394 Forestry Quarterly 



will make appear as well founded much that has appeared irregu- 

 lar. It may, for instance, be expected that different sites, which 

 under a given silvicultural method furnish equal yields, would 

 behave differently under other treatment according to whether 

 lack of water, of nitrogen, of certain mineral constituents, or 

 some deficiency in physical condition limits its productive power. 

 The objection that while the art of experimentation is being 

 developed, the practice is not furthered, the author brushes aside 

 by pointing out that everywhere else in serious nature study 

 incidentally much of practical utility is found indirectly. Ascer- 

 taining in every range the detail site conditions will alone discover 

 many things that had remained unexplained. 



iJber die Anstellung waldbaulicher Versuche und iiher die Klassen der forst- 

 Hchen Erlragstafeln. Tharandter forstliches Jahrbuch, 1912, pp. 252-264. 



The old saying, "Many hands make the 



Boys burden light,'' is well illustrated in connec- 



as tion with fire prevention work in the State 



Forest of ?<Iichigan, where for the past three sum- 



Scouts mers this work has been carried on by 



schoolboys from the ages of 7 to 19 years, 



totalling in all at the present 5,000 boys. 



These patriotic children are called forest scouts and fire 

 fighters. They are organized into companies of five or more by 

 the field supervisors. To become a member a boy must be of 

 the recjuired age ; he must promise to obey all reasonable orders ; 

 to be considerate of others and clean in sport and habits. To be 

 a charter member he must know the scout rules and regulations. 

 An honor medal is given to a scout who puts out a fire or reports 

 one to the fire warden ; a hero's medal to one who has been 

 brave or shown good judgment in the saving of life or property. 

 The education department, cooperating with the forestry depart- 

 ment, awards honor medals to school children, both boys and 

 girls, for stories about forest scouts and their work. Honorary 

 membership is conferred upon winners of story awards or others 

 deemed worthy. 



The scouts are supplied with a textbook, giving methods of 

 fighting forest fires, first aid to the injured, etc. They are given 



