138 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [June 



A FORESTERS ORGANIZATION. 



SIE, — In your last issue, you ask us to petition in favour of Sir 

 John Lubbock's motion. But the debate in the House of 

 Commons has been successfully achieved without a single petition 

 being presented. Now that a Select Committee is about to sit, 

 surely working foresters should be stirring in their difi'erent localities 

 to collect suitable evidence for its consideration. If they don't, 

 John Thorn and Harry James cannot grumble if German and French 

 professors are the chief witnesses who will recommend continental 

 methods not practically suited to British forestal peculiarities. 

 Again, I don't know that it is within Mr. Maclaren's duties to 

 circularize the members of the Scottish Arboricultural Society as to 

 the expediency of instituting a Foresters' and Gardeners' Benevolent 

 Institution. The constitution of the Society specifies aims altogether 

 apart from this. In fine, a new organization appears needed for 

 such objects as the purposes I have indicated, leaving the Society 

 to pursue its proper course of educational meetings, publications, 

 and excursions. Some of your readers might take up their pens to 

 draw out the scheme of such a new association or convention. The 

 farmers' granges of America rise to my mind's eye ; but the subject 

 is too great to begin at the fag-end of a letter. — I am, etc., 



Thua^dekbolt. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



FEANK T. HUSSEY, Taunton. — You may be interested in the 

 experience of G. M. Burtis, who writes to the New England 

 Homestead : — I have used dynamite or giant powder for removing 

 stumps and rocks for years with good success. I can hardly 

 give sufficient instructions by writing, as there are hardly two 

 stones or stumps that require the same treatment. One stone 

 would want a hole made under it with a bar, and the cartridge 

 inserted with a capped fuse, and the hole filled with water or 

 mud to exclude air. Another might be better to put the charge 

 on top, and cover with mud. There is no drilling to be done. It 

 needs care in handling, preparing, and using, but is not necessarily 

 dangerous if used right. I would advise those contemplating 

 using dynamite to get an expert to come and teach them its 

 use, as it will be safer and cheaper in the end. 



MR. J. R. FREEMAN wants a thoroughly practical book 

 " on the valuation of growing timber plantations, etc." 

 Are any of our readers acquainted with such a treatise ? 



