78 Forestry Quarterly. 



Titles are examined as the surveys are in progress by officials 

 of the Department of Agriculture, who report to the Attorney- 

 General through the U. S. Attorney for the District in which 

 the lands are located. During the past year the Attorney-Gen- 

 eral has approved the title to 15 tracts, comprising 72,183 acres 

 and has declined to approve the title to 12 tracts comprising 

 106,824 acres. The Secretary of Agriculture has requested that 

 condemnation proceedings be brought to perfect the title of the 

 tracts which were not approved. 



Where there are no special difficulties in the way of perfect- 

 ing a clear title, the Government has been able to make final 

 purchase from six months to one year after the purchase is 

 approved. Where condemnation proceedings must be brought 

 a further period of from six months to a year is required. 



The lands already acquired or whose purchase has been ap- 

 proved are now in charge of forest officers who have charge both 

 of administration and of the examination and survey of other 

 lands within their area which are under consideration for pur- 

 chase. 



Two hundred and fifty miles of trail have been constructed 

 for protection purposes and the construction of a few tele- 

 phone lines has been undertaken where their need is imperative. 



The Commission recommends that legislation be enacted to 

 increase the allotment of all moneys received from each national 

 forest created under the Act of March i, 191 1 from 5 per cent, 

 to 25 per cent., because the proceeds are insufficient to compen- 

 sate the counties for the loss of taxs on the lands acquired by 

 the Government. 



R. C. B. 



Cottomvood in the Mississippi Valley. By A. W. William- 

 son. Bulletin 24, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Dec. 31, 

 191 3. Pp. 24. 



This bulletin deals in a comprehensive manner with the econo- 

 mic importance of the cottonwood, botanical characteristics, 

 growth and yields of stands, and management. 



Under the head of "stumpage values and logging costs," the 

 author offers the following formula, based on operating costs, 

 for the determination of stumpage values, namely 



