596 



CHIPS. 



[Jan. 1886- 



There are 20,000,000 acres covered 

 with timber in the timber belt of 

 Washington Territory. 



GuEAT Britain importsf orest produce 

 from its colonial possessions to the 

 amount of ^'30,000,000 a year. 



Dr. Uredale, the botanist, and master 

 of the Grammar School at Enfield, more 

 than two centuries ago planted a cedar 

 there, which he brought from Lebanon. 

 It was at one time thought to be the 

 finest specimen in England, being over 

 twelve feet in circumference at the 

 base. 



According to a contemporary, the 

 loss to the United States through forest 

 fires is now not less than oO(J,000,000 

 dollars a year, a sum nearly equal to 

 the interest on the public debts of all 

 the civilized nations of the world, 

 through the cai'elessness of boys and 

 hunters. 



To REMOVE Tree Sti'mps. — In autumn 

 or winter bore holes, 1 inch in diameter 

 and about 6 inches from each other, in 

 the stumps, and fill with saltpetre. On 

 a dry day in the following summer set 

 fire to them. The moisture dissolves 

 the saltpetre, which, impregnating the 

 wood, causes it to smoulder. 



Canadian Lumber in Europe. — The 

 Antwerp Universal Exhibition pro- 

 mises to be most eflfective in promoting 

 the exjjortation of Canadian lumber. 

 The exhibits of the Canadian products 

 have attracted the attention of Belgian 

 lumber merchants, and large orders 

 have already been received from Bel- 

 gium through the Belgian consul at 

 Quebec. 



Swiss Forests. — In Switzerland the 

 waste of forest has been more rapid 

 and destructive than in any other 

 country in Europe. Public attention 

 is, however, thoroughly aroused, and 

 tree-planting is encouraged in all the 

 cantons. The same is true of the 

 forests in the British Isles. 



The divining rod, sometimes used 

 by well-diggers, and at an early date 

 by oil-2)rospectors, is a po]Jular fiction 

 that dates back to the eleventh century. 



PiNUS Pinea is very common on the 

 islands of the Sea of Marmora, and 

 the cones are gathered and sold in the 

 markets for the sake of the seeds, 

 which are eaten by the Turks, and 

 called fistik. In order to extract the 

 seeds, which are large, the cones are 

 exposed to fire, when they open and 

 permit the nut-like seeds to fall out. 



The writer who says that our hope 

 of a futiu-e timber supply does not lie 

 in the direction of preserving the old 

 forests, but in producing the new, 

 comes ])retty near hitting the nail on 

 the head. Little good can come from 

 allowing timber to stand until it has 

 passed its best days and begins to 

 decay and lose strength. It is not the 

 "primeval," but the young forest, 

 which needs protection. 



The sti'ongest wood in America, says 

 Professor Sargent, is the hickory of the 

 Arkansas region, and the weakest the 

 West India birch. The most elastic 

 is the tamarack, the white or shellbark 

 hickory standing far below it. The 

 least elastic and the lowest in specific 

 gravity is the wood of the Ficui< aiirea. 

 The highest specific gravity, upon which 

 in general depends value as fuel, is 

 attained by the bluewood of Texas. 



IiANovER Forestry. — In Hanover 

 there are 900,000 acres of forest, under 

 Government or State management, be- 

 longing to the church and to munici- 

 jialities. The care and working of 

 these forests cost about £130,000 an- 

 nually. The receiirts therefrom are 

 i^oOOjOOO, and the profit is about 

 i-'l 70,000. The officers in charge are 

 a forest director, an over-forest master, 

 20 forest masters, 112 over- foresters 

 having charge of districts of seven or 

 eight thousand acres each, 403 assistant 

 foresters. A systematic plan for the 

 management of the forest is adopted. 



