7H 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ellipse is described as the bird is carried 

 upward and backward, the other as it ad- 

 vances and descends. This theory makes 

 the circling and soaring depend on variations 

 in the force of the wind. But even when 

 the breeze is steady birds seem to have the 

 power of modifying its action by shifting the 

 angle at which their wings are presented to 

 it. 



United States Division of Forestry. 



Chief-of-division B. E. Fernow, in his report 

 on Forestry, gives as the chief object of the 

 establishment of the division the prospective 

 danger to the future of wood-supplies arising 

 from the heavy drains to which our virgin for- 

 ests are subjected without any provision for 

 recuperation or reforestation ; the destruc- 

 tive nature of the measures now used for 

 utilizing the natural forest areas ; and the 

 desirability, for the sake of climatic amelio- 

 ration, of encouraging tree-growth on the 

 treeless areas of the West and on regions of 

 the East that have been made treeless. The 

 capacity of yield of our present wooded area 

 is estimated to be only half of the present 

 computed consumption. In addition to the 

 estimates we have reports from various 

 manufacturers noticing the decline of sup- 

 plies of particular kinds. It is thus obvious 

 that the present rate of consumption is 

 greatly in excess of the supply. The effect 

 of unwise denudation upon soil, water-flow, 

 and climatic conditions has been made a 

 continued study, in the light of experiments 

 and experiences in other countries rather 

 than in our own. The results of Prof. Har- 

 rington's investigations into the literature of 

 the subject are to be published. There are 

 three methods open by which the Govern- 

 ment can promote a change in present for- 

 est conditions: by placing its own timber 

 holdings under rational treatment ; by direct 

 aid to those who would apply forestry prin- 

 ciples in caring for the natural woodlands 

 or in creating new forest areas ; and by 

 supplying information. The effort to pro- 

 mote timber-culture by offering free entries 

 of land for planting one sixteenth of it in 

 trees has not been successful. Bona fide 

 settlers have failed, through unfavorable 

 climatic conditions and ignorance of method 

 and of plant material suited to the localities, 

 to obtain the required stand of trees. A 



modification of the law, rather than its re- 

 peal, is suggested. Information has been 

 supplied by the division in circulars, bulle- 

 tins, addresses, papers, and informal talks 

 to associations and meetings. Among the 

 publications were circulars giving instruc- 

 tions for the growing of seedlings and for 

 the treatment of seedlings in the nursery. 

 The most important publication was one on 

 the substitution of metal for wood in rail- 

 road ties. A check list of our forest trees is 

 in preparation as a means in securing uni- 

 formity in nomenclature ; and an examina- 

 tion is planned of our prominent timbers in 

 regard to their technical and physical prop- 

 erties in order to ascertain, if possible, how 

 far these properties depend upon the condi- 

 tions under which the trees are grown, how 

 far physical properties influence mechanical 

 properties, and whether a simple method 

 can not be devised of determining the qual- 

 ity of timber by gross examination of struct- 

 ure. 



Forest in Hungary. Of the 9,200,000 

 hectares (about 22,000,000 acres) of forest 

 in Hungary, the Government owns about 

 1,500,000 hectares (or 3,500,000 acres), 

 while the rest belongs to public bodies and 

 private persons. The Government does not 

 sell any part of its forests, but buys more 

 each year. In some parts of the country, 

 as in the eastern region of the Carpathians, 

 woods are found of several thousand acres in 

 extent, consisting for the most part of red 

 beech. This is used for fire-wood, carriages, 

 staves, and agricultural implements, and in 

 the manufacture of bent wood. There are 

 few fires, and they seldom permanently dam- 

 age the woods. There are large resinous 

 forests in Transylvania, but they are not 

 very accessible ; and there are also some in 

 the district of Marmaros, in the northeast of 

 the country. 



International Selfishness. The tidal 

 wave of high tariffs that seems to be pass- 

 ing around the globe at the present time 

 reveals an attitude of many peoples toward 

 neighboring countries which is little better 

 than that existing between communities dur- 

 ing the most quarrelsome ages of history _ 

 The advocates of restrictive tariffs are not 

 onlv zealous to increase sales for their own 



