NOTES AND COMMENTS 945 



of keeping a wood fire going. "That there is enough fuel wood in 

 Indiana forests going to waste to run every heating and cooking stove 

 in the State for a year is a fact not appreciated." 



A lawsuit lately entered for damages against a railroad company by 

 the Pennsylvania Department of Forestry is specially interesting, in 

 that an expectancy value, with an assumed rotation of 60 years, is the 

 basis for valuation and that such valuation seems to be accepted in 

 principle. The only contention is as to the interest rate at which the 

 discount is to be made, the department claiming 3 per cent, the rail- 

 road company insisting on 5 per cent. 



The College of Forestry at the University of Washington, together 

 with the rest of the University, has adopted the "Four-Quarter System," 

 with practically an all-year-round session, in place of the semester sys- 

 tem formerly in vogue. In arranging the curriculum a special effort 

 has been made to arrange the work so that a student can absent himself 

 during any quarter and enter at any quarter. Instructors will be ex- 

 pected to absent themselves during one quarter each year. 



The system ofifers three special advantages, as follows: (i) Students 

 can engage in war emergency work of a seasonal nature without any 

 appreciable loss to their university work; (2) Instructors can absent 

 themselves at a time when they will be able to attend other universities ; 

 (3) Arrangements can now be made for a more thorough co-operation 

 between the University and the industries that are willing to assist in 

 the practical instruction during short periods. In connection with this, 

 arrangements will be made to apprentice a certain number of students 

 each quarter in such fields as logging engineering, milling, marketing, 

 and wood preservation. , 



The quarters will run as follows : Autumn, October i to the Christ- 

 mas holidays ; winter, January 2 to March 26 ; spring, April 2 to June 

 15; summer. June 18 to August 31. With the exception of a full 

 quarter in surveying and mensuration on the new demonstration forest 

 of the school during the sum.mer quarter of the freshman year, the 

 Department of Forestry will not offer any of its regular courses during 

 the summer. However, such students as wish may pursue the required 

 studies in the allied sciences and such electives as are allowed during 

 succeeding summers. All students will be encouraged to spend 6he 

 quarter in practical work each year. The prospects for the coming 



