The Chippewa Indians on the Couderay Indian reservation 

 in \Visconsin, have started gathering Princess pine, which 

 they dispose of to the local merchants all along the reserva- 

 tion line. The merchants ship the pine in carloads to the 

 large cities, where it is used for Christmas trimmings. Sev- 

 eral hundred Indians will be busy until the snow falls, gath- 

 ering these greens, and disposing of them rapidly at a good 

 price, and it is quite a source of income for them. 



Forest fires in the United States have caused an annual loss 

 of seventy lives, destruction of trees worth $25,000,000, and 

 the loss of stock, crops, buildings and other improvements 

 to the amount of many millions more, according to a report 

 of the forestry bureau issued by Secretary Wilson. 



To this immense loss, it stated, must be added the enor- 

 mous destruction of young tree growth, deterioration of soil, 

 damage to water courses and adjacent property by low water 

 and flood, interruption of business and depreciation of prop- 

 erty. 



There are 1,401,340,743 tons of developed, measured, mer- 

 chantable iron ore remaining in the ground of Minnesota 

 which will be assessed for state taxation purposes at $254,- 

 553,179 this year, according to the equalization of mining prop- 

 erties just completed by the Minnesota state tax commission. 



This figure is reached after deducting the 1911 shipments 

 amounting to 23,221,070 tons and the stockpiles of May 1, 1912, 

 amounting to 8,170,537 tons, which was assessable as per- 

 sonal property. 



In 1911, a total assessment of $232,368,469 was made on 

 1,367,474,853 tons. The tonnage for 1912 is accordingly in- 

 creased 33,865,890 tons and the assessment is increased 

 $22,184,710. 



