Periodical Literature. p^ 



abundantly supplied with water, died without exception. The 

 author suggested electrical conditions in soil and air as a possible 

 reason. The reflection of the intense light from the pond was 

 undoubtedly largely influential. 



It is with the evil effects of reflected light from trees and stands 

 that the article chiefly deals, and the author proves this influence 

 by citing many examples. 



In 1892, a stand of 40-years-old oak with some spruce inter- 

 mixed, was bordered on the east, south and west sides by a field 

 of potatoes. In September it was observed that, whereas in the 

 middle of the field the soil was fresh and the plants green, for a 

 considerable width around the edges of the forest the plants were 

 dead or nearly so and the soil was dry and pulverized — except 

 when opposite the spruce stands. Also on the east side the dam- 

 age was not so great as on the south and west because the sun's 

 heat was not so intense there. 



That this soil influence was not due to the tree roots is appar- 

 ent, for a deep trench separated them from the field and the 

 damage also extended far beyond their possible range. 



Vines are most susceptible to this reflected light. A vine- 

 yard in Karlsberg south of a full-crowned stand of oak was un- 

 favorably affected to a distance of 96 feet from the forest edge. 



That species and consequently character of foliage affects the 

 influence by reflected light is apparent from the above. This is 

 further proved in the following examples : 



In 1886 a seed bed fully stocked with yearling ash and red alder 

 was killed by the reflected light of a 55 foot beech tree within a 

 radius of 35 feet from the tree which stood at the north edge of 

 the bed. The line between the burned and unburned parts of 

 the bed was an arc roughly similar to the curve of the crown. In 

 another instance, a seed bed of black alder was in similar relation- 

 ship to a near-by ash, yet under the same drought conditions no 

 harm was done. In both cases the tree roots were separated from 

 the beds by trenches. 



It was subsequent to a heavy morning shower followed by 

 bright sunlight that the burning of the foliage began to be appar- 

 ent, and this was apparently due to the dense large-leaved foliage 

 of the beech retaining the moisture which acted as a lens in con- 

 centrating the reflected light on the seed beds, whereas the foliage 

 of the ash being scanty did not have a similar effect. 



