Neivs and Notes. 321 



probably have been blown down the coming season. Sugar Pine 

 often exceeds these dimensions, a particularly fine specimen on 

 the tract of the Diamond Match Co. in Butte County, Calif., being 

 nearly nine feet in diameter breast high, and scaling 58,000 board 

 feet on the stump. 



The voluntary forest fire association work, which originated 

 with the lumbermen of the Northwest only three years ago, is 

 developing at a rate which promises greater results in the way of 

 forest fire protection than any one or all agencies heretofore 

 devised. Current trade journal notes indicate the organization of 

 at least three additional fire protective associations this year, these 

 being the St. Maurice Valley Protective Association, in Canada, 

 the Fire Protective Department of the Michigan Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association, covering over 200,000 acres, and the 

 Linn County Fire Patrol Association, of Oregon. 



At a meeting held in Montreal in March a number of limit 

 holders formed the St. Maurice Valley Forest Protective Associa- 

 tion to protect their timberlands from fire. The members have 

 agreed to assess themselves one- fourth of a cent per acre for the 

 coming year and the Department of Lands and Forest for Quebec 

 will contribute three thousand dollars in consideration of the pro- 

 tection afforded provincial lands. In addition to this patrol ex- 

 penditure lookout stations, telephone lines and trails will be built; 

 the provincial government will also bear a share of this cost. 



It is learned that the Court of Chancery of New Jersey has de- 

 clared the Railroad Fire Line Law of the State unconstitutional 

 upon the ground that it confiscates or destroys private property 

 without compensation. A re-hearing before the Court of Errors 

 and Appeals, the last judicial resort, will be made. Practically the 

 decision means little, since the more important railroads at least 

 have voluntarily been constructing such fire lines. 



A new firm of Consulting Foresters has opened office in Boston, 

 under the firm name of Miles and Hall, by Messrs. Herbert J. 

 Miles, (Harvard), and Stanley B. Hall,( Biltmore). 



