254 



THE FORESTER. 



October, 



ter and easier way of keeping even with the 

 movement throughout the world than by read- 

 ing the current literature on the subject. Al- 

 though much that is contained in these foreign 



journals is not applicable to this country it is all 

 more or less instructive material which every 

 well-informed forester should know even if he 

 does not believe or use it. J. G. 



RECENT PUBLICATIONS. 



Fifth Annual Report of the Chief Fire Warden 

 of Minnesota for the year 1899. C. C. An- 

 drews. Pp. 143. Illustrations 36. Maps 2. 



This report falls easily into two parts. In the 

 first the operation of the State fire law is dealt 

 with. This law has limitations, and the exist- 

 ing popular indifference about fires is a great 

 drag on it. But it has none the less produced 

 excellent results. To a certain degree the pub- 

 lic has been taught to exercise more care about 

 fires, many have doubtless been prevented, and 

 where burning has begun it has been checked 

 more promptly than of old. The second part of 

 the report is devoted to driving home in several 

 ways the truth that to keep otherwise useless 

 land under forest is the soundest of sound sense. 

 A description of the practice of forestry in dif- 

 ferent parts of Europe occupies 82 pages. A 

 brief report on the "Problem of Forestry in 

 Minnesota," by Dr. C. A. Schenck, is compact 

 and to the poiut. The pages which General 

 Andrews devotes to advocating the establish- 

 ment of the Minnesota Park will be interesting 

 to all who are in sympathy with that project. 

 The illustrations in the volume deserve much 

 praise. They are unusually interesting and in- 

 structive. 



One does not open one of these annual re- 

 ports in the expectation of finding anything new 

 or unexpected ; but Minnesota is one of the 

 most interesting States in the Union for the for- 

 ester, and every record of progress toward a 

 proper care of its forests, and every fresh ac- 

 count of its conditions and needs, is to be wel- 

 comed not only because it is interesting, but 

 because of the good it will do in educating the 

 public. To this General Andrews' present vol- 

 ume makes no exception. The only part of it 

 ili:it is disappointing is the end. The casual 

 !cr who has been shown the evil state of 

 things naturally asks, What is to be done? Can 



help ? But the conclusion tells him nothing 

 more definite than that a "thorough-going 

 forestry system " is needed. Unless he knows 

 what the questions at issue are, or has read the 

 recommendations which are sprinkled through 

 the body of the report, this will leave no very 

 clear-cut idea in his mind. Considering that 

 the aim of so many reports on forestry is still to 

 build up the right sort of public opinion, and 

 that they reach the general public not directly, 

 but through such unsatisfactory channels as 

 l.ix-ss reviews and quotations, their recommeu- 

 >us should be massed in such a way that 

 even the most careless reader could not fail to 

 take them in. 



Report on the Big Trees of California. Pre- 

 pared under the Division of Forestry of the 

 Department of Agriculture. Government 

 Printing Office. 



This report, which was presented in the Senate, 

 on May 23d, by Mr. Perkins, was occasioned by 

 the demand for information about the Big Trees 

 incident to the proposal to made a national park 

 of the Calaveras Grove. It is a compilation of 

 all pertinent information about the Big Trees 

 their number, situation, botanical characteris- 

 tics, history, ownership, etc. The report con- 

 tains 30 pages, 19 illustrations, and two large 

 maps. It is compiled with great care and its 

 contents are thoroughly and clearly arranged 

 and indexed. 



Although there is no attempt to plead for the 

 preservation of the Calaveras or any other grove, 

 the statement of the facts, especially about 

 lumbering among the Big-trees and the wanton- 

 ness with which certain of them have been 

 killed and cut down, point clearly enough of 

 themselves to the desirability of a reservation. 



Practical Tree Planting in Operation. By Geo. 



W. Tincher in the Kansas Fanner (Topeka), 



August 2oth. 



This is primarily a review of Professor J. W. 

 Tourney's Bulletin (No. 27 of the Division of 

 Forestry) which appeared under the same title. 

 Mr. Tincher thinks that to plant trees 4x4/feet 

 apart and in mixed plantations, as recommended 

 by Professor Tourney, is undesirable, and goes 

 on to give detailed criticisms of some of Profes- 

 sor Tourney's planting plans with suggestions 

 for alterations. 



Some Desirable Forestry Experiments. By 

 Professor S. B Green, Minnesota Ilorticultur- 

 a/ist, September. 



Under this title Professor Green writes a short 

 paper advocating the introduction of the Douglas 

 Fir, the Red Spruce of Maine, and the Norway 

 Spruce into cultivation in Minnesota. It seems 

 to him important " that a few varieties of trees 

 be planted here on a considerable scale to de- 

 termine their value for economic purposes, for 

 which they seem especially promising." 

 Report on Forestry in Sweden. By General C. 

 C. Andrews, U. S. Minister at Stockholm, 

 1869-77. Revised Edition. Government Print- 

 ing Office. Pp. 35, illustrations, 2. 

 A revised edition of the report published in 

 1872, containing also a brief sketch of the pres- 

 ent situation of Swedish forestry, to prepare 

 which General Andrews engaged Mr. K. G. G. 

 Norrliug (extra jagmastare). 



