NEWS AND NOTES. 



From a list of the German Foresters Associations — all of which 

 are professional — we learn that there are at least i6 such with 

 a total membership of 5,643, the largest being, of course, the 

 general one, Deutcher Forstverein. The three oldest associations 

 persistently in existence are the Badish Association, founded in 

 1839, the Silesian one in 1841, and the Thuringian in 1849. I^he 

 list which is to be found in Zeitschrift fur Forst-und Jagdwesen, 

 May, 1912, also gives the dates of the last and coming session, 

 the presiding officers, the place of publication of proceedings — 

 and all of them publish — and the subjects discussed at the last 

 sessions. 



There is apparently enough association life among American 

 foresters to make it desirable to keep track of it in a similar man- 

 ner. The Forestry Quarteri^y offers its pages for the purpose. 



A curious news item is the formation at Ilmenau Thuringia 

 of an "association of friends of natural regeneration." The 

 association is formed to take position against the spread of the 

 method of clearing and planting and to advocate natural regenera- 

 tion wherever possible. This is, indeed, a crowning of the associa- 

 tion bugaboo ! Every intelligent silviculturist knows that natural 

 regeneration is possible wherever seed trees are left. The 

 question can only be, do we know how to secure it practically 

 successfully? And the practical success is measured not only by 

 the physical but by the financial result. 



The advantage of the artificial method is that its physical suc- 

 cess at least can be forced and apparently its financial success is 

 also demonstrable. Natural regeneration requires not only more 

 knowledge and skill, but is uncertain in its result. Indeed, in 

 many localities its success is a matter of luck dependent on the 

 weather. We would advocate to try our luck first, but, if not 

 successful at once, like a wise man, force the luck by planting. 

 We are inclined to welcome this new association as an economic 

 joke! 



A preliminary statement issued by the Census Bureau shows 



