304 Forestry Quarterly. 



now have more conclusive data than heretofore from the results 

 of experiments conducted by the Forest Service in the White 

 Mountains. These experiments show that the run-oflf from 

 cleared fields and denuded lands is about twice that from the 

 forested areas. These, and other stream investigations, may be 

 expected to throw further light on this question in the near future. 

 Going back to the question of the Mississippi and Ohio river 

 floods, it is recognized that reforestation would be of material 

 help and advantage on drainage basins, but it would require prob- 

 ably thirty to fifty years to produce from seed a forest of suf- 

 ficient density to materially influence the run-ofif. Moreover, 

 there is not always direct connection between reforestation and 

 floods, so that whatever is done in the way of planting and pro- 

 tection must be supplemented by the more important engineering 

 works such as storage reservoirs and levees. 



The rivalry between the makers of substitutes for wood and 

 the lumber manufacturers continue to wax strong. A town in 

 Texas which passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of wooden 

 shingles on account of fire danger has reversed itself and again 

 permits the roof covering which has been almost universal since 

 settlement began. The fire insurance underwriters and the pub- 

 licity agents, representing the manufacturers of wood substitutes 

 continue to voice their arguments under a well organized cam- 

 paign ; while the lumber manufacturing associations are now re- 

 taliating by calling attention to the drawback on steel cars, com- 

 position shingles and other material which takes the place of 

 wood. The opposing activities are purely commercial and each 

 is able to advance rather strong arguments. 



In the use of substitutes many apparent inconsistencies arise. 

 A large railroad company, for example, after making a heavy ex- 

 penditure for creosoting plants and demonstrating that inferior 

 woods could be bought for posts and creosoted for less than 20 

 cents each so as to last almost indefinitely, suddenly installs miles 

 of fence set with concrete posts, which cost at least twice as 

 much as the creosoted wooden posts. It remains to be seen hovr 

 well these posts will withstand frost and breakage, but at any rate 

 their use is contrary to the up-to-date policy of developing local 

 communities through furnishing a market, as far as possible, for 

 local products- 



