FORESTRY. 051 



hardwood land to produce by Ki"o\vtli n large itroportion of the hardwood 

 timber which the nation requires." It is further suggested that if the Appa- 

 lachian forests are rightly managed and taken soon enougli the hardwood 

 supply of the country can be insured continuously, and through systematic 

 treatment the forest can be improved at the same time. 



The life history of the beech, G. T. Boulger (Quart. Jour. Forest nj, 1 

 (Jf)07), No. 3, PI). 230-:279, fif/s. 52).— In this paper the author traces the 

 various phases in the life liistory of the beech from the seed and its germi- 

 nation to the ripening and shedding of the fruit. Special attention is paid 

 1o the structural and i)hyslological characters of the seed, root, stem, bud, leaf, 

 and flower, together with notes on the fungus and insect enemies of the beech. 



An appendix is devoted to the description, life history, and control of the 

 felted beech coccus, considered one of the most destructive pests, including its 

 distribution, signs of infestation, and treatment. 



Second progress report on the strength of structural timber, W. K. Hatt 

 (U. S. Dept. Agr., Forest Serv. Circ, J 15, pp. 39). — This circular is intended 

 to supplement the results previously published by the Bureau of Forestry 

 (E. S. R., IG, p. 7S3) on tests of the mechanical properties of our more im- 

 portant commercial woods, including the loblolly pine, longleaf pine, tamarack, 

 and Norway pine of the eastern United States, and the Douglas flr and western 

 hemlock of the Pacific coast. Tests were made on large beams with a view of 

 studying the relations between strength, defects, and the degree of seasoning, 

 and for determining moduli for design, together with additional tests on small 

 pieces cut from the uninjured parts of the tested beams, including bending, 

 (•(mipression parallel to grain and at right angles to grain, and shearing, as 

 well as tests to study the effects of moisture, rate of growth, and other 

 factors. The work has been conducted at the various testing laboratories of the 

 Forest Service during a period of 4 years, and the methods are given in a 

 previous circular (E. S. R., IS, p. 4SG). 



Tabulated data secured from the various tests are here given and discussed, 

 together with the text of the revised rules of inspection and grading. 



Use of dead timber in the National forests, E. R. Hodson ( U. 8. Dept. 

 Af/r., Forest .S'crr. Circ. 113, pp. //). — This is a report of a study of the amount, 

 location, and quality of fire-killed timber, as well as the extent to which it is 

 used, which has been made by the Forest Service in several of the National 

 forests in the southern Rocky Mountain region. Three classes of dead timber 

 were found — fire-killed timber, timber killed by insects, and timber killed by 

 such other causes as drying out or lightning. 



In this circular special attention is paid to fire-lvilled timber. The area 

 studied approximated 13,000,000 acres, on which there is an estimated amount 

 of 500,000,000 ft. B. M. of merchantable dead timber, or about 4 per cent of the 

 total merchantable stumpage. Of this it is estimated that 50 per cent is fit for 

 saw lumber and all of it can be utilized in the round. The principal defect of 

 tire-killed timber is check. 



Relative to the strength of the fire-killed timber, a table is given showing the 

 strength of white fir killed by fire 12 years ago* and that of green timber of 

 the same species and from the same locality. The crushing strength of the 

 green timber was 2,51>5 lbs. per square inch, while that of the dead timber was 

 4,.S24 lbs. per square inch. Where the green timber is seiisoned, tests made in- 

 dicate that dead white fir is about nine-tenths as strong as green white fir, and 

 about twice as strong as green timber freshly cut. The dead timber thus far 

 has been used chiefly for mine timbers, coal props, telephone poles, railroad ties, 

 and fence posts. It is estimated that the mines of Leadville, Colo., use each 

 mouth 350,000 ft. B. M. of dead timber. Better grades are also used for di- 



