[900. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



279 



:rolling. The discovery of the use of the bark 

 :>f the Cinchona tree as a febrifuge has already 

 made possible the exploration of these tropical 



wildernesses. Further discoveries in this line 

 we hope will soon completely remove this 

 troublesome barrier. J. G. 



RECENT PUBLICATIONS. 



Forest and Water. By Abbot Kinncy, with 

 articles on allied subjects by eminent experts. 

 Pages 247. Illustrations from photographs, 

 53. The Post Publishing Co., Los Angeles, 

 California. 



The appearance of a book on any of the many 

 problems in American forestry must necessarily 

 attract the attention of many thoughtful Amer- 

 icans. There never was a time when so much 

 attention was given to forest matters in this 

 country as now. Moreover, interest in our for- 

 ests looking forward to their conservation and 

 practical management is increasing rapidly. 

 There is much need for good books on forestry, 

 more particularly in its application to the con- 

 ditions existing in this country. 



Mr. Kinney in " Forest and Water " has given 

 us a large amount of information regarding the 

 mountain forests of southern California in their 

 relation to water conservation, much of which 

 it is to our interest to know. Unfortunately, 

 however, very little of the text bearing upon 

 this important question is substantiated by 

 actual experiments or measurements. 



As a whole the book is given to the cause of 

 agitation in the interests of forest preservation. 

 It is founded upon observation rather than ex- 

 perimentation. It consists for the most part of 

 a series of more or less independent essays on 

 forest protection, water supply and irrigation in 

 southern California and of a brief descriptive 

 account of the more important forest trees of 

 that region. Considerable space, however, is 

 given to an account of how, in the author's 

 opinion, the present management of the forests 

 of the southwest can be improved. 



Like many of the reports of commissions, 

 horticultural societies, and associations, that 

 have published bulletins on forestry in this 

 country, "Forest and Water" has its place in 

 convincing the public that forest protection is 

 necessary. 



Mr. Kinuey is the author of something less 

 than two-thirds of the book, nine chapters be- 

 ing supplied by as many different writers. 

 These chapters deal with the following subjects : 

 Fish and Game of the Forest Reserves, Some 

 Relations between Forests and Water Supply, 

 Practical Irrigation, Irrigation in the Southwest, 

 The Underground Waters of Southern Califor- 

 nia, Forest Reservoirs, Relation of Stream Flow 

 and Suspended Sediment Therein to the Cover- 

 ing of Drainage Basins, and The Reclamation 

 of Drifting Sand Dunes in Golden Gate Park. 



Of these independent papers by other authors 

 the work of J. B. Lippincott demands special 

 attention, as he has given us in his short paper 



the results of actual measurements and experi- 

 ments in showing the relation of stream flow 

 and suspended sediment to the covering of 

 drainage basins. 



In a book of this nature intended to instruct 

 the public on an important economic problem, 

 the greatest attention should be given to ac- 

 curacy in the presentation of facts and to pre- 

 cision in expression. In discussing the effect 

 of forests on rain fall on p. 23, the author says : 

 "This is still an open question," while a few 

 pages later, viz., on p. 35 it is stated that "the 

 certain diminution of rain fall, following the de- 

 struction of forest covering, means the failure of 

 crops." 



In the table of contents we notice the expres- 

 sion : "Trees and the Pines." Careless and 

 meaningless expressions of this sort are unfortu- 

 nate, particularly so when they are given as 

 headings of chapters. 



In the opinion of the reviewer such positive 

 statements as the following require qualifica- 

 tions : " There is no possible excuse for fires in 

 our mountains " (page 36); "Torrents are only 

 found where mountainous watersheads are in 

 part or wholly without adequate covering of 

 forests " (page 93). 



Digressions, some of which are of a semi-po- 

 litical nature occur at not infrequent intervals 

 and detract from rather than add to the book. 

 For instance, on p. 77 we find the following : 

 "Those who engage in promoting this great 

 work have strenuous efforts before them ; they 

 deserve the garlands of reward as civic patriots 

 as much or more than those who foment dis- 

 tant foreign wars." 



The chapters dealing with supplies and die- 

 tary deserve special mention. The photo- 

 graphic reproductions are good as a rule. Th ise 

 illustrating forest fires are exceptionally fine. 

 A few, as those on p. 88, are foreign to the text 

 and add nothing to its value. 



Although the book shows no well del mod 

 plan of conception and execution and is entiryl; 

 without unity, it contains a large fund of infor- 

 mation, derived largely from observation, in re- 

 gard to the water and forests of the mountains 

 of southern California and should he lead 1>y 

 all persons interested in the forest problems ol 

 the southwest. 

 Some Business Problems of American Fore 



C. A. Sehenck, Ph.D. French Broad l'i 



Aslieville, N. C. Page 



The wording of the above title and the 1'oiin 

 and api of the " Seventeen I'rohln 



American Forestry " contained in this little book 

 would at iirst lea.l the reader to that 



