REVIEWS 901 



showing as a result of inquiry that closer utilization is now more 

 generally practiced in the woods by lowering stumps, making logs any 

 length between 8 and i6 feet, taking pulpwood in tops down to 2 or 3 

 inches, and peeling in the woods, reducing the allowance for trim to 4 

 inches where logs are driven and 2 inches for railroading. A canvass 

 and translation of all forest products into board feet — a questionable 

 proceeding — makes the cut for 1916 around five billion feet, valued at 

 $107,000,000. 



Mr. Tryon discusses forest fire insurance, the difficulties to be 

 overcome and how they may be overcome, and a plan is proposed, 

 briefly formulated as follows : 



"The general plan of organization requires, first, the assembling of 

 a number of representative timberland owners sufficiently large to 

 furnish the required reserve and premium. These members are, at 

 their meeting, to exchange among themselves insurance, at cost, on 

 certain restricted, chosen areas ofifering approximately equal risks. 

 The details of management would be handled by the attorney-in-fact, 

 who would be empowered to act for each and every member. It 

 would be highly desirable to have the risks distributed over a large 

 territory in order to take advantage of climatic variations. Each sub- 

 scriber is required to take out a line of insurance on standing timber 

 divided into equally hazardous, definitely specified, widely separated 

 sections of territory which have been approved by the managing at- 

 torney as good risks. Each subscriber will deposit as his share in the 

 reserve fund a cash sum equal to his annual premium, and will pay 

 in advance a premium of two per cent. Each member will cover the 

 costs of any necessary appraisal work. Now, when a reserve fund 

 has been created, and all debts, future losses, and running expenses 

 of the exchange have been provided against, the supervisors should 

 order the managing attorney to return to each subscriber, at the close 

 of any year, the unused portion of his premium, pro rata. This will 

 give the subscribers insurance at actual cost, as well as a pro rata 

 ownership in the reserve fund." 



Mr. A. B. Recknagel, who has since been made Forester to the 

 association, furnishes some interesting statistical data from cut-over 

 hardwood lands under different treatment : 



"These figures show conclusively that, after the softwood logging, 

 the hardwoods dominate the stand and, unless the hardwoods are cut, 

 there is very little chance for the softwoods to maintain themselves. 

 'The reduction and removal of the old hardwoods alone assures success 

 in the silvicultural program of re-establishing and giving advantage 

 to the conifers.' " 



