Neivs and Notes. 351 



Several matters of interest regarding the forest work in Con- 

 necticut are reported. Legislation has not advanced far enough 

 for a summary of the results to be given, but one bill has passed 

 which creates a commission composed of the State Forester and 

 Tax Commissioner and three others appointed by the Governor, 

 who shall investigate the subject of the taxation of woodland and 

 leport with recommendations to the Assembly in 1913. The es- 

 tablishment of forest plantations throughout the State has pro- 

 gressed favorably during the spring, although no effort has been 

 made to push this work because of the lack of suitable plant 

 material at both the experiment station nursery and from com- 

 mercial nurserymen. The State nursery has sold to private owners 

 for planting this year, approximately 300,000 trees, and the total 

 work the experiment station nursery will be able to supply ap- 

 proximately a million trees, and two private nurseries will have 

 several million additional. It is intended that as soon as the com- 

 mercial companies can supply the demand of private owners, the 

 station nursery will be maintained only for the production of 

 stock for experimental purposes and for planting on State land. 

 Owing to the late spring, forest fires in the East have not been as 

 serious as usual, and Connecticut, in common with other regions, 

 has had few serious fires, the largest area thus far burned over 

 being about 1,000 acres. By way of comparison, the number of 

 fires in Connecticut in 1910 is reported at 834, with a total area of 

 47,443 acres burned over. The estimated damage to standing tim- 

 ber was $148,600, the damage to forest products and buildings 

 $28,000, and the cost of fire fighting approximately $10,000. The 

 cost of the fire warden service per acre of woodland in Connecti- 

 cut is estimated at .7 cent for the year 1910, while in previous 

 years it has been as low as .2 cent. The cost in 1910 probably rep- 

 resents the maximum, since the season was abnormal. 



Charles P. Wilbur, who has been Assistant State Forester of 

 New Jersey, will be State Fire Warden and organize the new ser- 

 vice which the amendments to the law provide for. 



In addition to the amendments to existing laws, the New Jersey 

 forest legislation has provided for a new office of State Plant 

 Pathologist. The service such an official can do is evidenced by 

 the fact that late in April a plantation of 10,000 white pine trees 

 was found infected with the blister rust. The attitude of the 



