THE FORESTER. 



February, 



Massachusetts. 



The Legislature has lately convened and 

 the Massachusetts Forestry Association is 

 considering several measures which it has 

 been urged to present on Beacon Hill. 

 It has already presented a report on the 

 work of the State's gypsy-moth force, 

 this being the work of a special commit- 

 tee which has been in the field observing 

 the pest throughout the past season. This 

 report, signed by the eleven active mem- 

 bers of the committee, is in the main 

 favorable to a continuation of the State's 

 work against this enemy of the trees. 



The compulsory Tree Warden Law 

 passed by the Legislature last year becomes 

 operative with this year's town elections. 

 Bv virtue of this law every town in the 

 Commonwealth is obliged to elect a war- 

 den annually. The act specifies very def- 

 initely the duties of this officer, to whom is 

 entrusted all public shade trees. Hereto- 

 fore towns were permitted to elect such an 

 officer if they desired to do so. Quite a 

 number of the more progressive towns in 

 the State adopted this law and it was ow- 

 ingtothe success of the system in these cases 

 that the Forestry Association sought last 

 year to have everv town obliged to put it 

 in operation. Having secured the pass- 

 age of the law, the Association feels a keen 

 paternal interest in the subject and is mak- 

 ing everv effort to arouse interest in the 

 320 towns of the State so that the most 

 competent men mav be chosen for the 

 position. Circular letters and copies of 

 the law have been sent to town clerks 

 and to public-spirited societies or indivi- 

 duals in every town in the State. 



As the law does not apply to cities, the 

 Association is considering a bill providing 

 for the care of city trees. The cities in 

 central and western Massachusetts take con- 

 siderable pride in their trees and care for 

 them, but the eastern cities have been less 

 energetic. Springfield, for example, has 

 a competent man in charge of her trees and 

 for the past two years he has been given 

 some $20,000 to expend upon them. 

 Boston last year, after much pressure had 

 been brought to bear by interested citizens 

 and societies, appropriated $5,000 for the 

 care of street trees. 



During the past spring, summer and 

 autumn the Association has had a special 

 committee hard at work preparing a stere- 

 opticon lecture. A competent landscape 

 photographer was employed and pictures 

 were taken in many parts of the State, the 

 subjects being chosen by the committee. In 

 this way about 250 pictures were secured 

 representing local conditions in woodlands 

 and in street shade trees. 



The Association has shown its public 

 spiritedness by offering to give the lecture 

 before any local organization that will 

 supplv a suitable hall and pay the expenses 

 of transportation and entertainment. The 

 first lecture was given by the Forestry As- 

 sociation for its own members and the 

 members of the Legislature, at Horticul- 

 tural Hall, Boston, on January 25th. It 

 will be given at the same place on Feb- 

 ruarv 24th, under the auspices of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Horticultural Society. In ad- 

 dition to the above the Forestry Associa- 

 tion has engaged Miss Mira Lloyd Dock, 

 of Pennsylvania, to give one of her lec- 

 tures, " Forestry at Home and Abroad," 

 at Horticultural Hall on January 29th. 



Nebraska. 



The Nebraska Park and Forest Associ- 

 ation coinpleted its organization at Lin- 

 coln on January loth. Some of the most 

 prominent men of the State, among them 

 former Governor Furnas, J. Sterling Mor- 

 ton, Professor C. E. Bessey, Professors 

 Borning, Hunter and Emerson, of the 

 University, G. A. Marshall, and E. R. 

 Stephens, are among the leading mem- 

 bers. C. S. Harrison, of York, is presi- 

 dent. 



During the past year an immense amount 

 of work has been accomplished. Notes 

 bearing on various phases of the subject 

 have been sent to the press; over half a 

 million have been issued in various papers. 

 A pamphlet on k ' Shelter Belts and Ever- 

 green Barns," prepared after much re- 

 search, has had a wide circulation through- 

 out the State. 



The Association now plans to publish 

 its history and objects in pamphlet form, 

 in order to interest more of the leading 

 men of the State, and to send also to all 



