412 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



various considerations presented by Professor Hough show- 

 how difficult a problem it is to increase the extent of the 

 American forests, but he says he has confidence in the ability 

 of the American people to work out a practical system 

 adapted to our social organization and our general theory 

 of law. We must begin at the centre of power, and make 

 the people themselves familiar with the facts and the neces- 

 sities of the case, and he considers that much may be done 

 by withholding from sale valuable timber lands, by exempt- 

 ing from taxes the lands planted for timber, and, lastly, by 

 requiring that the elements of science, so far as they apply to 

 forestry, be taught in the public schools. Proceedings of 

 the American Association, 1873. 



DESTRUCTION OF NIGHT-FLYING INSECTS. 



Millions of insects injurious to trees may be destroyed by 

 keeping up numbers of small fires, from twilight to midnight, 

 and surrounding them with circles of from twenty to thirty 

 tarred stakes, not more than six inches apart. Although few 

 insects will be found burned to death, since they soon seem 

 to acquire a dread of the fire, many will be caught in the 

 tar while moving about in the warmed stratum of air, or to 

 and fro from the fire. 10 C, May 1, 1874, 77. 



PEOPAGATION OF POTATOES BY CUTTINGS. 



Potatoes of large size are said to be produced by a monk 

 in France by cutting two side shoots from each stalk when 

 it is five to seven inches high, and setting them in good, rich, 

 mellow garden soil. In a few days they send out roots, and 

 form tubers about as early and in as large quantities as the 

 original stalk, while the latter does not seem to be injured 

 by the moderate pruning. The experiment also seems to 

 have been successfully tried elsewhere previously. The plan 

 may be found especially serviceable in the propagation of 

 new and rare varieties for seed. 9 (7, June, 1874, 81. 



POISONOUS SUPERPHOSPHATES. 



The European agricultural journals have lately contained 

 frequent accounts of the injurious working of ammoniated 

 superphosphates. The opinion has been expressed that, un- 

 der certain circumstances, especially in soils poor in lime, the 



