310 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Protective Association held their second 

 annual meeting at Augusta, Me., on 

 March 3rd, and reported that the fire 

 protective work done during the year 

 was most satisfactory. The expenses 

 for the year were so small that it was 

 not necessary to make an annual assess- 

 ment. The efficiency of the State work 

 for the prevention of fire, a favorable 

 summer and no protracted dry periods, 

 all relieved the association of much 

 expense for fire patrol or fire fighting. 

 E. P. Viles of Skowhegan was elected 

 president; W. J. Lanigan of Waterville, 

 vice president, and F. H. Colby of 

 Bingham, secretary-treasurer. F. H. 

 Billard of New Hampshire spoke on 

 the necessity of collecting accurate data 

 to aid timberland owners to ascertain 

 the cost of proper fire protection and the 

 value of the work. President Viles 

 also made an address on forestry con- 

 ditions in Maine. 



area on the Paulina and Deschutes 

 national forests of about 400,000 acres. 

 The lands eliminated are located in the 

 east-central part of the State, a con- 

 siderable portion being on pumice lands 

 of low fertility and little value for present 

 or future forest purposes. A portion is 

 located near the Deschutes River and 

 already comprises a large percentage of 

 private lands, and includes two towns. 

 These eliminations are a part of the 

 work of boundary examinations ini- 

 tiated five or six years ago, which is 

 resulting in fixing, after careful survey, 

 the definite boundaries of those lands 

 which should remain permanently in 

 forests. 



The present eliminations are made 

 because the land is not required for 

 forest purposes or for the protection of 

 watersheds. The lands have considerable 

 grazing value, but only a small portion 

 are suitable for agriciilture under present 

 conditions. 



Among the many plans proposed for 

 aiding in the prevention of floods, now 

 that the flood season is near, is one for 

 artificially increasing the absorbent qual- 

 ities of subsoil on farm areas, slopes 

 stripped of forests, and vegetation, by 

 the use of dynamite. The plan appears 

 to have merit as applied to farm lands 

 for more reasons than its value in flood 

 prevention, as by increasing the absor- 

 bent area of the soil it permits the reten- 

 tion of moisture to a greater degree than 

 under normal conditions and this has 

 a decidedly good effect in increasing the 

 yield of crops. It is calculated that 

 dynamite cartridges in holes three feet 

 below the surface and 15 feet apart, 

 exploded when the soil is dry, shatters 

 the subsoil without creating any sur- 

 face disturbance, and the water-holding 

 capacity of the soil is greatly increased 

 thereby. Experts declare it is particu- 

 larly valuable in preventing erosion 

 of side hill farms. The cost is estimated 

 to be about $15 an acre, and the treat- 

 ment necessary once in 10 years. 



Secretary Lane of the Interior Depart- 

 ment has recently given direction that 

 an unnamed lake of great beauty in 

 Glacier National Park be called Lake 

 Ellen Wilson, in honor of the wife of 

 the President. At the time of his \isit 

 last simimer to Glacier National Park 

 in Montana, Secretary Lane and his 

 party were much impressed with the 

 beauty of this lake which lies along the 

 trail from Lake McDonald to Upper 

 St. Mary Lake. This lake is about a 

 mile long and half a mile wide. Lying 

 more than a mile above sea level, the 

 forests and cliffs which surround it are 

 reflected from its surface as in a mirror. 



An executive order just promulgated 

 has resulted in an elimination of lands 

 from national forest areas in Oregon. 



This readjustment of boundaries has 

 resulted in a total reduction of gross 



The comprehensive report on the 

 wood-using industries of New York, 

 just issued by The New York State Col- 

 lege of Forestry at Syracuse, shows 

 results of first attempt to take stock 

 of the use of forest products in the 

 State. In line with suggestions above, 

 it shows that such small and seemingly 

 unimportant things as shoe lasts, dowels, 

 spools and bobbins, wooden toys, wooden 

 turnery, handles, brushes, small furni- 

 ture parts, etc., are now being manufac- 

 tured out of slabs, edgings, short 



