NOTES AND COMMENTS 809 



the contract being that the contingent shall not be called upon for serv- 

 ice outside of England. Scotland, and Wales. Each mill unit has its 

 own complete organization, the management maintaining a general 

 oversight of the whole. 



The State of Massachusetts experienced a notable loss in the death 

 last November of the chairman of the State Forest Commission, Har- 

 old Parker, who was largely instrumental in securing the three State 

 Forests, one of which is named after him. At a meeting of the Forest 

 Owners' Club, of which he was a member, a highly flattering memorial 

 regarding the services of Mr. Parker was passed. 



S. N. Spring and H. E. Schmelter, of Cornell University, report the 

 following instances of the death of trees surrounding ant hills (see 

 Journal of Forestry, Vol. XV, p. io8) : White pines and red pines set 

 in plantation on university land in 1912. Damage observed in -dense 

 natural growth of young white pines ; trees killed included large-toothed 

 poplars; south of Ithaca, near Wilseyville, Tompkins County, New 

 York. 



The Minnesota legislature has passed a law giving the State ento- 

 mologist needed authority to combat the white-pine blister rust in that 

 State, and has appropriated for his use $15,000 for the biennium for 

 fighting this disease. The United States Government will also use in 

 the State an equal sum. 



In Minnesota a "public domain bill" was before the legislature, pro- 

 viding for a forester under the "commissioner of lands, forests, and 

 immigration," who is again subordinate to the "director of public do- 

 main," appointed by the Governor. Various other items of divided 

 authority also are incorporated. A thoroughly bad bill ! 



The previous legislature had cut down appropriations for the State 

 Forest Service from $75,000 to $40,000, crippling especially the fire- 

 control work. 



The Forestry Board had several bills before the legislature, besides 

 asking for restitution of the larger appropriation. Among these were 

 one bill asking for a special appropriation for planting State lands; a 

 bill asking for an emergency fire-fighting fund, available for contin- 

 gencies ; a bill providing for an inventory of all timber on State lands; 



