2o6 



THE FORESTER. 



September, 



project would not conflict with the in- 

 terests of Duluth people. 



Colonel Cooper replied, calling atten- 

 tion to the fact that two hundred thou- 

 sand tourists a year to such a reserve 

 might be of greater financial interest to 

 Duluth than the trade of scattered set- 

 tlers in that region, after forest fires had 

 devastated everything. 



Mr. Christadoro said the efforts now 

 being made were to save for posterity 

 " a few hundred acres " of forest land in 

 Minnesota, and that those who criticized 

 did not sufficiently understand this in- 

 tention. He pleaded for recognition of 

 the necessity of preserving natural forests 

 for the benefit of future generations. 



The Duluth delegates were assured 

 that no part of the purpose of the forest 

 reserve organization is to interfere with 

 the ownership of merchantable Pine, or 

 the rights of Indians or settlers already 

 on the ground. When this is generally 



understood by those having interests in- 

 volved, it is believed that their cordial 

 support will be enlisted forthwith. 



Various sub-committees will be ap 

 pointed on finance, press, etc., by the 

 executive committee. There is every 

 prospect of good results for forestry in 

 general from such energetic efforts. 



Those who took part in the final or- 

 ganization of the project, were: 



Chicago Col. John S. Cooper, Henry 

 S. Fitch, George E. Cole, S. C. East- 

 man, Dr. Nixon and F. S. Baird. 



Minneapolis MayorGray, S. F. John- 

 son, Vice President Board of Trade; 

 Drs. Beard, Bell, Moore, Crafts, T. H. 

 Shevlin, A. H. Linton and F. W. Leavitt. 



St Paul Drs. Bracken and Hutchin- 

 son, Ross Clark, George M. Nelson, 

 Charles Christadoro and E. V. Smalley. 



Duluth Col. C. H. Graves, Con- 

 gressman Morris, F. A. Patrick and J. C. 

 Hunter. 



Forest Conditions of Porto Rico. 



Review of the Forest Resources of the Island, by the Special Agent of the 

 U, S. Geological Survey, for Issue by the Department of Agriculture. 



FIRST PAPER CONDITIONS AFFECTING FOREST GROWTH. 



A FEW EXTRACTS FROM THE ADVANCE SHEETS. 

 (BY COURTESY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.) 



Porto Rico was originally mantled by 

 forests from the level of the sea to the 

 summit of its mountains. It is doubtful 

 if there was a single foot of its area 

 which was not at some time covered by 

 tree growth, varying in height from the 

 diminutive mangrove bushes which 

 border the seashore to the gigantic 

 deciduous trees mingled with the fronds 

 and trunks of towering palms, which 

 add height to the loftiest peaks and 

 ridges. To understand the distribution 

 and natural occurrence of these, it is 

 necessary to explain briefly the topo- 

 graphic and physical features of the 

 island. 



The island is the most eastern and the 

 smallest of the four Great Antilles. But 



though it nowhere attains the great alti- 

 tudes of the other Antilles, the island is 

 practically the eastward continuation of 

 the Antillean chain of uplifts, the upward 

 extension of a remarkable submerged 

 mountain slope, which, at least on the 

 north side, descends nearly 30,000 feet 

 to the bottom of the Brownson Deep, 

 until recently supposed to be the deepest 

 hole in the world. The island is 95 

 miles long, 35 miles wide, and has an area 

 of 3,668 square miles. It is 500 square 

 miles lessin area than Jamaica. Its area is 

 300 miles greater than that of Delaware, 

 Rhode Island and the District of Colum- 

 bia combined, and 1,300 square miles 

 less than that of Connecticut. At the 

 same time, in proportion to area, it is of 



