Periodical Literature. 221 



ed into lumber and the ground cleared. Following the Swedish 

 system, seed is planted instead of young trees. About a dozen boys 

 work in a row, from 3 to 6 feet apart. A small hand iron is used for 

 making planting holes. A man goes behind to keep the boys in line. 

 Four or five seeds are dropped in each hole. Boys average about 5 

 acres each per day. It is expected that in 25 years the trees will 

 have reached sufficient size to be suitable for pulp. Under natural 

 conditions that time would have been consumed in making a valueless 

 crop of bushes and hardwoods, before the beginning of sjDruce re- 

 production. In Sweden, this planting is done for 25 cents per acre, 

 as against a cost of about $10 per acre, where seedlings are planted. 

 It is stated that the accessible Russian forests are practically all 

 exhausted, and that those of Finland and Sweden are very nearly 

 the same. In 15 years the pine in our Southern States will be ex- 

 hausted. The future demand upon the Canadian forests, both for 

 Great Britain and the United States, will be far greater than ever. 

 The Canadian forests have been grossly mismanaged, and an im- 

 mediate and effective system of reforestation is absolutely essential 

 unless the process of depletion is to become total. 



Letter from Mr. Louis Miller. Canadian Forestry Journal. May, 

 1906, pp. 74-78. 



The details of engineering works and refor- 

 Cure for Avalanches estation for the purpose of preventing dam- 

 and age by avalanches and torrents in Tyrol 



Torrents. (Schmittenbach) are discussed, with illus- 



trations, by Dr. Fankhauser. Generally, in 

 this part of the world, forest destruction and the consequent abrasion 

 and denudation of the mountain slopes has progressed to such an ex- 

 tent that more reliance is placed on dams and other engineering 

 works than on forest planting; but in the particular place under 

 discussion, considerable planting has been done after the danger 

 from avalanches has been removed. This was done with perfect suc- 

 cess by building a wall on the very crest of the somewhat steep slope 

 of the Schmittenbach. It was observed that here every winter a 

 hanging snow shield was formed under the influence of west winds, 

 which, protruding, often attained a height of 25 to 30 feet, and 

 breaking off with mild weather, caused the avalanches. The wall, 

 about 150 feet long, was built in three tiers, 10, 12, and 13 feet high, 

 each 32 feet, the middle tier 22 feet in front of the snow field. The 



