EMPIRE FORESTRY. 215 



27. Empire Forestry. 



In the last issue of the Transactions (p. 102) there appeared 

 a review of the first number of the Journal of the Empire 

 Forestry Association. That number was one of great merit, 

 and there were considerable hopes that the future of Empire 

 Forestry was bright, and that it would extend its labours and 

 influence in many directions. It is with very great regret we 

 note that the future of this useful and interesting magazine is 

 in doubt, since unless sufficient funds are forthcoming in the 

 shape of subscriptions and donations "the Council will be 

 compelled, albeit most reluctantly, to suspend the publication 

 of \}i\& Journal'' Not only is ihejournal menaced by the lack of 

 money, but the very existence of the Association is endangered. 

 This state of affairs is unfortunate for the cause of forestry, and 

 one can only attribute it to the present difficulty of obtaining 

 money for any public purpose. Every type of society feels 

 severely the economic stringency of the times, but we may 

 hope that those public-spirited promoters of the Association 

 who appeal for help will not be disappointed. To Scottish 

 foresters the names of Lord Lovat, Viscount Novar, and Sir 

 John Stirling Maxwell, who are among the founder members, 

 will be a guarantee that forestry and foresters will be well 

 served. 



The present issue of the Journal does not show evidence of 

 deterioration, but rather gives promise that in those future 

 issues for which we hope development will be on lines of 

 ever-increasing utility. It is not stiffly technical, as one can 

 admire and expect in a text-book, but it has those qualities of 

 interest and usefulness which should appeal to a wide circle 

 of readers. The Journal contains eight articles, a review, as 

 well as a large number of notes culled from current literature 

 and reports on forestry in many parts of the world. 



Part of the interest of two of the original articles is centred 

 in timbers which are rivals in the scale of durability. Sir 

 Frank Bains, in his contribution on Westminster Hall, gives 

 some idea of the length of time that English-grown pedunculate 

 oak may last and sustain enormous stresses. It is stated that 

 the present roof of the Hall was erected between 1393 and 

 1399, during the reign of Richard II. The average span of 

 the roof is 68 feet, its length 240 feet, and it contains about 



