1899. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



39 



seriously, the European sparrow is of 

 doubtful value to the forests of this 

 country. Not only does the bulk of its 

 food consist of grains, and matters other 

 than insects, but its worst feature, as 

 demonstrated by the investigation of Dr. 

 C. Hart Merriam of the U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture, is its antagonism toward 

 the native insectivorous birds which 

 apparently results in the decrease of the 

 latter. 



It is reported that mining revival in 

 Leadville and vicinity has given an im- 

 petus to the mine timber business, and 

 that industry has trebled in the last six 

 months. Some timber cutters have con- 

 tracts with Leadville mines to supply 

 them with timbers for a year to come, 

 and the coming year will witness an 

 amount of activit}' in this line and a 

 demand on the neighboring forests un- 

 precedented in the history of that great 

 Colorado mining district. 



Recent Forestry Meetings. 



California. 



A meeting was held in the hall of the 

 Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco, 

 Cal., on January 21, for the discussion 

 of matters pertaining to forest and water 

 conservation. It was a representative 

 gathering, the fifty-four delegates hold- 

 ing credentials from twenty-four different 

 organizations, including boards of trade, 

 chambers of commerce, horticultural 

 societies, granges, farmers' clubs, the 

 University of California, the Yosemite 

 State Commission, the Miners Associa- 

 tion and the Sierra Club. The meeting 

 resulted in the organization of a society 

 to be known as "The California Society 

 for Conserving Waters and Protecting 

 Forests." The following officers were 

 elected : President, J. M. Gleaves; vice 

 presidents, J. M Walling, Wm. H. Mills 

 and Abbot Kinney; secretary, E. H. 

 Benjamin; treasurer, Ernst A Denike. 

 An executive board of seventeen mem- 

 bers was also chosen. Resolutions were 

 adopted requesting the governor to ap- 

 point a non-salaried commission t report 

 on the subject at the time of the meeting 

 of the next legislature, and petitioning 

 the present legislature to create a school 

 of forestry in connection with the State 

 University. 



Minnesota 



The twenty-third annual meeting of 

 The Minnesota State Forestry Associa- 

 tion was held January 10, at Minne- 

 apolis. Though the attendance was not 

 large, the session was rendered interest- 

 ing by its spirit. 



President Owen was prevented by 

 sickness from attending, his place being 

 taken by Capt. J. N. Cross. Capt. Cross 

 called the attention of the society to the 

 efforts being made by Col. J. S. Cooper, 

 of Chicago, toward the establishment of 

 a national park at the headwaters of the 

 Mississippi, and urged its co operation 

 with him. He also spoke of the growing 

 interest in forestry evident throughout 

 the country. The Cross Bill was then 

 discussed. It was decided to reintro- 

 duce this bill, and a committee was 

 appointed to look after it. 



A paper from Professor Fernow was 

 delayed and came too late to be read. 

 "Utilizing Our Waste Lands for Fores- 

 try Purposes" was the title of an inter- 

 esting and careful paper presented by 

 Gen. C. C. Andrews. The suggestions 

 which it contained were based upon an 

 outline by Dr. C. A. Schenck. I'm 

 Forester hopes soon to present it in 

 part. At the afternoon session, Profes- 



