NOTES AND QUERIES. I09 



planing mill, etc. ; also all work connected with the inspection, 

 the distribution, and the sale of lumber. 



What is, indeed, the meaning of " American Forestry " unless it 

 comprises any and all work connected with the American Forest? 



In October 19 lo the class, 58 strong, sailed from New York 

 for Europe, and the last day of that month found them comfort- 

 ably settled at Darmstadt, whence, as a centre, they are to work 

 the surrounding country during the winter. 



Rabbits. 



From a pamphlet by M. Henry, of the French Forest 

 School, we learn that for some years past rabbits have swarmed 

 to such an extent in Mecklenburg, and have done such serious 

 damage to forests there, that the public authorities of the province 

 have been obliged to adopt stringent measures for their de- 

 struction. Mecklenburg-Schwerin is said to be one vast warren, 

 and beech trees a hundred years old have been completely 

 barked to a height of one foot from the ground. M. Henry 

 observes that a rabbit, from the age of six months may, yearly, 

 give birth to seven litters of from 3 to 8 young ones ; and that, 

 consequently, a couple of them might within the space of two 

 years have as many as 1800 descendants, while, within two 

 additional years their number might be increased to 1,274,840. 

 He says that, in Australia, rabbits have become climbers, easily 

 mounting trees to gnaw bark from their trunks and branches. 



Felling Trees by Electricity. 



The question of felling trees by other means than the axe has 

 for a long time occupied the attention of sawmill engineers. 

 Reciprocating saws driven by steam have been in limited use 

 for many years, and answer fairly well in easy situations and 

 where the trees are regular, but in hilly and difficult positions, 

 owing to the constant moving of the steam plant necessary, 

 they have not proved always commercially successful. To get 

 rid of this difficulty many attempts have been made. In one 

 case electricity was used to heat a copper wire to a white heat, 

 and this was made to practically burn through the trunk of the 

 tree; but, owing chiefly to the accumulation of carbon, resin, etc., 

 on the heated wire, it has hitherto proved a commercial failure. 



