1885.] EDITORIAL NOTES. 81 



Arbor Day. — This tree-planting day, the idea of ex-Governor 

 J. Sterling Morton, of Nebraska, is becoming more widely celebrated 

 every season since April 20, 1872, when it was inaugurated. Not 

 only in Nebraska, where, through its influence, there are now more 

 than 250,000 acres of cultivated woodland, nor in the near States of 

 Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, and Dakota, but even in Philadelphia and 

 Ontario, have the school children assembled this year to partake in 

 such good work. Could nothing similar be accomplished on this 

 side of the Atlantic ? 



Timber ix Manitoba. — According to Professor Fream, the supply 

 of wood for fuel is becoming a serious question in this new colony. 

 The following list of Manitoba timber trees is arranged according to 

 their frequency of occurrence in descending order: — Poplar, oak, 

 ash, elm, balm of Gilead, fir, maple, birch, willow, spruce, tamarac 

 (the American larch), cherry, bass wood (the American lime-tree), 

 pine, hazel, plum, thorn, and ironwood. 



Singapore. — According to the Straits Times of March 28, 

 Singapore was then suffering from a water famine. Our old friend 

 Mr. Meldrum calls attention to the editorial which says : " There 

 can, we think, be little doubt that the rainfall has during the past 

 few years been steadily decreasing, and it is believed this is owing 

 to the extensive deforestation of the island of Johore, and of the 

 Native States of the Peninsula." Urgent measures must be taken 

 to prevent a total failure of the water-supply. 



Timber Sales in the West Eiding, Yorkshire. — A correspon- 

 dent of the Timhcr Trades Journal notes a slight improvement in the 

 price given for Scotch fir, as much as lOd. per foot being given for 

 fresh wood of large size. As much as Is. lOd. per foot has been 

 obtained for good ash ; while lots of clean elm trees, averaging 

 from 40 to 60 feet each, have been delivered at Is. per foot. 

 Spruce fir was being readily parted with at 10s, 6d. per ton 

 delivered. Irish beechwood could be obtained at a price per ton on 

 trucks, which enabled it to be delivered within the Eiding at a 

 trifle over Is. per foot to the consumer. Nice English or Irish 

 sycamore wood brought 2s. to 2s. 5d. per foot ; smaller wood of the 

 same kind, say from 3 to 10 in. quarter-girth, was offered at Is. Id. 

 to Is. 2d. per foot. Oak is dull, but English alder brought Is. 3d. 

 per foot. Planks of horse chestnut 11 to 18 in. quarter-girth, cherry 

 tree 4 to 13 in. quarter-girth, and willow, were delivered at Is. 6d. 

 per foot. 



