52 Forestry Quarterly. 



capacity of the forest for growing wood crops ; Second, the 

 necessity for protection to the soil and watersheds. The first 

 principle has never been powerful enough, even in European coun- 

 tries to bring about the control of private cutting. The second 

 is always a sufficient reason, but the influence of the forests must 

 be direct and noticeable. So we find regulation of private forests 

 only on mountain slopes. But nowhere does this regulation take 

 the form of statewide diameter limit regulations. Such forests as, 

 for the good of the community must be regarded even though 

 they remain in private hands, should be managed under a law 

 compelling owners to accept such rules as are laid down for 

 them by properly informed and properly empowered state forestry 

 officials, who shall be guided by their knowledge of the laws of 

 tree growth and the principles of forest production. It is 

 earnestly to be hoped that state legislatures will avoid the folly 

 of drastic legislation and will devote their energies rather to 

 the acquisition of state forest reserves, and in regions needing 

 forest protection, or to the adoption of plans by which the forest 

 may be treated according to its needs. 



Forest production is a business, and of a highly technical char- 

 acter. It cannot be conducted by rule of thumb or by state legis- 

 latures, but must be encouraged by creating favorable conditions 

 for the practice of forestry, or by entrusting trained officials with 

 discretionary power of enforcing restrictions. 



The body of the report of the commissioner gives a history of 

 the public lands of Maine and sets forth the times and manners 

 in which a public domain of some eight million acres was allowed 

 to pass into the hands of speculators and railroads with small 

 returns to the state and public ; a history which has been dupli- 

 cated in many of our western states at a later day. 



H. H. C. 



Report of the State Forester of California for 1907-08. 



This report is largely occupied with fiscal matters and urges 

 larger appropriations, the most important of which is a State 

 fund that might be used in cooperation with the counties to hire 

 fire patrols. 



Thirteen out of 53 counties have appropriated funds for pay- 

 ment of fire wardens and 128 wardens were so employed. Vol- 



