82 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



dendrometric purposes, or no doubt for pruning very high 

 branches, etc. It is described as consisting of two pieces, 

 i^ metres long, sliding along one another. Each piece has a 

 sort of seat at its top, with a strong, but flexible, steel ribbon 

 fixed at one end to it, the other end being free to be passed 

 round the tree and then fastened to the seat, holding very 

 securely to the tree. After the apparatus has been placed 

 against the tree and attached to it, the second piece is pulled 

 up its full length by a special, easily worked, contrivance, and 

 is then fixed by its steel ribbon to the bole. The first piece is 

 then unfastened and pulled up, and so on. It is claimed that 

 a man can work himself up, without labour, 30 feet in five 

 minutes. 



There is also a notice of the American method of felling 

 trees by electricity and a platinum wire, which is said to burn 

 its way through a tree, with scarcely any smoke, as easily as a 

 knife cuts through butter. If this is really so it seems a most 

 useful invention. 



Attention is drawn to a Circular of the Prussian Government, 

 which has been so struck with the success of the Douglas fir 

 that it intends to extend its cultivation largely in that kingdom. 



The Revue often has interesting reviews of forest publications 

 — not only French forest works. For example, we find a long 

 account of Professor Graves' (Yale) new book on Forest 

 Mensuration. Of French books that have appeared lately, 

 probably the most important is M. Huft'el's Economie foresttere, 

 in three volumes. This book is probably destined to become 

 a classic. 



