4^) EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



nec'OHsary for the i)er]H>tuation of the hiniber iinhiHtry of tliis <-onntrv. The i)ai)er8 

 are entitled Foreytry and Foresters, by President Tlieodore Koosevelt; The JCxhaus- 

 tion of tlie Lumber Supply, by R. L. McCormick; and The Lumberman and the 

 Forester, byf!. Pinehot. 



Continual supply of forest products, K. P>iun(ki;\ {Trxde.smfni, 49 [lUOS), No. 

 10, }). 52). — The autlior attempts to show the importanee of systematic forest con- 

 servation as a means for providing a continual supply of forest products, and adapts 

 his remarks to the conditions found in the Southern States adjacent to and ('nd)niced 

 witliin the i)roposed Ap[)alachian Forest Reserve. 



Railroad ties and forest supply [Tradmnan, 49 [190.3), No. 10, pp. 77, 78). — It 

 is stated tliat 7,000,000 railroad ties are annually required for the renewal of those 

 Worn out on the various railroads throughout the country, and for the production of 

 this number more than 300,000,000 linear feet of timber is required. An account 

 is given of experiments which are being conducted by the Great Northern Railroad 

 with a tie which is triangular in section instead of the ordinary 6 by 8 rectangular tie. 

 This railroad tie jiresents a bearing surface of 12 in., and being triangular in section 

 econoluizes very materially the amount of timber required. A number of these ties 

 have been under observation in the terminal yard of the railway and it is claimed 

 that the results show that this new form of tie is more effective under heavy service 

 than that usually employed. 



A ne-w method of turpentine orcharding, C. H. Herty ( f^. ,S'. Dept. of Agr., 

 Bureau of Forestry Bui. 40, pp. 43, J)ls. 15, figs. 5). — This bulletin is an elaboration of 

 Circular 24 of the Bureau of Forestry (E. S. R., 14, p. 874), in which a description is 

 given of the proposed method of turpentine orcharding. In the bulletin this method 

 is described in detail and the results of several years' tests are given. This new 

 method consists in using galvanized iron troughs leading to earthen cups, instead 

 of box cutting as in the former method. This new method has been given prac- 

 tical tests, in one of which the first, second, third, and fourth year crops were 

 selected, and half of each crop was worked ))y the old box system, the other half by 

 the cup system. The results obtained showed an increase of 23^ per cent in the 

 output from the cupped half of the first-year crop, with a corresponding increase for 

 the other crops. In addition to this increased production the trees are said to be 

 left in a better condition, as they are not so deeply cut in preparation. The cost of 

 this new method, while somewhat larger than the old one, can probably be reduced, 

 and is more than fully offset by the increased production. There is also less waste, 

 and a better quality of resin is obtained. 



Seasoning- of timber, H. von Schrenk and R. Hill [U. S. Ih'pt. Agr., Bureau 

 of Forestry Bui. 4h }>p- 4S, pis. IS, figs. 16). — This bulletin, which relates principally 

 to the seasoning of railroad ties, telegraph poles, and railroad timber, gives a discus- 

 sion of the distribution of water in timber, the relation of water to the decay of 

 timber, the methods and objects of seasoning, and the advantages to be derived from 

 the use of seasoned timbers. The principal investigations have been conducted with 

 the seasoning of railroad ties. Different methods have been tested, and, so far as the 

 authors' investigations have gone, the open piling is to be preferred at least with the 

 lodge pole pine, which is principally used in Montana and elsewhere. It is believed 

 that this method is to be preferred in the case of oak and other timbers. AVhenever 

 timbers have been given a treatment to preserve them from decay they should 

 invariably be thoroughly seasoned after coming from the retorts in which they are 

 treated. This seasoning by crystallizing the chemicals in the wood tends to mate- 

 rially prolong its efficiency against the entrance of destructive fungi. The general 

 recommendations for seasoning timber are as follows: Green timber should be pded 

 in as open piles as possible as soon as it is cut and so kept until it is air dry. No 

 timber should be treated with chemicals until it is air drv, and timbers treated with a 



