1886.] EDlTOPdAL NOTES. 72.9 



conserve, or renew it. The plant thrives only in certain districts, 

 and these are so few tliat special means should be adopted for the 

 conservation of so valuable a forest product. One region — Man- 

 bhooni — in which it formerly was plentiful, is now practically 

 denuded of it througli reckless waste. The value of sandal-wood 

 will be realized by a note on the subject on another page in this 

 issue ; and we hope to hear that the authorities are taking steps 

 to prevent the destruction of a forest product for which there is no 

 worthy substitute. 



TiiEES (Ikeland) Bill. — The second reading of this Bill was moved 

 on the 5th ult. by Mr. Clilhooly. The object of the Bill is to give 

 Irish tenants rights in any timber they might plant. The Attorney- 

 General said that, in the absence of the Chief Secretary to the Lord- 

 Lieutenant, he might state that the Government would offer no 

 objection to the second reading of this Bill. He thought the objects 

 aimed at by the Bill were highly to be desired, and it was of great 

 importance that every inducement should be given to tenants to 

 plant trees upon their holdings. It might be a question whether 

 some simpler form than that provided in the Bill for certain purposes 

 should be provided, but that was a question for Committee. Major 

 Saunderson said that the Irish landlords had no objection whatever 

 to this Bill; on the contrary, they thought it would be extremely 

 useful. He only regretted that the example was not more universally 

 followed, and that greater encouragement was not given to Irish 

 tenants to plant trees. While some modifications might be intro- 

 duced into the Bill in Committee, he saw no objection to the second 

 reading being taken. Mr. Marum observed that a measure similar 

 to this was before the House last April, and Lord Ashbourne gave 

 his assent to the principle of it. He was gratified to find that Her 

 Majesty's Government had agreed to the second reading of the Bill. 

 The Bill was then read a second time. The Bill has since the 

 above was sent to press been read a third time, and passed. 



Patenting Hedges. — It could only have occurred to our Yankee 

 friends to conceive of patenting any method of planting a hedge. 

 It is hardly even conceivable that such an idea could have found 

 a resting-place in that ceaseless projector of notions, the Yankee 

 brain, for such a length of time as would " lick it into shape." It 

 is so absurd. But it is nevertheless a fact that it has not only 

 been conceived but acted upon, and even prosecution is threatened 

 in consequence of an infringement of the patent rights. The 



