674 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



entirely insectivorous and very beneficial, but during the 

 late summer and fall, when they assemble in large flocks, 

 they change to a vegetable diet and in some places do 

 considerable damage to grain fields. For this reason they 

 are not considered insectivorous birds by the federal 

 law, the treaty with Canada, or most state laws, and 

 are not protected. 



The orioles are almost entirely insectivorous, although 

 they are fond of fruit and sometimes do a little damage to 

 cherries and early pears. They never travel in flocks, 

 however, and the damage they do is negligible. The Balti- 

 more and orchard orioles in the East and the Bullock's 

 oriole on the Pacific Coast are the best known. They are 

 noted for their deep, pensile nests, marvels of bird archi- 

 tecture. They have loud, ringing whistles that make our 

 woodlands and shaded roads musical during the late spring 

 and summer, but their song period is short and they are 

 among the first birds to stop singing in July. 



The meadowlarks and the bobolinks are perhaps the 

 most valuable birds of the open fields and are worthy of 

 every protection even though the bobolinks do assemble in 

 large flocks on their migrations and do a little damage in 

 the rice fields. The meadowlark has a loud, clear, 

 plaintive whistle that varies in different parts of the 

 country, while the bobolink gives us a rare jumble of 

 whistles, warbles, and banjo-like notes that seem to fairly 

 burst with exuberance as he hovers over the meadows. 



On the whole, the family Icteridw contains some of our 

 most brilliant, most musical, and most beneficial species 

 whose structure and habits are so varied as to make them 

 a most interesting and fruitful study. 



dacks and Catskills, the Conservation Commission should 

 enunciate a clear-cut policy for the management of forest 

 land, both public and privately owned, with the idea of 

 avoiding any possible hardships to present owners. They 

 also stated it to be their belief that a thorough boundary 

 survey and stock taking of the present holdings were 

 extremely important, since such surveys in the past have 

 been largely ocular estimates owing to the lack of funds, 

 and which are likely to be only approximate. 



PARENT NAVEL ORANGE TREE 



WITHIN the beautiful grounds of the famous Glen- 

 wood Mission Inn at Riverside, California, is an 

 orange tree which has had such a history as to 

 warrant it a place among the famous trees of the country. 

 It is enclosed hv an iron fence, with a curbing at the 



FOR NEW YORK FOREST LANDS 



THE Executive Committee of the New York State 

 Forestry Association, at a meeting held at Albany, 

 New York, urged every public-spirited citizen 

 of New York State to approve the Meier $10,000,000 

 referendum providing funds for the purchase of land 

 in the Adirondack, Catskill and Palisade Parks at the 

 November election. 



The following facts were cited in favor of its adoption 

 by the people. 



1. The purchase of mountain land in the Adirondack 

 and Catskill parks has proven to be one of the few profit- 

 able investments ever made by the Empire State since the 

 present holdings could be sold for some five times the 

 original purchase price. 



2. The use of these mountain lands is of increasing 

 value to the State, not only from the standpoint of recrea- 

 tion value, but also from their importance in conserving 

 the run-off of mountain streams. 



3. By properly and systematicall\- locating the pur- 

 chase areas, present holdings could be consolidated to a 

 large degree. In addition, lands in danger of denudation or 

 partially burned lands could be brought under State con- 

 trol and so handled as to make them an asset to the State. 



Members of the Executive Committee, however, 

 expressed it as their firm conviction that, in view of the 

 possibilities of extensive land purchases in the Adiron- 



THE P.^REN'T NAVEL ORANGE TREE AT RIVERSIDE. CALIFORNIA 



base, and the following tablet tells its story : " Washington 

 Navel Parent Orange Tree — From Department of Interior 

 in 1874 — Replanted Here by President Roosevelt, May 8, 

 1903 — Gift of Louis Jacobs." 



Now that the navel orange has become such an impor- 

 tant factor in the economic development of southern Cali- 

 fornia, many people look with interest upon the original 

 tree of the variety in its protected nook. 



THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING 

 The 37th annual meeting of the American Forestry 

 Association will be held at Washington. D. C, on 

 Thursday and Friday. January 18 and 19, 1917- All 

 members are urged to attend. The program will be 

 announced later. 



