806 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



country have become extremely distrustful of man. This 

 applies to the representatives of every avian group, from 

 loons to bluebirds ; and it is a crying shame that the un- 

 fortunate relationship can so easily be proven to be true. 

 Now, the true raptorial birds and owls form no ex- 

 ception to the above rule, and our little Sparrow Hawks, 

 referred to above, would seem to be especially susceptible 

 to kind and gentle treatment. They make, as stated 

 before, very interesting not to say charming pets for 

 those who have a leaning toward keeping any of our 

 native birds in captivity. A Sparrow Hawk may be 

 kept in a good, roomy cage, or in some place where it 

 can enjoy its outdoor freedom at will. In the latter 

 instance, the bird has been known to return home to 

 roost every night, and to come to call if within hear- 

 ing. Finally, it will delight in flying down to rest upon 

 your hand or shoulder, to receive any food you may 

 have for it. No doubt, if kept in a large "flying cage," a 

 pair of these birds would breed in captivity. The young 

 are at first feathered with a full plumage of pure white 

 down, and it is a long time before they assume the 

 plumage of either of the sexes when adult. All of this 

 part of their history, with numerous illustrations, I have 

 published in other connections many years ago. 



Photograph by Western Newspaper Uiuun 



WOMEN FELLING TREES NEAR PETWORTH, ENGLAND 



One of the many unusual tasks performed successfully by the women of 

 England was the felling of trees. This picture shows a group of happy 

 workers drawing the felled logs to a train where tliey were loaded by 

 other women and sent off to the mills. 



A N Associated Press dispatch from Birmingham says : 

 ■^^ Canes of walnut from a tree which stood in front of 

 the Birmingham meeting house before the battle of 

 Brandywine, have been made by a local concern. They 

 were sold at a bazaar for the benefit of war hospitals. 



Other canes were sent to French war officials as 

 mementoes of General Lafayette, who was wounded 

 almost within the shadow of the tree. 



One cane made of a selected piece of the tree has 

 been sent to M. Jusserand, the French ambassador at 

 Washington. 



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CHRISTMAS 

 BOXES 



The following cordial letter has been received by the 

 Welfare Committee for Lumbermen and Foresters in 

 War Service thanking the Committee for what was done 

 for the boys at Christmas : 

 "American Forestry Association, December 31, 1918. 



Washington, D. C. 

 Gentlemen : 



I have just received your cablegram announcing that 200 

 additional Christmas labels from forestry troops in France, re- 

 ceived too late for the shipment of boxes, have been responded 

 to with Christmas cards and a very generous money gift. The 

 American Forestry Association has certainly been a most gen- 

 erous and warm-hearted Santa Claus for the forestry troops 

 in France at this Yuletide period. I wish to thank you in behalf 

 of the men in the 10th and 20th Engineers and the other troops 

 working with them; and I assure you that we will all carry 

 very grateful memories of the friendship and interest shown in 

 our work and in us personally by the Association. 



Very sincerely yours, 

 Lieutenant-Colonel Engineers." (Signed) A. B. GREELEY, 



TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL LANDS FOR 

 EASTERN NATIONAL FOREST 



THE National Forest Reservation Commission has just 

 approved for purchase 54,744 acres of land for na- 

 tional forests in the White Mountains, Southern Appa- 

 lachians, and Arkansas. 



The largest tracts purchased are in Georgia, where the 

 resumption of purchase work has been authorized by the 

 commission. An aggregate area of 38,108 acres in Rabun, 

 Union, and Townes Counties, scattered through 39 tracts, 

 was approved for purchase at an average price of $7.22 

 per acre. 



In Alabama, in Lawrence and Winston Counties, 5,159 

 acres were approved at an average price of $4.30; in 

 North Carolina, in Macon and Buncombe Counties, 1,940 

 acres were approved at an average price of $4.30 an 

 acre ; in Virginia, in Augusta and Shenandoah Counties, 

 1,381 acres were approved at an average price of $4.36 

 an acre ; in West Virginia, in Hardy County, 40 acres at 

 an average price of $7.00 an acre, and in New Hamp- 

 shire, in Grafton and Coos Counties, 9.04 acres at an 

 average price of $6.68 an acre. 



In Arkansas, 7,269 acres, located mainly in Polk, Pope, 

 Johnson, and Garland Counties, were approved for pur- 

 chase at an average price of $3.61 per acre. 



To date the National Forest Reservation Commission 

 has approved for purchase 1,702,534 acres for national 

 forest purposes in the 17 areas of eastern national forests. 



HOW WOOD COMPARES WITH COAL IN 

 HEATING VALUE 



In heating value one standard cord of well- 

 seasoned hickory, oak, beech, birch, hard maple, 

 ash, elm, locust, or cherry wood is approximately 

 equal to 1 ton (2,000 pounds) of anthracite coal, 

 according to estimates by the Forest Service, 

 United States Department of Agriculture. How- 

 ever, a cord and a half of soft maple and 2 cords of 

 cedar, poplar, or basswood are required to give the 

 same amount of heat. 



One cord of mixed wood, well-seasoned, equals 

 in heating value at least 1 ton of average grade 

 bituminous coal. ' 



