News and Notes 419 



students resulted in the saving of many of the summer homes 

 about Star Lake. 



"National Forest Aid" is the title given in California to boy 

 scouts who spend ten days in a National Forest during the fire 

 season, make themselves useful to the forest officer, and later pass 

 an examination in elementary forestry. The symbol of the 

 position is a bronze badge with the Forest Service pine tree in 

 relief encircled by the words "National Forest Aid." 



The earnest desire of Mr. T. B. Wyman, Secretary of the 

 Forest Protective Association at Munsing, Michigan, for forest 

 fire prevention, has resulted in an ingenious plan to keep the 

 mind of lumbermen awake to this need. The Association has 

 distributed packs of playing cards on the backs and on the figures 

 on the faces of which are printed brief fire warnings. 



The "ceaseless droppings" which now on every hand meet the 

 invader of the forest in whatever capacity should surely soon 

 wear into the "stoniest" mind the wisdom of the old saying, 

 "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," when our 

 forests are concerned. 



At a conference of the U. S. Forest Service officials held at 

 Madison, Wisconsin, April 14 to 17, 1915, and at which the 

 Forest Service Laboratory, the Washington Office of Industrial 

 Investigations, and the seven National Forest Districts were 

 represented by specialists, the following subjects were discussed: 

 Cooperation of the Forest Service with Industries; Lumber Dis- 

 tribution in the United States ; Utilization of Low Grade Lumber 

 and Mill Waste; Adaptation of Manufacturing and Grading of 

 Specific Classes of Consumers ; Unification and Standardization 

 of Lumber Grades ; Study and Development of General Markets 

 for National Forest Timber; Mill Scale Studies, including Tech- 

 nical Methods, Tallying, Etc. ; Lumber Depreciation and Collec- 

 tion and Compilation of Lumber Price Data. 



Since the inauguration of its Wood Waste Exchange, on April 

 15 last, the Forest Service has been requested to list 147 mills and 

 factories as having waste material for sale, while during the same 

 time 76 other wood-using concerns have asked to be listed as de- 



