442 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Increasing the durability of timber, B. E. Fernow (U. 8. Dept. 

 Afjr., Division of Forestry Giro. :J<), pp. 5). — Popular information is given 

 as to the cause and conditions of decay of wood. The manner in which 

 timber is used and the actual factors influencing durability are pointed 

 out. Lists of the more durable and less durable trees are given for the 

 different parts of the country. The more durable trees of the eastern 

 range are the red and white cedars; arborvitae; bald cypress; tama- 

 rack; long leaf, Cuban, loblolly, short leaf, pitch, white, red, and jack 

 pines; hemlock; spruce; live oak; white oaks, including white, post, 

 bur, cow, and overcup; osage orange; red mulberry; black locust; 

 catalpa; black walnut; chestnut; sweet (red) gum, and tulip. The 

 less durable trees of this region are the elm, ash, red oak, and bass- 

 wood. Trees not durable are hickory, maple, beech, blue beech, and 

 birch. 



The more durable trees of the Rocky Mountain region are the red 

 cedar, pifion, foxtail pine, Douglas spruce, and western larch. 



On the Pacific slope the more durable trees are the yew, redwood, 

 Pacific arborvitae, yellow cedar, Port Orford cedar, canon live oak, and 

 Pacific post oak. 



The time of felling as influencing the durability of wood is mentioned, 

 and treatment of timber after felling is considered at some length. 

 The use of coatings to keep out moisture and preserve wood is dis- 

 cussed and the advantages of different preparations pointed out. 



Forestry experiments at the Mustiala experiment station, 

 1894-95, T. Cannelin (Land. Styr., Meddel, 1897, No. 20, pp. 

 58-72.) — The influence of forests on the temperature of the ground was 

 studied, soil temperatures being taken daily in 3 different places, in a 

 (1) 140-year-old pine forest, moist and sandy ground, (2) a small open- 

 ing, 300 meters from the preceding place, and (3) a grove of birch, 

 spruce, and pine, the ground drier than the other 2 places, and removed 

 about 300 meters from the second. The temperature was taken at 

 depths of 2, 1, and 0.5 meters in case of 2 and 3, and at 2 and 0.5 

 meters in case of 1. The summary figures for the different months of 

 the year are given below. 



Summary of soil temperatures at different depths. 



— F. W. WOLL, 



