Periodical Literature 323 



inspectors and supervisors and 800 technical assistants, besides 

 some 32,000 guards. There are two higher forest schools and 

 43 lower with a two-year course, supported entirely at govern- 

 ment expense. 



In 1912, Russia exported $124 million ( ?) worth of timber, 

 40 per cent of which was sawlogs at very low rates. 



Private forests are under government control (law of 1888) 

 when of protective character; in such, selection method only is 

 permitted ; at the same time taxes are remitted. Again, in 

 forest at headwaters, clearing is restricted. In other private 

 forests — on paper at least — working plans are prescribed and 

 wasteful practices forbidden. 



BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY 



The fir, Abies pectinata, different from 

 Variation spruce, has very little tendency toward 



in variableness, nevertheless, Klein in his 



Pir Forest Botany gives 8 different sports or 



freaks, which are cited as so many lusus. 

 He makes reference to only two specimens of branchless firs 

 (Lusus irramosa) in two localities. Burger has found a locality 

 in Switzerland where branchless firs occur in numbers ; an illus- 

 tration is given. They are found in the midst of a dense regen- 

 eration of 15 year average, in which height growth shoots of 

 20 to 32 inch are not rare. 



The details of 14 specimens are given, varying from 16 to 27 

 years in age, and from 16 to 66 inches in height (the latter not 

 1 inch in diameter) ; some without any branches at all, some 

 with 1 to 3 side branches, not at all or little branched, and one 

 (19 years old and 48 inches high), with no stem at all, except 

 the base, each shoot showing the characteristics of a side branch 

 with the combed position of the foliage. This latter specimen 

 has at the end of each shoot 1 to 2 buds, and at one shoot only 

 the normal 3 buds. 



Unfortunately no mother tree to which this generation might 

 belong was found. The author looks, however, to seed variation 

 as a cause of the freaks. 



