Nczvs and Notes. 353 



parent body and acts as a clearing house for the other organiza- 

 tions whose aim is the protection of the western forests. The 

 Spokane meeting was largely attended by representatives of other 

 fire protective organizations, and by railroad, State and Forest 

 Service officials. Mr. E. T. Allen, Forester for the Association, 

 presented his annual report and outlined the program of work for 

 the coming year. He called particular attention to the favorable 

 legislative action of several Western States during the year, and 

 to the function the association can perform in directing and ob- 

 taining beneficial forest fire legislation. The educational work is 

 being carried into the schools and taken up with the railroads, and 

 the scope of the fire protective associations' work broadened in 

 many ways. Mr. C. S. Chapman, manager of the Oregon Fire 

 Protective Association, reported that the organization of his asso- 

 ciation was perfected on January i, and is now on a good working 

 basis. The Washington Fire Association has as a new chief fire 

 warden, succeeding Mr. D. P. Simons, Mr. J. L. Bridge, a promi- 

 nent Seattle timberman. 



Owing to the alarm created by the spread of the chestnut blight 

 westward through Pennsylvania, the State Legislature has under 

 consideration a bill providing for the appointment of a commis- 

 sion to study the disease and determine methods of control, and 

 giving authority to order the removal of infected trees when con- 

 sidered necessary. The commission, which is to serve without 

 pay, can work through the State Department of Forestry or inde- 

 pendently, at its option. The bill carries an appropriation of $35,- 

 000 for the expenses of the commission and $250,000 for the 

 establishment of quarantine lines or other methods of control, in 

 case a definite remedy is found, this latter sum being available 

 only upon the recommendation of the commission and under 

 authority from the Governor. 



Rather unexpected success has followed the initial efforts of 

 the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to improve the forest con- 

 ditions on typical second-growth hardwood lands in Pennsyl- 

 vania. The fundamental aim in this work was to utilize the 

 mature and fire-damaged timber, remove the inferior species, and 

 leave the land potentially more productive than before. It was 

 not expected that the returns would much more than meet ex- 



