RU PSUR RS AGRA i 0 SOO Oe 288 OITORIAL. US Aa AIA RENAE th Ng Ae SET SAHA Asie Sar nce uins ‘.. 200m American Forestry Association. Completion of Another Volume. Enthusiasm for National Parks. Chips and Clips—News Items. European Forestry. The Sportsman’s Willow. _ Coming of the Light. Transplanting Carolina Poplars. Arousing Popular Interest. A Great Opportunity. An Appreciation of Forestry. RECENT (PURDICA TIONS io ela ane Uo acu (eC Lee eee EO Es bad lebabeaeeee dace aaa tare AMERICAN FORES TRY ASSOCIATION. The Forester —- FOR-THE YEAR 1900 WILL BE BETTER AND MORE INTERESTING THAN EVER BEFORE, Pertinent papers by forest experts, accurate descriptions of the forests by officials of the U. S. Government, scientific forestry at home and abroad, questions of lumbering, irrigation, water pany, oes grazing, and a keen summary of forest news. Fifteen Months (See page 267) for $1. OO. FORESTRY SCHOOL, AT BILTMORE, N. C. _ For circular and information apply to C. A. SCHENCK, Ph.D., Forester to the BILTMORE ESTATE, New York State College of Forestry, ZORNELL UNIVERSIT VY, ISAGCA NOY, - Offers a complete four-year course in Forestry leading to the degree of Bachelor in » the Science of Forestry (B.S. F.). Special students for shorter terms accepted if properly prepared. Tuition $100 per year. New York State students free. The Spring terms of the junior and senior years are spent in the Demonstra- tion Forest in the Adirondacks, devoted to practical work. Requirements for admission similar to those in other branches of the Univer- sity. Send for prospectus. Instruction in preparatory and collateral branches given by the Faculty of the University. For further information address, Director of State College of Forestry, Ithaca, mn: YY: B. E. FERNOW, LL.D., FILIBERT ROTH, Assistant Professor, Director. JOHN GIFFORD, D.Oec., Assistant Professor. Kindly mention THE FORESTER in writing. THE FORESTER. HENRY ROMEIKE, The First Established and Most Complete Newspaper Cutting Bureau in the World. 110 FIP TE AVENUE; NEW YORK. | 8 ESTABLISHED LONDON, 1881; NEW YORK, 1884. BRANCHES: LONDON, PARIS, BERLIN, SYDNEY. é THE PRESS,-CUT TING BUREAU which I established and have carried on since 1881 in Iondon, and 1884 | in New York, reads, through its hundreds of employes, every news- | paper and periodical of importance published in the United States, | Canada and Europe. It is patronized by thousands of subscribers, pro- fessional or business men, to whom are sent, day by day, newspaper | clippings, collected from all these thousands of papers, referring either to them or any given subject. é HENRY ROMER: 110 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK. — Kindly mention THE FORESTER in writing. ) oy ae i Windbreak ing as f White Maple, near Manhattan, Servi 10n O AN EXAMPLE OF SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY. and Source of Fuel. Twenty-five year old Plantat ing a Kansas, Showi . ing in a tf. Gs : FP cy, Se eo enee Tree Plant conomic E THE FORESTER. Vor. WV. DECEMBER, 1899. Novae: What Forestry Means to the United States. Bb Meth oe ene LARY OF AGRICULTURE. Among the great questions which bear directly both on the present prosperity of the United States and upon the future wealth and happiness of its people, forestry occupies a conspicuous place. To realize how prominent is its part among the problems of our national life it is only necessary to glance at its relation to the great industries of the country. Practically all manufactures are tributary, directly or indirectly, to the forest. The great business of transportation would be wholly impossible without it. A failure of timber in mining is often as disastrous as the failure of the ore-body itself. Even Agriculture, without the products of the forest, would be everywhere seriously crippled and in many parts of the country almost absolutely impossible. In a word, forestry is interwoven with the whole of our present activity as a nation. The public mind has not, however, always been awake to the vital connection of for- estry with our national welfare, nor has it always understood what the term itself de- notes. Toquote from an article in the last year-book of the Department of Agriculture : ‘The meaning of the word ‘forestry’ changes in the public mind from decade to decade. ‘The change is due not only to a better understanding of the subjects with which forestry deals, but also to a radical difference in the way forestry is esteemed. The progress of the knowledge of any subject is almost always accompanied by a change in the point of view from which that subject is regarded. Thus, electricity, from being a matter of purely scientific curiosity, has made its way in public thought to the position of one of the foremost industrial forces of the time, with the promise of such future usefulness that whatever relates to it finds a ready hearing. In somewhat the same way forestry is gradually winning a better standing and a larger place in the consideration of the people. ‘¢ At first forestry was understood to relate to trees; andit was not until recently that it began to be seen that it has far less to do with individual trees than with forests. At that time landscape work and forestry were completely confounded, nor even at this day is the distinction always clearly made. Street trees were supposed to be the special province of the forester, and even yet one of the great Eastern cities has a city forester, whose duties are not concerned with any forest land. This point of view has served a most useful purpose, it is true, in enlisting the countenance and support of very many persons whose interest in forest matters, rightly so called, would have been small in- deed, but it may fairly be questioned whether there has not been a counterbalancing loss of the good will and consideration of practical lumbermen and owners of forest land. ‘‘ Apart from the zxsthetic point of view just referred to, a serious check to the progress of forestry, or, as this side of it might well be called, of conservative lumbering, was 272 THE FORESTER. December, the general praise given to European methods of forest management and the frequent and strenuous, but utterly impracticable, advice to apply them in the forest of North America. To very many of the men upon whom the introduction of forestry in the forest depended and still depends, this was a complete barrier, for it made forestry seem unworthy of even the most casual consideration. But these were mere temporary ob- stacles to a true understanding of forestry and marked what may have been inevitable stages of its progress. Another and a worthier point of view has been that of the effect of forests upon climate, a subject of which, it must be confessed, we know com- paratively little. To-day this subject is largely replaced in general discussion by the effect of forests on water supply, with which we are better acquainted. This, at last, is one of the real and vital issues with which true forestry is concerned.” But it is only one of them. The vast material progress which, since 1865, has dis- tinguished the United States among all the nations of the world, would never have been achieved without the great resources in timber which we have been able to command. In spite of the enormous development of the use of metals in this country, our material civilization is still distinctly founded on the use of wood. If we had not had an abund- ance of wood from the beginning of our life as a nation until the present day, the United States would not now be first in the family of nations in wealth and in food- producing power. Whether or not it is true that republics are ungrateful to their great men, it certainly is a fact that their citizens are careless of the resources to which their prosperity is due. That great wealth finally tends to prodigality is an axiom in human nature, whose illustration can nowhere be found better than in the treatment of the forest resources of the United States by its citizens. It is not without interest to note that the first settlers in New England, with the vast stretches of unexplored wilder- ness before them, and a body of standing timber to draw upon whose amount they could not even reckon, took immediate steps to prohibit the waste of wood and the destruction of forests. It was only later, when a knowledge of the vastness of their timber resources led to recklessness, that the indiscriminate destruction of forests began. Still later came the second effort toward forest protection, in which we are still engaged. It has not been wholly due to recklessness or thoughtless haste to be rich that the destruction of vast areas of forests has occurred in the United States. Economic rea- sons have had immense influence and one of the chief of these is the question of taxes on timberland. Referring to the unbearable weight of the taxes too often assessed on uncut or cut-over timberlands, the article quoted above says with entire justice : ‘* Hundreds of thousands of acres in the white-pine region, notably in Pennsylvania, and in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, have been cut over, abandoned, sold for taxes, and finally reduced by fire to a useless wilderness because of the shortsighted policy of heavy taxation. To lay heavy taxes on timber land is to set a premium on forest destruction, a premium that is doing more than any other single factor to hinder the spread of conservative lumbering among the owners of large bodies of timber land. Not only does this policy lead to the destruction of the forest, but it reduces eventually the sums raised by taxation. Devastated lands are valueless, and therefore can not be assessed at anything like their former rates. Then follows a reduction in the sums raised, and then a higher tax rate for the rest of the real property in the region; and so, by a roundabout but certain road, the chickens come home to roost, and the men who invited the destruction of the timber that should have made and kept them prosperous have to pay some part at least of the penalty of their shortsightedness. ‘* It does not change such facts as these to explain how the heavy taxes happened to be assessed. It is true that the temptation to tax nonresident owners is very great; that companies are often made to suffer for their local unpopularity, and that the burden of building and maintaining roads and bridges and court-houses in sparsely settled coun- tries bears heavily on their people. But when every allowance has been made, the fact still remains that heavy taxes are responsible for the barrenness of thousands of 1599. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 273 square miles which should never have ceased to be productive, and which must now lie fallow for many decades before they can be counted again among the wealth-making assets of the nation. It is not greatly to the interest of any man to protect such | wastes, and so fire runs over them year after year, and their possible utility recedes further and further into the future.” This instance of the destructive agencies which are constantly reducing the area of productive forests is but a single example chosen from very many because it is less widely known. Forest fires, sheep grazing without proper safeguards, and the lack of a general knowledge as to what is possible in forestry are among the other great influ- ences at work for harm. It is only of recent years that the conservative forces have begun to make themselves felt, and even yet they are by no means up to the level of their task, albeit steadily gaining. The conflict against the forces of forest destruction, with its enormous attendant evil to the nation, as opposed to conservative forestry, with the security it brings is worthy of the best interest and effort of every patriotic citizen. For many years a small body of earnest men has been calling public attention to the urgent need of action for the preservation of forests in this country, until at last they have convinced the people at large that something needs to be done. At first there was a general impulse to ridicule the warnings and appeals of the American Forestry Asso- ciation, to which in the end nearly all of these men came to belong. There was a rea- son for this state of affairs, for at first much that was written and said by over-enthus- iastic friends of forestry was less practical and less directly applicable to the American forest problem than it should have been. But this tendency gradually disappeared be- fore a better understanding of the problem by the friends of forestry, and a truer con- ception of the real purpose of the forest reformers by the lumbermen and the general public. At present there is scarcely an intelligent American who is not in accord with the aims of the American Forestry Association. The time has evidently come when this Association, strengthened by the approbation of its objects now practically universal among our people, is about to make its beneficent influence much more widely and practically effective than ever before. Indeed all the agencies at work for the perpetu- ation of our forests are taking on new vigor, forest schools are springing up here and there, young men in numbers are turning their eyes toward forestry as a profession, and the general desire of the people, expressed through their representatives in Congress, is giving greater efficiency, year by year, to the work of forest education and right forest management on the ground. Among the forces on the side of progress the Depart- ment of Agriculture has long held, and still maintains, an honorable place. Protection, chiefly against winds, floods, and drought, and the continuous production of wood, are the prime objects of forestry. To review in detail what forestry means to the United States would be to discuss the value to the nation of practically all its in- dustries, for practically all of them use wood, and the comfort and prosperity of practi- cally all its people, for we all use wood in ways we could very ill afford to spare. In addition the lumber, tanning, and wood-working industries, with their enormous annual output, would have to be specially considered. Forestry means the preserva- tion and perpetuation of all these, just as continued forest destruction means their in- jury or their complete decay. But my limits will not permit me to dwell upon this phase of the subject. I pass now to a sphere of forest influence with which, as a farmer, I have had special opportunity to become acquainted. It may serve as an ex- ample of how closely forestry may be related to the men of a widely separate calling. The interest of the farmer in forestry is a vital one, and by no means confined to the effect of great forest masses on the climate or on the distribution of the rainfall. Such bodies of forest usually lie apart from the chief farming regions, and their influence, however great it may be, and however generally it may be acknowledged, is far less tangible and convincing to the farmer than the things he can see and handle on his own 274 THE FORESTER. December, — farm. I have no desire to belittle the vast utility of mountain forests, or to slight what — may fairly be called the appalling need of conservative forest management throughout all the great forest areas of the country. These are matters of the first importance to the prosperity and happiness of us all, and it would be difficuit to give them undue weight in any consideration of the great resources of the United States. In this paper, howeve er, I must take them for granted and go on to consider briefly what interest the farmer has in forestry on his own farm. There being, according to the census of 1890, more than 200,000,000 acres of forest in farms, it appears at once that this is, in the aggregate, a very great question for the farmers in wooded regions. As we shall see, it is no less important for the farmer living where all the trees have been planted by the hand of man. A farmer who has a woodlot on his farm is interested in it in three ways. If he lives in a treeless country the protection of his house, his stock, and his growing crops against freezing and drying winds is of the very first consequence. It may be objected that this matter of ee inrealen and shelterbelts is outside the domain of forestry, but the objection is not well taken. Forestry deals with forest trees in their relation to the material welfare of the human race. Whether the service they yield to man is rendered in fuel, timber, or protection does not affect the definition. Nor is it material whether the protection given is against floods, snowslides, blizzards, or drying winds. All these are within the province of forestry. The farmer in a treeless region is deeply concerned, with the presence or absence of windbrakes and shelterbelts on his farm, not only because of the essential necessity of the protection they afford, but for another and most practical reason as well. It has been ascertained by the estimates of competent men on the ground that the average value of a farm, in certain of our treeless States, is actually increased about ten per cent. by the presence of good plantations. The farmer, where trees grow unplanted, is likewise concerned in the protection which his woodlot gives, when he is fortunate enough to have it rightly placed, but his dependence on shelter is far less than that of the man in the treeless West. . Still it is often enough to make the difference between comfort and discomfort, or sometimes be- tween prosperity and want. In the second place the farmer is interested in forestry as a producer of wood. The planted grove or windbreak of the prairie farmer not only supplies him with part or all of his fuel with fence posts, and with wood for other uses about the farm, just as the woodlot dies more abundantly for the farmer of the wooded regions, but it may con- tribute, through the sale of any of these items, ready cash to no inconsiderable amount. On many farms in the East the products of the woodlot, such as ties, posts, and cord- wood, bring in a very large per cent. of the yearly revenue in money. It is by no means uncommon for a farmer, to whom his cultivated fields would give but a bare liv- ing, to be lifted into comparative ease by the produce of his woodlot. For the Eastern farmer it is always harder to get ready cash than to raise produce for the subsistence of himself, his family, and his stock, and it is just here that his woodlot, rightly handled, is often his main reliance. It is hardly too much to say that under intelligent handling it might always be made so. In the third place, the farmer is concerned in forestry because he is a purchaser of timber. The price of his agricultural machinery and of nearly all his tools is affected by the progressive destruction of our forests. His house and barn, in the vast majority of cases, are built of purchased timber and roofed with shingles which have cost him money. His produce goes to market in wooden cars hauled over wooden sleepers. His cradle and his coffin are of wood. It behooves him, scarcely less than the lumberman, and far more than many other classes of the community, to see to it that the forests of our country are not destroyed. To that end the American Forestry Association is an instrument sharpened and ready for his use. This Association, if I may be allowed a ae ee 1899. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 275 word about an organization of which I am an officer, and in whose work I am deeply interested, has for its chief objects to bring about a wise and more conservative treat- ment of the forest resources of this continent, to diffuse information concerning the con- servative management and the renewal of forests, and to encourage the intelligent plant- ing of trees. Tt i is therefore broad enough in scope rightly to be called American, and its purposes may be justly said to be patriotic, in the true sense of that strong word. In addition to the general interest of the farmer in forestry, and even more vital to his welfare, is the condition of the plantations or the woodlot on his own farm. For- estry is a subject not to be mastered in a day, and yet the woodlot and the plantation should have all the assistance that common sense and training together can give. Such assistance the Department of Agriculture offers to the farmer for the asking. JAMES WILSON. The Practical in Forestry. A Paper on the Blending of Ideas regarding Lumbering, Forest Conservation and Reforestation. FROM THE LUMBERMAN’S STANDPOINT There is an ancient platitude which is often heard, that ‘* There are two sides to every question, the right and the wrong ;” but in the question and the study of forestry there are four, viz: the right, the wrong, the theoretical and the practical. Per- chance the four may mingle one into the other three, or the three into the one, but it is my intention to expound the practical factor in the great, important, and far- reaching study of forestry in the United States, or, more precisely, on the Pacific Coast. In the Oriental countries the picturesque, artistic style of the garments donned by the natives impresses the average traveler as most pleasing to his vision. He wonders at the grace, the ease of movement, the subtleness and the many evidently desirable characteristics of the costumes worn; and so, departing from the country of his ob- servations, he is impressed by the ensemble but overlooks the other aspect of the con- sideration. Through the vista of his romantic conceptions he forgets to study the practical, and deeper evidences which affect the wearer of those habiliments of the past. So it is likely to be with the stu- dent of the theoretical conditions of the forest movement. I would not have it understood for a single moment that I am not heartily in (Aue of the preservation of our forests and the conservation of our waters, but the function of this paper is to dwell on the practical avenue of the consideration: to view forest preservation from the stand- point of the operating lumbermen of the Pacific Coast and of California in particu- lar. Certainly the numbers and the status of the manufacturers of Redwood lumber de- serve and demand attention in the formu- lation of the acts of this Association which is so nobly championing the cause of forest preser vation all over the United States. It is only right; it is only just, for the stric- tures of a despotism ‘alone would forbid and repress the arguments, Avo ef con, on any subject under Cansiierssipn. In truth it is to assist and further the efforts of all of us who are so deeply interested in the forest matters of moment, that I have com- piled this paper. I believe it best to throw as much light as my feeble pen will permit upon the 276 possible obstacles in the path of the future onward march of progress, leading toward and to the goal of successful forest meas- ures, so:that we may be strong enough and wise enough to avoid the stumbling blocks and remove the boulders of all opposition. We shall thus be able to leave for our posterity a grand inheritance—the sublime forests which the good Father Protector has given us in all their primeval grandeur. Let us all, as many are now doing, labor to preserve or reproduce, by decades of wise forest enactments, this generous, this bene- ficent gift. We all love to linger, as true worship- pers of Nature, in the restful calm of the vast forests, indulging in an almost Druid- ical reverence of the mighty giants of the Sequoia groves; listening to the music of the waving branches which sang their songs of creation long before the Infant’s wail, from His cradle in the manger, heralded the advent of a new faith. We, everyone of us, delay our hurrying foot- steps to draw fancy sketches of all of Nature’s loveliness and drain to the full our flagon of poetic inspiration, while rejoicing that the world has been moulded in so beautiful a conception. But in our peace- ful wanderings we never encounter the importunate exactions of the tax collector, or discover, on a bright and sunny morn- ing, that our notes have matured at the bank. We theorize and sup at the board of fancy; but the lumberman, the owner of these same preserves, while feeling and appreciating the natural beauties of his possessions, has with him the omnipresent sense of business responsibility. He has paid with funds and labor, and, to preserve his integrity and status as a man, must open some avenue toward the successful future possession of a new dollar for an old one. There may exist a misapprehension that the lumbermen of the Pacific Coast are opposed to any efforts being made to pre- serve the forests, because of a possible encroachment on their rights as lumber- men. + Forests for the Rich Only. The present agitation for street and roadside tree planting draws attention to the appreciation of such plans in England. A recent traveler there, describing the road to Warwick, says: ‘¢ There are fine trees all along, many Oaks, some Poplars rising aloft, but es- pecially tall and stately Elms; these are so plentiful that there is a local name for them, ‘ Warwickshire weeds.’ Except in the parks of the rich people, however, there are no woods, no forests, no ‘ belts’ of ‘timber’; the trees rise out of the hedgegrows, stand beside the road, and gather about the houses. Sometimes there is an avenue of them.” The statement that there are no forests except for the rich may be regarded as ‘a word to the wise” to consider in time the advisability of national parks for the peo- ple in America. The result of the efforts of Minnesota and North Carolina to secure the establish- ment of national parks will be watched with interest throughout the United States. its = a ee 1899. € AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. te ~I \O Effect of Forests on Water Supply. II.—INVESTIGATIONS REGARDING CAPILLARY ACTION AND THE EFFECT OF FOREST COVER, AS RELATED TO WATER SUPPLY. The mechanics of granular soils present some particularly interesting features. It can readily be demonstrated that, if the granules are true spheres and of one iunform diameter, the voids form one constant percentage of the total cubical contents, irrespective of the actual diam- eter of the spheres, and also that the area of passages between the spheres bears a constant ratio to the area of the circum- scribing cross diameter. formity of section, irrespective of This is a property of uni- size. By mixing different sizes together in such proportions that each succeeding smaller size enters the intersticesof the preceding larger grains of soil may be made impervious to water, save by capillary action. This feature of mixtures will frequently explain the im- perviousness of stream beds in sandy gravel. Although the voidsand water passages bear a constant ratio to the total volumes and areas with grains of uniform size, the rate of the passage of water is higher the larger the grains. With very minute grains the passages become capillaries en- tirely and gravitation is overcome. Capillary action is one of surface ten- sion. Imagine a membrane enclosing each grain and stretched thereon. The tension of this imaginary membrane is analogous to surface tension. The surface tension increases with decrease of radius. The sharper the curvature the greater the tension. When neighboring interstitial spaces are filled with water to a greater or less degree surfaces or films of sharper or flatter curvature are produced. The surfaces are not in equilibrium and a movement from the flat to the sharper curves takes place, and continues until, by re-adjustment of the curves, equilibrium is established. This is the nature of capillary action; it takes place in all directions according to the surrounding conditions. In soils the conditions are usually such that the action is upward and opposed to gravity. Evap- oration at the ground surface depletes the interstitial spaces, the films around the grains grow sharper of curvature and a movement takes place toward them from the lower interstices refilling the upper. Forests reduce surface evaporation and re- tard the capillary depletion of ground water. In chalk the limit of capillary action exceeds 16 feet. In sandy soils one and a half feet has been found to be an extreme. In very open coarse material the limit may be but a few inches. The rate of percolation is affected by the temperature. The viscosity, or inter- nal friction, of water increases with de- crease of temperature. Assuming the viscosity at 32° Fahrenheit to be 1oo, the viscosity at 77° is found to be 50; at 86°, 45;,dand. at 112°, 31... The viscosity of gases, contrary to that of fluids, increases with increase of temperature and as air is frequently used in making permeability tests of soils grave errors are liable to be introduced, unless these opposite character- istics are duly accounted for. Tests at ten German forest stations show that the general effect of forests is to raise the soil temperatures during the cold months and lower them during the warm months. This has the effect of facilitat- ing percolation during the rainy periods and retarding capillary upward action dur- ing the warm months when little rain falls. The surface tension of water is also lowered by increase of temperature, causing less capillary resistance to gravi- tation and increasing percolation. The rate or velocity of percolation is very variable. It varies with every soil, from no movement whatever, to over 100 feet per hour. Each soil is more or less a law unto itself and must be studied by it- 280 self if exact results are sought. There is one great distinction between water flow- ing freely in open channels or pipes of measurable size, and percolating water. The flow of the former is a function of the square root of the head, while the flow of water traversing minute passages varies directly with the head. Capacity, as previously stated, is the quantity of water which can be introduced into a dry soil. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the soil volume. The total quantity that a soil is capable of im- bibing is termed its maximum capacity. This quantity is divisible into two parts: the one removable by drainage, the other by evaporation. This latter part is again sub-divisible into two parts, one brought to the surface by capillary action and there evaporated; the other almost permanently retained within the soil, requiring for its removal long continued applications of heat. This part is termed hygroscopic moisture. German authorities have determined the maximum cape of various soils to range from 46% per cent. for quartz sand to 70M per cent. for humus, and_ the minimum capacity or water remaining after gravitation to range from 17 per cent. to 49 per cent. Of the minimum capacity the portion retained as hygro- scopic moisture has been determined by Longbridge, of the California Experiment Station, to range from less than 1 per cent. for sand to 14% per cent. for clays, these percentages being referred to maximum capacity. The wide range in the figures serves to illustrate the necessity of experi- menting directly with any soil under con- sideration if exact data are required. Of the different capacities the hydraulic engineer is more particularly concerned in that which relates to the quantity that may be drained out; on the other hand, the ar- boriculturist is much interested in the amount of capillary water from which plant life largely draws its supply. An authority on effects of forest cover (Dr. as, Ebermay er), found that, except for the top layers, unshaded soil had more capacity than shaded soil. Taken as a whole, however, for a depth of 32 inches THE FORESTER. December, he fqund the soil under young Spruce trees to have 2 per cent. and under old Spruce trees 74% percent. greater capacity than naked soil. These are very instruc- tive figures. THe ‘* Forest Fioor.” It is manifest that the character of the forest floor, 7. ¢., the litter covenme, the ground, must have a marked effect upon the absorption of water. Wollny found as a result of his experiments that under a grass cover there was 50 per cent. less percolation than in naked soil. He found a litter of Oak leaves to pass 42 to 74 per cent. of the rainfall, Spruce litter 46 to 78 per cent., Pine ‘needles 52° to: 69 sper cent., Moss 39 to 53 per cent. The vari- ations are due to varying thickness of cover. The shallower the cover the less the soil imbibed, for the obvious reason that the water was presented to it too quickly. Again, considering the Rotham- sted tests, which gave the percolation of bare soil at from 45 to 47% per cent. of the rainfall, it will be seen that ordinary forest litter will pass more rainfall than the earth. ordinarily imbibes. | Conse- quently the cover will remain in a state of saturation for a greater or less period of time during which it will protect the ground from evaporation. A soil cover- ing of humus, however, would allow little water to pass to the soil beneath. It would be beneficial in lessening the force of storm water, but otherwise would work a loss to ground storage. Ebermayer says that besides clay it is especially humus which imbibes almost all precipitation and gives up little water to the ground below ; and he adds that if the earth were covered by a humus soil of one meter in depth, subterranean drainage would be so slight that springs would be scanty and continu- ously flowing springs absent. The forest floor is a most important factor in retarding storm-water and pro- tecting the earth from erosion. This is particularly true on steep mountain slopes. The destruction of forest litter by fire, sheep, or deforestation is little short of a national calamity. Each rain washes away tons upon tons of loam, sand and 1899. rocks to cover up the lower lands—a double disaster. The fertile soil of. the higher lands is destroyed, the fertile soil of the lower lands is buried under a waste of débris. There is one other subject to consider— evaporation. Under this head will be in- cluded transpiration from foliage. Tem- perature and wind are the chief controlling elements in evaporation. Woods lower temperature and reduce the velocity of the wind. It is to be expected, therefore, that evaporation in woods would be much smaller than in the open. Such is found to be actually the case. The observations of sixteen forest stations in Germany show a marked saving effected by the woods. Of the rainfall an average of 42 per cent. was evaporated in the open and 24 per cent. in the forest—a clear saving of 18 per cent. The evaporation from water surfaces in woods was found to be about 38 per cent. of that from water surfaces in the open. As an offset to the saving in the evap- oration comes the moisture transpired through the foliage, and that retained in the substance of the tree. The transpira- tion computed by various observers ranges from an equivalent rainfall of one-quarter inch per annum for four-year old Firs, up to 15 inches for cereals and 37 inches for grasses. Forests of mixed growth trans- pire about 6% inches. According to ob- servations at the Austrian stations, decidu- ous trees transpire during the period of vegetation 500 to 1,000 pounds of water per pound of dry leaves, and the conifer- ous from 75 to 200 pounds. (This sug- gests the natural selection of conifers for our own mountain slopes. ) One remark of Hohnel, regarding the Austrian observations, is very “suggestive. He says: ‘‘ A plant will transpire in pro- portion to the amount of water which is at its disposal.” This remark serves to illustrate the point that willows and other water-loving growths along the streams consume more water than they save. There is a coincidence between the fall and rise of the Los Angeles river and the budding and fall of the willow leaves. It is estimated that a coniferous forest best showing, will give AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 281 will transpire 8 per cent. of a total rain- fall of 20 inches and a Beech forest 48 per cent. The amount of water annuz illy absorbed into the structure of the trees has been estimated as ranging from 19 to 25 per cent. of the weight of the wood, and 54 to 65 per cent. of the weight of the leaves. The hard wood deciduous trees absorb 38 to 45 per cent., the soft wood 45 to 55 per cent., and the conifers 52 to 65 per cent. These quantities are equivalent to about 2 per cent. of the water required for transpiration and are in addition thereto. On the basis of these figures a conifer- ous forest, which of all forest makes the g, a net increase to the ground storage ‘of about LO per cent of the rainfall, to say nothing of its effect upon incre eased conductivity of the soil and the storm water held back so that the earth has better time to drink its fill, in them- selves important items. The State of New Jersey has wisely ex- pended large sums in measuring the flows of its streams and in ascertaining the phys- ical elements controlling these we The Engineer of that Seeen in language free om hesitancy, says, after long feikers and study on the subject : ‘¢ We believe it will be helpful to the cause of forestry in the future if the ef- fects of forests upon stream-flow are more carefully and accurately stated. Their ef- fect in holding and preserving the soil upon slopes is very well known, and be- sides this they create a mass of humus and absorbent matter upon the surface which has an effect upon stream-flow, and the general evils resulting from deforestation are a matter of careful observation and record, so that too much stress cannot be laid upon the desirability of preserving a proper area of forest. ‘¢ The study of the streams shows that in every case, almost, it is the watershed on which is the Iz irgest proportion of for- est which shows the largest flow from ground-water.” This is particularly per- tinent to the present discussion. H. Hawcoop, Miselintsta Cabra Los Angeles, Cal. ty oa) Ww THE FORESTER. December, Changing Mt. Rainier's Boundaries. Official Approval of the Suggestions made by An Authority through The Forester. An excerpt from the annual report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, recommending to the Secretary of the Interior the extension of the Mount Rainier National Park, will be of especial interest to readers of THE FORESTER, in that the recommendations made by Mr. Bailey Willis, in the leading article of the May issue of THE Foresre|r are officially approved by the head of the Government Forest Reserve service. In the section of the report devoted to the care of the National Forest Reserves under his supervision, the Commissioner speaks as follows: ‘¢ One of the most important measures taken during the past year in connection with forest reservations was the action of Congress in withdrawing from the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve a portion of the region immediately surrounding Mount Rainier and setting it apart as a national park. ‘¢ The peculiar features of this region demand protection of a widely different and much more stringent nature than that afforded a forest reservation. The forests that clothe the slope and foothills of Mount Rainier require, as great regulators of floods, to be preserved absolutely un- touched, while the fact of the presence of arctic animals in that region calls for ex- traordinary measures to insure to them proper protection. ‘¢The importance attaching to effective measures to preserve these arctic forms of life was strikingly set forth in the memo- rial presented to the United States Senate from committees appointed by several of the scientific societies of the United States, which reads on this point as follows: ‘*¢But Mount Tacoma (Mount Rainier) is single not merely because it is superbly majestic; it is an arctic island in a tem- perate zone. Ina bygone age an arctic climate prevailed over the Northwest and glaziers covered the Cascade Range. Arctic animals and arctic plants then lived throughout the region. As the climate became milder and glaciers melted, the creatures of the cold climate were limited in their geographic range to the districts of the shrinking glaciers. On the great peak the glaciers linger still. They give to it its greatest beauty. They are them- selves magnificent, and with them survives a colony of arctic animals and_ plants which cannot exist in the temperate climate of the less lofty mountains. These arctic forms are as effectually isolated as ship- wrecked sailors on an island in midocean. There is no refuge for them beyond their haunts on ice-bound cliffs. But even there the birds and animals are no longer safe from the keen sportsman, and the few survivors must soon be exterminated un- less protected by the Government in a national park.’ ” ‘‘ The necessity of having this unique peak and its environs preserved in a state of nature has for years attracted much at- tention, not only inthis country but abroad, and the matter of setting it apart as a national park has long been one of inter- national interest, eminent scientists of England and Germany being among the promoters of the move. ‘‘In view of the great importance thus attaching to the subject, I regret to report that the area set apart fails to embrace all of the features of that region which it is desirable to have included. Certain dis- tricts have been omitted which belong more rightly within a national park than to a forest reserve, and as such should not be left without the protection of the park. ‘‘Upon this point the views of Mr. Bailey Willis, of the Geological Survey, are of especial value. In an article in the May, 1899, issue of THE Forester, compiled partly from official data, Mr. Willis states as follows : 1899. ‘¢¢ The boundaries to the park as now established by law are not well considered for its future development. They are too limited. They fail to include districts whose scenic aspects are essential to the unity of the park, and whose features should not be left outside of its protection. This is most especially true of the western limit, and is to some extent true of the northern and southern bounds.’ ” After quoting further, at considerable AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 283 length, from the article in THE Forester, concluding with the suggestions offered by Mr. Willis, the Commissioner sums up the matter in these very complimentary words: ‘¢ From all the data available upon the subject, I am of the opinion that I can not do better than indorse the recommenda- tion referred to; and I accordingly recom- mend that the limits of the park as now established be changed to conform to the boundaries here suggested.” In the Southern Alleghenies. Public Interest in the Establishment of a « National Southern Park and Forest and Game Preserve in Western North Carolina.” The Parks and Forestry Committee of the Asheville Board of Trade has taken the initiative in calling an interstate meet- ing at Asheville, November 22, to form an association and take practical steps for con- summating the plan for a great forest pre- serve in the wild mountain regions of that state. Itis aimed to bring the matter before Congress with a popular request for a com- mission to inquire into the feasibility of a National Southern Park in North Carolina. A large petition has been signed and the committee is assured of the aid of the state representatives and of many influential citi- zens who have long favored the movement. Its importance to the South and to the Na- tion is claimed to be of the first magnitude, as the committee expects to prove in due time. The petition is addressed to Con- gress, and reads: ‘*The undersigned citizens and voters represent that in the mountain regions of western North Carolina there are great tracts of timber lands, blessed with a salu- brity of climate that renders the country admirably adapted for health-seekers and tourists. This region, as yet compara- tively little known, is threatened with the denudation of its forests by lumbering and other enterprises. The exceeding beauty of the region, with its numerous springs and waterfalls, is dependent largely on the protection of its trees. The increased ac- tivity in the various leather and woodwork- ing industries has, however, given an im- petus to the lumbering and tanning trades, and the destruction of these mountain forest lands is proceeding to a degree which makes it but a question of a short time when the ruin will be completed. Despoiled of the trees, the land will be comparatively useless. The resulting dry- ing up of the springs and water-courses with attendant destructive floods will mark the irreparable damage done to this region unless legislative interference comes to its aid. ‘© The advantage to the nation at large in the establishment of a National Park in these mountains would be incalculable, from the fact of its readiness of access from all the large centers of trade, being within twenty-four hours journey, approximately, of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Bos- ton, Indianapolis, etc. Your petitioners, undersigned, therefore, urge that measures be adopted looking to the protection of the region by the establishment of a Na- tional Park and Forest Reserve.” In furtherance of the project, the Park and Forestry Committee has sent out a handsome illustrated pamphlet, calling at- tention to the favorable opportunities now existing and emphasizing the cansequences 284 of present neglect. The article in ques- tion says: ‘An authority, Dr. C. A. Schenck, the eminent forester, in one of his in- teresting monographs asks, ‘ What is forestry: 2? and answers that no one seems to realize the scope and meaning of the term. Present conditions in the commer- cial and industrial world and in the South- ern Alleghenies point to the rapid de- struction of the virgin woods. The stu- dent of forestry is taught, and experience has proved the teaching to be true, that deforested land, patricularly in a moun- tainous country, is the direct cause of de- structive floods. The interference and absorption by the trees distributes and regulates the rainfall. In the dry season the trees protect and hold back the evapo- ration of the innumerable and minute trib- utaries to the springs, watercourses and rivers, thus regulating and preserving the water supply, without which regulation no region can long remain attractive or profitable. ‘« By the present system of lumber opera- tions the virgin forests of the South bid fair to be soon destroyed. As the authority on the subject has indicated, if the forests are lumbered out rapidly as at present and if the fires are allowed to rage unchecked as at present, the same condition will speedily prevail in the South that now prevails in the lake states. There will not, it is claimed, be any sudden collapse of the lumber industry either South or North when the virgin forests are destroyed —if we are to permit them to be destroyed. The forests will be logged over three or four times; trees that are not worth taking now will be worth taking a few years hence, and so on. Gradual slackening of the industry will take place. It will slowly step down to the level which it occupies abroad. The mills will be supplied with short logs about ten inches through on an average. Lumber will be much more ex- pensive as the supply will not equal the demand. ‘* Such seems the future of the forests and the lumber industry of the South. From an innate love of nature and sense of its beauty, every one regrets the seem- THE FORESTER. December, ingly inevitable doom; the woodman, per- haps, more than the townsman. ‘« For the commonwealth, forestry as a permanent business is extremely desirable for climatic and economic reasons, the forests acting as a source of national health, steady water supply, and revenue from land often not fit for any other production. The people as a whole are interested in conservative, jasting forestry. The in- dividual owning forests is solely interested in money-making forestry, conservative or destructive of forests as the case may be. ‘¢Tt would be an impossible task to in- duce individuals to come to the aid of the country in regulating the lumbering and other operations single threaten its owl being, and hence the project of a Great Southern National Park in which the for- ests will be conserved and timber cutting be regulated on correct and economic prin- ciples by which means an object lesson will be given to the country and a strong argument offered why the forests through- out the land should be placed under forest wardens appointed by the State. ‘¢ The establishment of such a Southern National Park somewhere in the Blue Ridge or Great Smoky Mountains would mean the care of the forests and a stimu- lation of their growth, and regulating the cutting of the trees at maturity; the building of good roads through what are now inaccessible woods and mountain heights; the building of inns and _ hotels at convenient points, inducing a vastly in- creased travel from the North and South on the part of tourists and others; the more or less permanent residence of wealthy citizens who would be disposed to build homes in various localities in this region as they are already doing to some extent; the perpetuation of the beauty and healthfulness of the region and its elaboration in the way of making its most beautiful localities more accessible to the great mass of the people. ‘¢Tt must not be supposed that lumber- ing or bark gathering would be materially interfered with. The Park project, if suc- cessful, would seek to conserve these in- dustries. Under the present system they bid fair to hasten their own undoing by a ee oe 1899. the destructive and wasteful methods now in vogue. When all lumbering and bark gathering operations are under scientific control these businesses may be confident of a steady and regular supply of timber and bark. The individual will not be in- terfered with in his private rights. he lands suitable for the Park will be pur- chased at a valuation and the owners will receive in a lump sum more than they could hope to secure by selling off timber or bark. ‘¢ Pleasure and health seekers and tour- ists show a disposition to come in increas- ing numbers to this section of the South in the winter time and in the summer visit- ors from the South come to the mountains year after year, building homes and enter- ing into the progress of the various com- munities. “ AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 285 ‘¢ The attraction to these people is the healthful climate and the beauty of the region, and to this healthfulness and beauty the woods and forests are the prime contributors. With the destruction of the forests and the attendant evil effects upon the region, what has it to offer to at- tract visitors and others? In addition it must be remembered that the South has no park conducted on the same principles and aims as those in the North. ‘¢The central character of the region gives the project of a Southern National Park attractiveness not only to the people of the South, but to the entire nation. Being within twenty-four hours from New York and the same length of time from the Gulf States the park would be a benefit to the greatest number of citizens of the United States.” The Influence of Forests Upon Storage Reservoirs. Some Conditions Essential to the Maintenance of Streamflow and Water Conservation. In an arid region, where irrigation is a necessity, and where the streams are inter- mittent in their flow, ranging in discharge from violent floods to trickling rivulets, storage reservoirs are essential for any con- siderable extension of the irrigated area. Sites for reservoirs of large capacity are very scarce, where all conditions are right for the construction of safe dams, for the certain filling of the reservoirs, and for the convenient distribution of the water to lands suitable for its use. The scarcity of such sites renders it all the more essential that those which exist should be guarded from all influence tend- ing to the destruction of their usefulness. The mountain slopes of Southern Cali- fornia are more than ordinarily precipi- tous, and the denudation of these steep slopes of their forest growth by destruc- tive fires, or by equally destructive bands of sheep, tends to loosen the surface soil and render it easily eroded, so that as the vegetation of the mountains disappears, the streams become more torrential, and more heavily laden with débris. All this gravel, sand and soil is deposited in the bed of the reservoirs located in their path. The result is to fill the space which should be devoted to the storage of water, thereby lessening its capacity. The rapidity of this destruction of the reservoirs will depend somewhat upon their location; if they are in the moun- tains and have large watersheds of steep slopes they will more rapidly fill with coarse material. If they are nearer the plains on flatter slopes they will receive sand rolled along the bottom of the stream at their upper ends, and fine mud over the remainder of the area. Under these con- ditions they will fill less rapidly. The Sweetwater reservoir, near San Diego, is a type of the latter class, where conditions are most favorable. Recent measure- ments have shown that the deposit in the 286 reservoir during the eleven years of its ex- istence has been about 5 per cent. of its total capacity. The filling has been al- most directly as the depth of the water, being greatest at the dam, where the fine mud is 2 to 2% feet deepy and is largely from the washings of plowed fields. Were this reservoir higher in the moun- tains the filling would be coarser and of greater volume, and if the reservoir were smaller, it would, of course, fill more rapidly. Streams should always run clear, or nearly so, and their volume should be uni- form throughout the year. The more perfectly fae! watersheds are covered with forest growth, decayed leaves, chapparal, and hardy grasses, the more nearly will this ideal condition of run-off be ap- proached. The soil will be so bound with a network of roots that the rain and melted snow will pass off slowly without washing the surface, and the storage reser- voirs will receive a minimum of detritus and a maximum of water. This ideal condition, when perfectly at- tained, becomes in fact a substitute in large measure for storage reservoirs, and the soil itself of the mountain forests is converted into a great sponge, which con- stantly replenishes the springs and streams and keeps them in more uniform flow. Under such perfect conditions, reservoirs would be needed only to store the water of the rainy season for use in the Summer months, while the streams themselves would have higher irrigation duty in the dry seasons. A general extension of for- est growth will fare available many small reservoir sites that are now practically worthless because of the torrential nature of the streams, and their exposure to rapid destruction. The essential, therefore, for the preser- vation of storage reservoirs and the general increase of stream flow is to maintain as dense a growth of vegetation upon the mountains as possible, and so patrol the sources of our streams as to prevent the spread of forest fires. It is not well established that forests have -any special influence in increasing the rain- fall of a region, although the presumption THE FORESTER. December, is that they have a slight tendency in that direction. But it is conceded that they have a very decided influence upon the temperature and humidity. In southern California we particularly need all such influence to counteract the effect of desert winds upon our orchards, and lessen evap- oration upon our reservoirs. The loss by evaporation in reservoirs, ranging as it does from ten to fifty per cent. of their capacity annually, according to their relative depth and surface area ex- posed, as well as their elevation above sea level, is one of the most important fac- tors in estimating the duty of stored water. No other losses can compare with it, and anything which will lessen it will extend their usefulness. A general extension of the forests of the arid region must have marked effect in cooling the surrounding atmosphere, reducing the velocity and tem- perature of winds, increasing humidity, and lessening evaporation. One of the encouraging features of the situation on the Pacific Slope is the rapidity with which all forest trees except the Redwood are being reproduced wherever they are protected from fires and from the ravages of sheep. Young Pines, Firs and Gedars spring up spontaneously where there is soil and moisture, and grow with vigor if let alone. This is in marked contrast to the sand plains of Wisconsin, Michigan and other more Eastern States, where the Pine forests once out, seldom reproduce themselves, but are replaced by brambles and worthless brush. With proper care, therefore, the Western forests can be made a constant source of revenue, continually replenished. A popular misconception of the intent and object of the Government in segregat- ing forest reserves at the headwaters of our streams, is that they are to be forever left in a virgin state, and so lost to public utility. This opinion is widely held, and needs to be eradicated, for the reverse is really true. The forests are not and should not be regarded as too immaculate for use. It is well recognized to be far better and safer to make them a source of luniber and fire- wood, utilizing the older trees and encour- 1899. aging new growth, than to allow them to go to maturity and decay untouched. The guardians of the forest preserves should be required to gather seeds of trees and plants and sow Phen wherever they can be induced to grow. They should keep the young groves properly thinned out and have authority to sell saw-logs and firewood wherever the trees can be judi- ciously spared. One of the important, though little con- sidered, uses of the forest to the irrigator is the conversion of organic vegetable mold into nitrogenous plant-food. This is going on through the agency of the ever-present bacteria which re-convert the organic waste of the world into innocuous and_ useful mineral matter. Water filtering through the soil is constantly bearing these mineral nitrates into the streams and thence out upon the lands. Streams from treeless mountains lack these nitrogenous elements to a great degree, and the water has less fertility and is less valuable for irrigation. The effect of the destruction of forests in mountainous regions is eloquently de- scribed by the eminent French _ political economist, Blanqui, in a memoir read be- fore the Academy of Moral and Political science, Of Trance, in 1843. He says, referring to the Alps of southern France: ‘¢ Signs of unparalleled destruction are visible in all the mountain zone, and the solitudes of those districts are assuming an indescribable character of sterility and desolation. The gradual destruction of the woods has, in a thousand localities, annihilated at once the springs and the fuel. The abuse of the right of pasturage and the felling of the woods have stripped the soil of all its grass and all its trees, and the scorching sun bakes it to the con- sistency of porphyry. When moistened by the rain, as it has neither support nor cohesion, it rolls down to the valleys, sometimes in floods resembling black, yellow, or reddish lava, sometimes in streams of pebbles, and even huge blocks of stone, which pour down with, a fright- ful roar, and in their swift course exit the most convulsive movements. No tongue can give an adequate description of their devastations in one of those sud- AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 287 den floods which resemble in almost none of their phenomena the action of ordinary river water. They are now no longer overflowing brooks, but real seas, tumbling down in cataracts and rolling before dere blocks of stone, which are heried forward by the shock of waves like balls shot out by the explosion of gunpowder. -¢ A Great Opportunity. In connection with the valuable sugges- tions on the care and commercial culture of trees from the pen of Mr. Pinchot, it is pleasant to recall the words of Dr. Hale, of Boston, at the last annual meeting (the forty-second) of the first Village Improve- ment Society in America, the Laurel Hill Association of Stockbridge, Mass. The preservation, enlargement and im- provement of our forest domain was, he said, ‘‘ the great opportunity and necessity of our country,” though he prayed that forestry. might be preserved from ‘+ those landscape gardeners who know better how to plant a garden than God in Eden.” Its THE FORESTER. December forests, said Dr. Hale, had made America. It was sassafras and planks that had paid the Pilgrims’ debt to their English credi- tors. It was a New Hampshire staff that had carried the admiral’s flag into Santiago Bay. Yet many States derive nothing from their woodlands, and he wished that the States might use whatever surplus was at their disposal in making forests where now are deserts. This is a measure that is greatly needed, or will be by the coming generation. Our resources are not inexhaustible. Indeed they are already within measurable dis- tance of exhaustion. The laws that we have are inadequate. It may be noted that Germany, France and Switzerland are constantly adding to their forest pre- serves and that they make them the source of considerable revenue. No man or na- tion is rich enough to be a spendthrift. Churchman, New York City. > Impressions of European Forestry. An American tourist, cycling through Germany, has thus written of the roadside trees: ‘¢ These trees are either for shade pur- poses or are fruit trees, carefully tended, which produce a good revenue for the maintenance of the road. The Lombardy Poplar is the most striking of the first class and perhaps the most common; as these Poplars are so very slender they are planted close together and consequently with their great height furnish a fair shade except when the sun is directly over the road. Others of the shade trees are Elm, Linden, Beech and Horse Chestnut. One can ride for miles on the sunniest days and be con- stantly in total or partial shade; and this feature makes touring in the Summer months quite pleasant. ‘©The fruit trees, however, presented even greater features of interest, for they furnish not only an excellent shade, but also a fairly regular source of revenue. They belong to the ‘ Kreis,’ or township, as we would say, and areas carefully tended as the trees in the best kept orchard. One’s first thought on seeing them is— Will not the fruit be stolen by those going 1899. AMERICAN along? The loss thus is, however, no greater than from private orchards along the roads; and there is, of course, a fine or imprisonment ready for the trespasser here, as there is in so many instances in this land of the ‘ Verboten.’ When the fruit is well advanced towards ripeness an auc- tion is held and the different sections of the roads are knocked down to the highest bidder. Thus the township receives a defi- nite amount, and the purchaser sells the fruit for the highest price he can get.” *— «+ The Coming of the Light. It isa healthy sign that more and more attention is being paid to the question of forestry by the several State governments. We have very trequently in the past urged the vital importance of intelligent forestry, but, while regretting the absence of any widespread general interest or action, it has been fully realized that the best results to the nation would accrue, not from an effervescent though enthusiastic move- ment, but from a slower growth. It is essential for the best results that the urgent necessity be a deep-rooted conviction, which can only be developed as slow growth. The very fact that forestry is receiving serious attention after such a period of laxity may be looked upon as a healthy clause in the future of our national forests. America is undoubtedly in a condition far ahead of that which confronted the governments of France, Germany, and the other European countries at the time when they turned their attention to the preservation of their forests; and with characteristic energy, when the present gentle awakening becomes a strong and hearty movement, the forests of America will be placed on a footing so far above that of the European forests as to surprise our own people. And, moreover, America, in this, as in so many other things, has the benefit of being able to learn what not to do from the errors of those countries which have gone before. Our foresters will have to deal very largely with the reclaiming and manage- ment of the original forest land; it is not “ FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 208 merely a question of planting timber trees for profit. No country with a forest area anything like that of the United States is so poorly equipped for maintenance, and though the 30,000 acres of New York State devoted for the benefit of the entire nation is but a trifling area in proportion, still it is a step in the right direction.— American Gardening. Sg et Arousing Popular Interest. Several papers on forestry will be read at the Forty-second Annual Meeting of the Missouri State Horticultural Society, to be held in the Opera House, Pranceton Mo., December 5th, 6th and 7th. Among the papers will be: ‘¢ Forestry for Missouri, will it Pay?” by D. C. Burson, Kansas City, Mo.; ‘¢The Care and Management of Street Trees, by Exot. H.C: Irish, of the Mis- souri Botanical Garden, and Hermann Von Schrenk, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture; ‘‘ Ornamental Trees,” by H. R. Wayman, of Alvord, Mio: s'il, our Trees are Short-lived,” by Brot Je Cc Whitten, of Columbia, Mo. *—_+ An Appreciation of Forestry. Ir. Gifford Pinchot, chief forester of the government, has just issued A Primer of Forestry, being Bulletin 24, Division of Forestry, U. S. Department of Agricul- ture. It is well bound, beautifully and profusely illustrated, and contains a vast amount of valuable information for the public at large and especially for citizens of Oregon and Washington, where forest protection is becoming a pertinent ques- tion, and is receiving attention at the hands of men densely ignorant of the subject, as well as a few who are well informed. The author is probably the ablest forester on the American continent at the present time and this book is intended for the general public, consequently it is written in a popular manner and is free of scien- tificterms. Children of the schools should read it as well as business men, stockmen, lumbermen, professional men and all others interested in forests and forest protection. — Oregon Native Son, Portland, Oregon. 294 ‘¢ Nothing of more practical value, in our opinion, has ever been issued from the government office than this Primer. The subject is of vital importance to the ma- terial welfare of the country, and the in- THE FORESTER. December, formation given in this publication ought to be in the possession of every American citizen. It is an excellent and most satis- factory work.”—Leslte’s Weekly, New Work: Recent Publications. ‘The White Pine (Pinus strobus Linnzus)—By M. V. Spalding, Professor of Botany in the University of Michigan. (REVISED AND ENLARGED BY B. E. FERNOW, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY F. H. CHIT- TENDEN AND FILIBERT ROTH. The present volume represents most careful investigations covering more than ten years, the first draft having been prepared as early as 1888, since which time it has undergone careful revision and received several important addi- tions. As the title indicates, ‘‘ The White Pine”’ is not, strictly speaking, the work of any -one person. Professor Spalding, after the first writing, made several revisions, but was then forced from press of other work to abandon the -completion of the study, which then fell to Dr. Fernow. Thirty pages out of the eighty-five, however, are definitely assigned to two of the contributors, while, in addition, the important subject of measurements in the field are ac- credited to Austin Gray and A. K. Mlodziansky, the latter of whom also gave a portion of the material bearing upon the ‘‘ rate of growth.”’ The monograph opens with a clear and fairly full account of the geographical distribution of Pinus strobus, followed by notes upon the char- acter of its distribution by regions, with notes upon the boundaries of its distribution, and con- clusions regarding its distribution in the virgin forest. In connection with this topic is a map showing the original distribution of the species, and half-tones showing the White Pine in mix- ture on tracts in New York State. The inter- esting topic of the history of the White Pine lumber industry is next taken up for a couple of - pages, with some figures as to the yield of lumber from the Lake States from 1873 to 1897, and other figures. Passing then through the subject of original stand and present supplies, the natural history of the tree is reached. This, including the botanical description and observa- tions on the morphological and histological characters, and on seeding, forms a decidedly valuable section. As the object of the monograph is to supply. the information necessary to the right utiliza- tion of the species, the topics already considered form properly a mere introduction to the dis- cussion of the rate of growth and of the con- ditions of development, or the silvicultural characters of the White Pine. These latter con- siderations furnish the data upon which all BULLETIN NO. 22 OF THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY. ) treatment of the tree as a forest crop will prop- erly for the chief part depend. The matter of growth is treated consequently at some length, and the tables resulting will doubtless serve as a basis for working plans, when, in any instance, the special conditions of a specific region have also been studied and compared with these gen- eral statements. ‘“Yield,’’ the whole affairin a word, can then be treated with sufficient thor- oughness. This concludes the exposition of the White Pine under normal conditions, and gives place to the discussion of ‘‘dangers and diseases.’’ On this subject F. H. Chittenden has con- tributed a valuable paper on ‘“‘Insect Enemies of the White Pine.’’ A discussion of the forest management of the’ tree here and in Germany follows, the monograph closing with a paper on the ‘‘ Character and Physical Properties of the Wood,”’ by Filibert Roth. An appendix con- tains numerous tables of measurements, and diagrams of growth. In the United States, where much of the highly elaborated financial calculation deemed so essential in Germany is practically valueless at present, and is likely always to receive com- paratively slight stress, it is the thorough knowledge of the silvicultural characters of any given species as well as the fact of growth which must underlie all the earlier stages of forest management. If this be true, the mono- graph under discussion deserves high praise. It adds very materially to our knowledge of the White Pine as a tree and as a member of a most important forest crop. It is to be regretted that this valuable data could not have been collected and put to use before so much waste had oc- curred through ignorance. Yet it is not too late to use it now, and there is every reason to hope that many owners of pine lands may apply to the care of a second crop the principles which were ignored in the harvesting of the first. The book, besides, will serve as a useful example for further work along similar lines. Admirable illustrations and diagrams form an important element in the work, adding much to its completeness. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. ORGANIZED APRIL, 1882. INCORPORATED, JANUARY THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. OFFICERS FOR 18q9. . 1897. President, Hon. JAMES WILSON, Secretary of Agriculture. First Vice President. Corresponding Secretary. Dr. B. E. FERNOW. F. H. NEWELL. Recording Secretary and Treasurer, GEORGE P. WHITTLESEY. Directors. JAMES WILSON. CHARLES C. BINNEY. EDWARD A. BOWERS. FREDERICK V. COVILLE. B. KE. FERNOW. HENRY GANNETT. ARNOLD HAGUE. F. H. NEWELL. GEORGE W. McCLANAHAN. GIFFORD PINCHOT. GEORGE P. WHITTLESEY. : Vice Presidents. Sir H. G. JoLY DE LOTBINIERE, Pointe Platon, Wma. E. CHANDLER, Concord, N. H. Quebec. JOHN GIFFORD, Princeton, N. J. CHARLES C. GEORGESON, Sitka, Alaska. EDWARD F. HOBART, Santa Fe, N. M. CHARLES Monr, Mobile, Ala. WARRON HIGLEY, New York, N. Y. D. M. RIORDAN, Flagstaff, Ariz. J. A. HOLMES, Raleigh, N. C. THOMAS C. MCRAE, Prescott, Ark. W. W. BaRRETT, Church’s Ferry, N. D. ABBOTT KINNEY, Lamanda Park, Cal. REUBEN H. WARDER, North Bend, Ohio. E. T. ENsIGN, Colorado Springs, Colo. WILiaAM T. LITTLE, Perry, Okla. ROBERT BROWN, New Haven, Conn. E. W. HAMMOND, Wimmer, Ore. Wo. M. Cansy, Wilmington, Del. J. T. RoTHROCK, West Chester, Pa. A. V. CLUBBS, Pensacola, Fla. H. G. RUSSELL, E. Greenwich, R. I. R. B. REPPARD, Savannah, Ga. H. A. GREEN, Chester, S. C. J. M. CouLTER, Chicago, I11. THOMAS T. WRIGHT, Nashville, Tenn. JAMES TrRooP, Lafayette, Ind. W. GoopRICcH JONES, Temple, Texas. THOMAS H. MACBRIDE, Iowa City, Iowa. C. A. WHITING, Salt Lake, Utah. J. S. EMERY, Lawrence, Kans. . REDFIELD PROCTOR, Proctor, Vt. JOHN R. PRocToOR, Frankfort, Ky. D. O. NouRSE, Blacksburg, Va. LEWIS JOHNSON, New Orleans, La. EDMUND S. MEANY, Seattle, Wash. JOHN W. GARRETT, Baltimore, Md. A. D. HopKINs, Morgantown, W. Va. JOHN E. Hopss, North Berwick, Me. H. C. PUTNAM, Eau Claire, Wis. J. D. W. FRENCH, Boston, Mass. ELWooD MEAD, Cheyenne, Wyo. W. J. BEAL, Agricultural College, Mich. GEORGE W. McLANAHAN, Washington, D. C. C. C. ANDREWS, St. Paul, Minn. JOHN CRAIG, Ottawa, Ont. WILLIAM TRELEASE, St. Louis, Mo. Wo. LITTLE, Montreal, Quebec. CHARLES E. BESSEY, Lincoln, Neb. Lieut. H. W. FRENCH, Manila, P. I. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP. To the Assistant Secretary, AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, Washington, D. C. DEAR Sir: I hereby signify my desire to become a member of the American Forestry Association Very truly yours, IN GI fo ee 5 IRE ES SNE eee PO, Adaressic..= THE FORESTER, The National Geographic Magazine, A JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY—PHYSICAL, COMMERCIAL, POLITICAL. Epitor: JOHN HYDE, Statistician of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. ASSOCIATE EDITORS: A. W. GREELY, WILLIS L. MOORE, Chief Signal Officer, U.S. Army. | Chief of the U. S. Weather Bureau. W J McGEE, H. S. PRITCHETT, Ethnologist in Charge, Bureau of American Superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geode.te Ethnology. Survey. HENRY GANNETT, MARCUS BAKER, Chief Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey. U.S. Geological Survey. G. HART MERRIAM, 0. P. AUSTIN, Chief of the Biological Survey, U. S. Depart- Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, U. S. Treas- ment of Agriculture. ury Department. DAVID J. HILL, ELIZA RUHAMAH SCIDMORE, Assistant Secretary of State. Author of ‘‘Java, the Garden of the East,” etc. CHARLES H. ALLEN, CARL LOUISE GARRISON, Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Principal of Phelps School, Washington, D.C. ASSISTANT EpIToR: GILBERT H. GROSVENOR, Washington, D. C. $2.50 a Year, 25 Cents a Copy, Three Months Trial Subscription, 50 Cents. Requests for Sample Copies should invariably be accompanied by 25 cents. CORCORAN BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D. C. Forestry and Village Improvement. MVliss Mira Lloyd Dock is prepared to give informal talks on Forestry and Village Improvement, with or without lantern slides. For subjects, terms, etc., address : 1427 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, Pa. the object ot The American Forestry ASSOCiatiOn is to promote: 1. A wiser and more conservative treatment of the forest resources of this continent. 2. The advancement of educational, legislative and other measures to that end. 3. The diffusion of knowledge regarding the conservation, management and re- newal of forests, the methods of reforestation of waste lands, the proper util- __ ization of forest products, the planting of trees for ornament, and cognate subjects of arboriculture. Owners of timber and woodlands are particularly invited to join the Association, as are all persons who are in sympathy with the objects herein set forth. Fill in the blank application on the preceding page, and address only THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, Washington, D. C. Kindly mention THE FORESTER in writing. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. Hough's “American Woods’’ A PUBLICATION ON THE TREES OF THE UNITED STATES ILLUSTRATED BY ACTUAL SPECIMENS OF THE WOODS ‘A work where plant life does the writing, and which no one can read without thinking.’’—G. A. PARKER, Esq., Hartford, Conn. ‘*T know of nothing so well calculated to make young people fall in love with trees.’’-—E. H. RUSSELL, Principal State Normal School, Worcester, Mass. “This is a unique and beautiful publication for which the lovers of nature owe a great debt to Mr. Hough.’’—Dr. A. E. WINSHIP, Editor of Journal of Education, Boston, Mass. ““You must be working more in the interest of mankind generally than for yourself, to furnish so much for so small a compensation.’’—C. H. BaKer, C. E., Seattle, Wash. “Cannot show my appreciation better than by subscribing for an addi- tional copy.’’—Professor GEO. L. GOODALE, Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. 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