1900. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



which the Division of Forestry of the 

 Agricultural Department now occupies, 

 Mr. Pinchot says, "Through a system of 

 cooperation with experts in forest matters 

 throughout the United ( States, the Division 

 of Forestry is becoming in fact what it has 

 long been in intention, the center of all 

 forest activity in the United States, while 

 through the appointment of student assis- 

 tants it is gathering about its work a corps 

 of young men, who, beginning their forest 

 studies while actively engaged in the work 

 of the Division, principally in the field, 

 will complete them at one or another of 

 the forest schools. In this way, as well as 

 through the schools alone, the need for 

 men, which is among the most pressing 

 requirements of forestry in the United 

 States at present, will gradually be met." 

 The weakness which necessarily results in 

 the present division of work between the 

 Geological Survey, the Land Office and 

 the Division of Forestry, is pointed out. 



It would be well if some of the things 

 which Mr. Pinchot says about the present 

 situation in this country in the last part of 

 this paper could be read and heeded widely. 

 The statement of the complete separation 

 ' between the administration of the re- 

 serves in the General Land Office, and the 

 force of trained foresters, specially equip- 

 ped for that purpose in the Division of 

 Forestry" is one of them. Another con- 

 cerns the relation between forest legislation 

 and the protection of fish and game, and 

 can be quoted in part. " Hitherto it has 

 been much easier to secure legislation for 

 the protection of fish and game, than for 

 the protection of forests. In the future 

 however, as the various states produce or 

 perfect their machinery for the right hand- 

 ling of forest lands, a much closer connec- 

 tion may be expected, in which it is most 

 probable that all interested will find their 

 profit. The protection of fish and game 

 is a natural function of the forest guard." 



DAMAGE TO TIMBER BY ACID FUMES. 



It is common to find certain species of 

 trees in large cities sickening and dying 

 from the effects of poisonous gases. The 

 damage to forest trees from smoke is very 

 common near mines and chemical works, 

 especially where the smoke contains a 

 large amount of sulphur fumes. 



A striking instance of the injury to 

 timber by acid fumes has recently come 

 under my observation at Ducktown, Ten- 

 nessee, where there are extensive copper 

 mines. Here the crude ore is roasted in 

 open sheds in order to drive off a certain 

 proportion of the sulphur. In the im- 

 mediate neighborhood of the mines the 

 timber has long since been cleared to sup- 

 ply the roasting-sheds. In consequence, 

 the winds have a clear sweep, and the 

 smoke containing a large amount of sul- 

 phurous acid is carried for a great distance. 

 Immediately about the roasting-sheds no 

 vegetation whatever can live. At a dis- 

 tance of about one-third of a mile grass is 



able to survive ; and about one-half mile 

 away, certain species of trees maintain a 

 sickly existence. 



The tree most susceptible to injury ap- 

 peared to be the White Pine. I found trees 

 of this species at a distance of seven miles 

 in an air line from the roasting sheds 

 which were without doubt killed by the 

 sulphur fumes. It is probable that Hem- 

 lock is fully as sensitive, but as it occurs in 

 protected ravines the damage is much less 

 extended. River Birch appears to be easily 

 killed by the smoke, and as in the case of 

 other trees, begins first to die down from 

 the top. It is common to see trees with 

 the tops dead and broken, and with a fringe 

 of living branches at the base of the crown. 



In passing rapidly through the country 

 only a general study of the effect of the 

 smoke on different species could be made. 

 Enough was seen, however, to make pos- 

 sible the following provisional list, which 

 shows the relative degree of sensitiveness 





