THE FORESTER. 



Man 



England Farmer (Boston) under the 

 heading of " Obnoxious Legislation " : 



" The attention of New England farmers 

 is called to several bills now before Con- 

 gress which are more or less objectionable, 

 especially to eastern farmers, or, in fact, 

 ought to be to all good citizens. The 

 worst bill of all is H. R. 5290. This 

 bill is " to provide free homes on lands 

 purchased from Indian tribes," and may in- 

 volve the giving away of land that has cost 

 millions of dollars. These lands belong 

 to the whole people of the United States, 

 and ought to be disposed of for their ad- 

 vantange, and not given away to individ- 

 uals or sold for a song. 



" H. R. 5047 provides for the relief of 

 the wool-growers and stockmen of New 

 Mexico, by providing that they shall not 



be prohibited from grazing in the for 

 reserves. This is a direct attack on I 

 forest interests of the country, inasmu 

 as the sheep (hoof locusts), travelling 

 they do in flocks of thousands, destroy 

 vegetation within reach. The forest 

 serves also belong to the people of 1 

 United States, and not to the she 

 owners. 



" The farmers and others ought to < 

 peal to their senators and representati 1 

 in Congress to vote against these obnoxic 

 bills. The agricultural colleges and < 

 periment stations are largely dependi 

 on the sale of the public lands for th 

 support. The disposal of public lands 

 anything less than real value is a sev 

 blow to them and deprives them of a j 

 revenue." 



Recent Publications. 



North American Forests and Forestry. By 



Ernest Bruncken. 



" Timely " is the word we have heard applied 

 to this book of Mr. Bruncken's, and timely it 

 certainly is. Just when the American public is 

 beginning to learn of the great importance of 

 forestry in this country, and to wonder what it 

 is all about, there has appeared this book which 

 goes far toward supplying their lack .of informa- 

 tion. Before proceeding to the commendation 

 which, in general, the volume deserves, we can- 

 not forbear expressing regret that it should be 

 so indistinctly written and composed. The 

 matter which the author has to present really 

 covers about everything people would like to 

 know, the descriptions, in the main, being accu- 

 rate, and the chapters on forestry particularly 

 sound and restrained. But the presentation is 

 diffuse, and has the air of haste, so that the 

 reader ends in some confusion. 



Again, in certain statements the view may be 

 advanced that Mr. Bruucken should be taken 

 cautiously. His remarks on the North Ameri- 

 can forest, especially the silvicultural characters 

 of several trees, are somewhat misleading. 

 Small defects these may be called, and as one 

 may willingly admit they are far from fatal ; 

 but considering how sorely the cause of forestry 

 stands in need of popular and effective expo- 

 nents, such failings cannot help but be con- 

 sidered unfortunate. 



And yet, in spite of this disparagement, the 

 book (so far as we know) is first on the ground 

 and virtually alone in its field ; and from it 



people may learn that forestry is neither la 

 scape gardening nor the sequestration of wo 

 land, but " simply the art of managing fori 

 and utilizing them for the benefit of tl 

 owners." 



The reader may learn, besides, a great 6 

 about the nature and scope of the forest pi 

 lem in the United States ; of the " North An 

 ican Forest, "its history and distribution,! 

 the habits and behavior of its component s 

 cies ; of the " Forest and Man," how man i 

 the forest influenced one another ; of the " I 

 est industries," especially lumbering ; of 1 

 forests deteriorate under human and ot 

 agencies, and, in the last half of the volume 

 forestry itself what it is and is not, the kini 

 management it contemplates, its relation to g 

 eminent, fires, thieves, taxation, the refo: 

 necessary in its methods ; and, at the end, 

 nature as a profession the whole pleasai 

 and uutechnically set forth. And these 

 matters which it is particularly desirable 1 

 the public should know, for misconcepti 

 of forestry and its affairs are in no way i 

 even nowadays. Consequently, whatever 

 minor shortcomings, a book of such charai 

 deserves to be read and recommended. 



THE FORESTER is in receipt of "Beginning 

 Professional Forestry in the Adirondacks," 

 ing the First and Second Annual Reports of 

 Director of the New York State Colleg< 

 Forestry which, having arrived too late for 

 present issue, will be considered in a later rr 

 ber. 



