2IO TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to 6'5 feet. Contrary to the general experience in Britain the 

 tree is said to be slow growing, and the rotation advised by 

 the Forest Service is the very long one of 360 years. This 

 rotation is thought necessary to supply large timbers, and to 

 make up for overcutting in the past. The maritime pine grows 

 quickly and is tapped for resin. 



Conditions in the American Service make fire-fighting one of 

 the main works allotted to foresters, and the frequent reference 

 to fire dangers is thus accounted for. Grazing is another danger 

 fully discussed, and will be of special interest in America. 



The work is marred by many errors in converting from 

 metric to English measures. Such errors as the following are 

 frequent: — "a tree 70 m. (27 inches) in circumference would 

 be peeled to a height of 1-75 metres (6 feet) above the first 

 incision"; in different places the stere is given as equal to 

 36 and 35 cubic feet; i'5 metres is given as equal to 7 yards. 

 There are also errors in the classification and spelling of plant 

 names, e.g. Euphorbia and Atriplex are called grasses, Caliitris 

 is spelled several times Callistris. The book is instructive, and 

 consideration of the methods described would repay anyone 

 whose work is in countries similar to Corsica, Algeria, and 

 Tunisia. The author promises a volume on French continental 

 forestry which will contrast with the present volume by dealing 

 with more intensive management. J M. M. 



Mental Reckoning Tables. By A. Murray, Forester, Murthly. 

 James H, Jackson, 26 High Street, Perth. 



As a means of ascertaining rapidly and accurately the cubic 

 contents of round, square or unequal-sided timber, it would be 

 difficult to imagine anything simpler or easier than the method 

 adopted by Mr Murray in the compilation of these tables. 

 From the tables, which are fifty in number, the superficial 

 contents of the transverse section of any piece of timber to 

 be measured can be obtained at a glance, and this multiplied 

 by the length gives the cubic content without further trouble. 

 A specially prepared table gives, on the same principle, the 

 cubic content for round timber with an allowance of 10 per 

 cent, for bark. The true cubic content can be obtained from 

 another table, which gives sectional areas with their correspond- 



