Current Literature. 305 



necessary. The matter is of such a speculative character, that, 

 unless the full basis for it is stated, it becomes worse than useless, 

 and, used as an argument as if it were true, dangerous. We 

 believe it untrue. We might, for instance, assume that on the 

 uncut areas there is no growth until they are cut, which is ap- 

 proximately correct theory, but that, as soon as cut, growth 

 begins, and that, under the enlightened teachings of the Forest 

 Service, this growth is at least not being interfered with by fire 

 or otherwise; we may assume that on these areas the growth 

 will be only half as good as the average experienced, say, in 

 France, namely 20 cubic feet per acre — less than in Germany, 

 where the slow producing selection forest is nearly abandoned 

 and hence an average better by 50 per cent, prevails. We must 

 then still assume that, say, one-third of the standing timber is 

 to be found on the second class, the culled areas. This would 

 give 9 M. per acre to the untouched, and 3 M. to the 

 culled, areas, and, since these latter areas are assumed to be 

 partly burned and otherwise badly treated, we will assume that 

 they show only one-half the increment of the first class, or say 

 10 cubic feet, and that further cutting does not influence this 

 increment, although, of course, it should do- so favorably. To 

 furnish the 40 billion feet of annual consumption, there will have 

 to be cut 3 million acres of 9 M. feet and 4 million acres of 3 M. 

 feet stands annually. With all these not very unreasonable 

 assumptions, we will then find that the total increment during the 

 sixty years, during which the stands are supposed to be cut, has 

 averaged 9 cubic feet on the first class, to which the 10 feet on 

 the second class must be added. And, if in that time the third 

 class of 100 million acres has not begun to contribute its quota, 

 it should not have been mentioned as productive forest area, or 

 is this to be offset by the acreage to be turned into farms? We 

 would like to see something more tangible substituted for these 

 mere assumptions. B. E. F. 



Conservation of Natural Resources. Meeting of Engineers, 

 March 24, 1909. 56 pp. 



This pamphlet contains five addresses, delivered at a joint meet- 

 ing of the National Societies of Civil, Mining, Mechanical and 

 Electrical Engineers at New York. Each of the addresses dis* 



