1899. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



215 



THE FORESTER. 



A MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



Devoted to Arboriculture and Forestry, the 



Care and Use of Forests and Forest 



Trees, and Related Subjects. 



ANNOUNCEMENT. 



The Forester is the Official Organ of 



The American Forestry Association, 



Hon. James Wilson, Sec'y of Agriculture, 

 President. 



THE OFFICE OF PUBLICATION IS 



No. 117 Corcoran Building, Washington, D. C, 



where all communications should be addressed. 



The subscription price is One Dollar a year, 

 and single copies are sold at ten cents. 



Make all checks, drafts, etc., payable to The 

 Forester. 



The patriotic interest of the American people 

 in everything pertaining to the new colonial 

 possessions has prompted the publication of a 

 r eview, which, while not exhaustive, is suffi- 

 ciently full to answer the great majority of 

 questions of immediate interest concerning 

 forestry in Porto Rico. It embraces the results, 

 in part, of observations made during a rapid 

 reconnoissance through the military depart- 

 ment of Porto Rico by R. T. Hill in January, 

 1899, during which be became familiar with its 

 orests, and, by inquiry among various per- 

 sons engaged in wood-working trades, obtained 

 valuable information as to the qualities and 

 uses of the native timbers. The complete re- 

 port contains not only a clear statement of the 

 forest resources of Porto Rico and the extent 

 of its timber lands, but also such succinct de- 

 scriptions of the physical features of the island 

 as are necessary for an understanding of its 

 forest problems. It will shortly be published 

 by the Department of Agriculture. 



An announcement of interest to all who ap- 

 preciate the undoubted advisability and ne- 

 cessity of forest conservation in this country, 

 s the appointment of Hon. John Gifford, of 

 Princeton, N. J., to a chair of forestry at Cor- 

 nell University. Mr. Gifford gave early evi- 

 dence of his earnest consideration of the subject 

 as well as of his zeal in promoting a scientific 



investigation and popular realization of forest 

 try in general, in the founding of the "New 

 Jersey Forester," which made its appearance 

 at the beginning of 1895. As editor of the 

 new magazine he worked assiduously for the 

 advancement of the cause, and as proprietor 

 showed that convincing enthusiasm which can- 

 not be dampened by mere lack of financial sup- 

 port. The magazine having developed under 

 his capable management into an organ of con- 

 siderable influence, far beyond the bounds of 

 its original scope and local character, Mr. Gif- 

 ford consented to a continuance of its publica- 

 tion by The American Forestry Associa- 

 tion. Through this medium The Forester 

 has reached every part of this country, and 

 finds interested readers also in Canada, Eng- 

 land, Germany, France, Italy, and even India, 

 all of whom will follow with interest the fur- 

 ther efforts of Mr. Gifford in his chosen field. 

 The position which Mr. Gifford has just ac- 

 cepted is the Assistant Professorship of Fores- 

 try, which was offered him immediately upon 

 his receiving the doctor's degree in forestry at 

 the University of Munich. He will take up his 

 new work in the early Autumn, when there will 

 be offered to the student body the following 

 courses under his care : Forest protection, 

 forest administration, forest history and poli- 

 tics ; forestry, with special reference to silvi- 

 culture ; and German forest literature. 



An interesting description of the country 

 included in the proposed new National Park in 

 Northern Minnesota will be a feature of the 

 October issue of The Forester, which will 

 also contain further papers of the Summer 

 Meeting at Los Angeles, additional notes of the 

 special meeting at Columbus, and a report of 

 the meeting at Missoula, Mont. 



An able article, of especial value to those 

 whose interests are linked with forestry through 

 irrigation, will treat of percolation and water 

 supply, as affected by forests a subject which 

 has attracted very considerable attention. 



The work of State organizations, in arousing 

 general public interest in forestry, will be de- 

 scribed by taking the example of an active or- 

 ganization that of Massachusetts. 



Among other features of this and following 

 numbers will be articles presenting views on 

 forestry as applied to mining, sheep grazing, 

 agriculture, and storage reservoirs. The arti- 

 cles on colonial forests will be continued. 



