FORESTRY. 561 



FORESTRY. 



Forest conservation in Kentucky, J. B. Atkinson (Forext Leans, 6" {19U1), 

 No. 2, pp. 22, 2S). — The distribution of the principal forest treea in the State is briefly 

 indicated, and estimates made of the area of forests and the yield and value of the 

 product which has been lumbered. The present forest area of the State is ;^aid to be 

 aluHit 13,000,000 acres, jtroducing yearly lumber, fuel, etc., at the present vahiatiun 

 of $7,340,000. 



A brief account is given of an attempt made in planting walnuts since 1888. This 

 began with the planting of a 4-acre tract in which the ground was prepared and the 

 w-alnuts planted in autumn 4 ft. apart, allowing 16 square feet of growing space. 

 The tract has been divided into different plats in which the effect of natural and 

 artificial thinning is shown. AVhere the trees have been thinned about 70 per cent 

 have been removed, and the largest of the remaining trees are about 6 in. in diameter 

 and 20 to 28 ft. high. On the tract left to natural conditions the trees are smaller 

 in diameter but nearly the same height. This experiment has been continued, a few 

 acres being planted every year or two, until now the reforested area amounts to 

 about 30 acies. 



Tree planting, O. M. MokRis {Oklahoma Sta. Rpt. 1901, p. 149).— A brief sum- 

 mary is given of the tree planting which was conducted during the year covered by 

 the report. In February, 1900, yearling seedlings were set out on a piece of rough 

 laud unsuitable for farm crops. The species planted and the number of trees were 

 as follows: White elm, 9,000; soft maple, catalpa, black locust, and box elder, 5,000 

 each; white ash and honey locust, 3,000 each. Of these plantings on June 1, 1900, 

 the living trees were 85, 96, 95, 97, 80, 27, and 33 jjer cent, respectively, of those 

 planted. The elms were in poor condition when set out, and under normal circum- 

 stances a larger percentage would probably have survived. The black locust made 

 the strongest growth, with catalpa and maple about equal. Box elder is third, elm 

 fourth, honey locust fifth, and ash least of all. Black locust thrived best in mixed 

 plantations, while the others did best in pure plantings. 



Report of the forestry commissioner, J. T. Rothrock { Pennsylrania Dept. Agr. 

 Iij>l. 1900, j)t. 1, pp. 98-116). — The author reports substantial progress made in fores- 

 try management by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the past year. 

 Under the laws establishing the office of commissioner of forestry, there have been 

 purchased and added to the State forest reserves since 1898, 98,402 acres which are 

 now under the ctjntrol and management of the Division of Forestry, as a part of the 

 forestry reservation system. These lands are briefly described, and the subject of 

 forest fires in relation to forestry is discussed at some length. The acts of the legis- 

 latures of Pennsylvania and Indiana relative to forest management are quoted, and 

 the text of proposed laws which have been presented to the legislatures of Michigan, 

 Wisconsin, and ^linnesota are given. 



Forest fires and lumbering during the year 1899, R. S. Conklin [Peimsijl- 

 vaiiia Dept. Agr. Rpt. 1900, pt. 1, pp. 110, 117, SS0-S84). — ^During the season covered 

 by this report the number and extent of forest fires was considerably greater than 

 those of previous seasons. In all, 214,061 acres were burned over, entailing a loss of 

 $406,581. In seeking the origin of these tires, it was found that most of them were 

 started by the careless burning of brush on land that was cleared or being cleared, 

 the fire escaping and running into the timber. The lumbering operations conducted 

 during the year showed some increase over those reported for the previous year. 

 About 14,000,000 ft. B. M. more pine were cut, about 39,000,000 ft. more of hemlock, 

 and 146,000,000 ft. more of other woods. There were cut-over 126,626 acres, only 

 28,859 of which are to be used for farming purposes. 



