FORESTRY. 843 



To test the possibilities of polliuatiou among the various flowers 17 different 

 combinations of pollen and stigma have been tried. The results which are 

 here presented in tabular form show comparatively few of these to have been 

 wholly unsuccessful. It is observed from the data secured that certain indi- 

 viduals and stocks exhibit peculiarities of their own in relation to pollination. 

 Hence, although it appears evident that any of the forms may be crossed, 

 the results presented here are offercnl merely as cumulative data. 



Certain trees have been found to be capable of parthenocarpic development 

 of fruit but no cases of parthenogenesis have been recorded. The authors here 

 outline some of the ideals which the papaya breeder should have In mind 

 in the search for Mendelian characters which may be combined. 



Top-working" seedling pecan trees, W. N. IIutt (yorth Carolina Sta. Bui. 

 224 U^H), PP' 3-23, fujs. 11). — After persistent trials of all the known methods 

 of budding and grafting through the vai-yiug conditions of 4 successive seasons 

 the author here recommends the use of patch budding for tojvworking both 

 young and old seedling i)ecan trees. This method of budding has given the 

 highest percentage of successful unions year after year. The operation is here 

 described in detail and fully illustrated. 



FORESTRY. 



Trees and how they grow, G. C. Nuttall {London, New York, Toronto, and 

 Melhounie, 1913, pp. J/+iS-J, pU. 82). — In this r>opular work the author de- 

 scribes a number of our best known north temperate climate trees, tells how 

 each one grows, and points out various interesting asi>ects of the trees at 

 different seasons of the year. 



Balsam fir, H. Zon (U. S. Dcpt. Agr. Bui. 55 {lOlJi), pp. 68, pU. 2, figs. 8).— 

 This bulletin embraces the results of a 2 seasons' study of the balsam fir 

 throughout the whole of the tree's commercial range. Consideration Is given 

 to the distribution of the balsam fir; the forest tn>es in which it occurs: the 

 present stand and cut; its economic importance, especially in relation to the 

 paper pulp industry; methods and cost of lumbering; life history of the tree; 

 characteristics of the wood ; rate of growth and yield ; and proper methods of 

 management. A brief bibliography is appended. 



The investigation shows that balsam fir is found in commercial quantities in 

 the northeastern border States from Maine to Minnesota. 



Tests of Rocky Mountain woods for telephone poles, X. dkAV. P>etts and A. 

 L. Heim {U. S. Dcpt. Agr. But. 67 (IDlJi), pp. 28, figs. S).— The purpose of the 

 tests, here reiwrted in detail, was to compare the strength of ix)les of western 

 red cedar, the present standard telephone pole, and of lodgepole pine and 

 Engelmann spruce, and also to determine the value for pole timber of fire-killed 

 pine and spruce in the central Rocky Mountain region. The tests were con- 

 ducted by the Forest Service of this Department in coojieration with the Uni- 

 versity of Colorado. 



Air-seasoned lodgepole pine poles cut from live timber in Montana were fully 

 equal in strength to the cedar poles tested. Pine and spruce iK)les cut from 

 a fire-killed area in Colorado were inferior to cedar poles in maximum load 

 developed, but the 3 woods were practically the same for stresses up to the 

 elastic limit. The fire-killed pine after standing 10 years did not show de- 

 terioration to any appreciable extent when compared with seasoned lodgei>ole 

 pine cut from representative live trees in Wyoming and Colorado. The ratio 

 between the strength of the poles and the strength of the clear material cut 

 from them is not constant for the different kinds of wood. The values were 



