NOTES 303 



occupy only 13 per cent of the total ground surface. On this basis it 

 appears therefore that the weed clumps are almost eleven times as 

 favorable for germination of yellow pine seed as the intervening bare 

 areas. Another plot nearer the seed trees gave a ratio of 15 to 1 in 

 favor of the weed clumps. A survey of about one-half acre in the 

 middle of the park gave 37 seedlings estimated at ages varying from 4 

 to 10 years, almost all badly injured by sheep. Of the total number 

 19, or 51 per cent, were in weed clumps which occupy not to exceed 

 15 per cent of the ground area, thus indicating that the chances for 

 establishment and survival are roughly seven times as great in the 

 clumps as outside. 



It is a matter of common observation on the Coconino and Tusayan 

 National Forests this year that first-year seedlings are most abundant, 

 other factors being equal, where there is a moderate amount of litter, 

 slash or growing grass and weeds. This is true despite the fact that 

 rains have come with such regularity that the surface soil has scarcely 

 been dry to a depth of two inches since July 1. On bunch grass areas, 

 seedlings grow right in the middle of a tuft where they find excellent 

 shelter from drought and frost and protection against sheep which do 

 not graze the coarse bunch grasses closely. On fenced sample plots 

 where the bunch grasses form a dense growth two to three feet tall 

 apprehension has been felt lest the seedlings be suppressed. Examin- 

 ations on two such areas fenced ten years ago dispell this apprehension 

 since seedlings 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10 years old are beginning to show up 

 in surprising abundance, while outside the fence where the grass is 

 kept down by cattle and sheep, scarcely a seedling is to be found, aside 

 from those of the present year's germination. 



G. A. Pearson. 



Forestry in the Pulp Business 



Hornblower & Weeks, a reliable banking house of Chicago and 

 Boston, is financing an issue of $7,500,000 worth of 6 per cent serial 

 gold debenture bonds for the Brown Company (formerly the Berlin 

 Mills Company of New Hampshire). 



In describing the property the circular says : "A practically per- 

 petual supply of raw material is assured by ownership in fee simple 

 of more than 400.000 acres of timber land in Maine, New Hampshire 

 and Vermont, and with the acquisition of Canada, Brown corporation 

 has more than 800,000 acres in fee simple and stumpage of about 



