364 BOOKS AND CURRENT LITERATURE 



large measure to this change has been the influence emanating from his 

 laboratory. The present book must be regarded as embodying the 

 kind of course and the type of instruction that, combined with the 

 personality of the author, has resulted in winning possibly more first 

 class men to botany as a life work than may be credited to any other 

 laboratory in America. — C. S. G. 



Elements of Forestry. — This is the title of an attractive volume' 

 which appears to be exactly what the authors claim: viz., "an up-to- 

 date textbook broad in its scope, and containing general information 

 on all phases of the subject." In the preface the authors call attention 

 to the remarkable growth of public interest in forestry. Departments 

 of forestry have been established in 31 states; forestry associations have 

 been organized in 23 states; conservation commissions have been 

 created in 17 states; courses leading to a degree in forestry have been 

 added to the curricula of 23 educational institutions, and short courses 

 in forestry are offered in 42 other schools. 



Part one of the text contains chapters on the tree, silvics, silvicul- 

 tural systems of management, improvement cuttings, artificial regener- 

 ation, forest protection and mensuration, lumbering; wood utilization, 

 technology and preservation; forest economics and finance. Part 

 two takes up the location and boundaries, characteristics, silvicultural 

 treatment, protection, utilization, special problems and future of each 

 of the forest regions of the United States. 



Among the interesting problems discussed are ownership of forest 

 lands, state control of forest lands, and methods of forest taxation. 

 In connection with the ownership of forest lands, some rather startling 

 facts are brought out. One-twentieth of the land area of the United 

 States, exclusive of Alaska and colonial possessions, is owned by 1694 

 persons. Their holdings amount to 105,600,000 acres, an area four- 

 fifths of that of France. Sixteen of these speculators hold an area ten 

 times that of New Jersey. In 900 timbered counties investigated by 

 the Bureau of Corporations the 1694 own one-seventh of the land. 

 National control of forest lands is declared preferable to state control, 

 for favorable laws, once enacted by Congress, are repealed with diffi- 

 culty, whereas state legislatures reverse themselves with ease; the power 

 to settle interstate questions pertaining to forestry is important; the 



iMoon, F. F., and Brown, N. C, Elements of Forestry. John Wiley and 

 Sons, 1914. 



