594 MISCELLANEOUS. [Jan. 



possible degree, there should be no waste, but the drying must be 

 thorough to the core. 



Vegetable Monstrosity. — During the time of miscellaneous 

 contributions at the last meeting of the Botanical Society of Edin- 

 burgh, a curious branch of a tree was shown through the Eev. Mr. 

 Tennant, containing vegetable growths along the sides, and each of 

 which had a stone imbedded in its centre. It was picked up at 

 some depth in a cutting made for the recently opened Edinburgh 

 and Suburban Eailway. 



How Public Timber goes in America. — We learn from a 

 correspondent in one of the American timber trade journals, that 

 Congress in its stupendous goodness a few years ago enacted a law 

 which gave to settlers and miners permission to cut on public land 

 what timber they needed for domestic use and mining purposes. 

 Along the Northern Pacific line in Montana and on this side, vast 

 tracts of useful timber existed, and a few on the inside of the ring 

 organized and commenced the wholesale slaughter, and for several 

 years past have done a regular " land office business." As soon as 

 the determination of Commissioner Sparks to stop this work was 

 made known, the thieves set up an immense howl, and claim that 

 unless they are allowed to proceed with this pillaging, all Montana 

 will be bankrupted, and all industries will have to suspend. The 

 latest advices from Washington indicate that unless Congress 

 interferes, the rascals will be made to pay for what they have taken 

 and stop. As it will be understood that the whole power and 

 influence of the Northern Pacific Company and the big mining 

 companies will be worked, our readers may not be astonished to 

 hear that they have been literally given all the timber growing 

 along the mountains. The exact point is, that by some inside 

 arrangement, no person outside this company can ship timber or 

 lumber over the lines, and hence they have a monopoly of the 

 stealing. If Montana is obliged to suspend operations, or pay 

 for the timber stolen from the public lands, let her suspend. 



Pacific Forests and PtAiNFALL. — It appears from the American 

 Census Picport that the forests of the Pacific region owe their density 

 and position to the character of the rainfall, which upon the northern 

 coast is unequalled by that of any other part of the continent. 

 This rainfall diminishes with the latitude, until in Southern 

 California the temperature of the land so far exceeds that of the 

 ocean that precipitation is impossible through the greater part of 

 the year. The coast range and the Sierra catch most of the rain. 



