102 



THE FORESTER. 



April, 



to be most benefited comprehend the ad- 

 vantages that they will gain by a proper 

 guardianship of the reservations as to tim- 

 ber and game. 



"For the public at large does not usu- 

 ally take the trouble to think for itself. 

 No better example of this has recently been 

 seen than the hysterical talk and writing 

 indulged in when the great forest reserva- 

 tions were established by President Cleve- 

 land. For a time the newspapers and 

 among: them Forest and Stream were 

 full of moanings, howlings and denuncia- 

 tions from people who feared something 



thev knew not what. But the reservations 

 were established, their purposes patiently 

 explained and the fears of the timid set at 

 rest; and now practically everybody in the 

 whole country believes in forest preserva- 

 tion and the setting aside of forest reserves 

 as large as practicable. 



" Within comparatively few years we 

 expect to see the forest reserves set aside 

 as game refuges on some such plan as 

 Forest and Stream has already outlined. 

 Only by such action can our North Amer- 

 ican big game be preserved from ex- 

 tinction." 



RECENT PUBLICATIONS- 



The Distribution of Forest Trees in Iowa. Re- 

 print from Report of Iowa Academy of Sci- 

 ences, 1899. By B. Shimek. 



Flora of Lyon Co. (Iowa). Reprint from the 



Report of the Iowa Geological Survey, 1899. 



By B. Shimek. 



The first paper is a discussion of the causes 

 affecting the distribution of natural timber and 

 the formation of prairies in Iowa. Fires, excess 

 of moisture, insufficient moisture, temperature, 

 geological formations, and soils are mentioned 

 as the agencies commonly cited as restricting 

 the forests and causing the prairies. The writer 

 asserts that these causes are inadequate to have 

 produced the present conditions and that a 

 hitherto little noticed agency, wind, is of great 

 importance in this connection, affecting trees 

 mechanically by breaking them, by stripping 

 them or injuring foliage, by spreading fires, and, 

 physiologically by checking the processes of 

 respiration and assimilation. If this is true, the 

 scantiest forest growth is to be expected in the 

 most exposed sitmtions, while the best growth 

 will be confined to places protected from the wind. 

 This the writer finds to be the case, regardless of 

 the operation of other agencies, such as soil 

 and temperature. He states that the distribu- 

 tion of the native forests of the State is in har- 

 mony with the character and direction of the 

 prevailing winds, taken in conjunction with the 

 topography and course of the river valleys 



The point that the wind strongly influences 

 tree growth on the western prairies is well taken 

 and applies over a wide stretch of territory, 

 though it is by no means new. It has long been 

 noticed by observing persons, both in connec- 

 tion with natural and planted timber in the 

 West. It should always be considered in con- 

 junction with other forest-restricting agencies, 

 and the author properly names it as one of the 



most importaut agencies concerned in checking 

 tree growth. 



The second paper is an annotated list of the 

 native trees and shrubs, cultivated forest trees, 

 native herbs, forage plants and weeds of the 

 northwest county of the State. Forty species 

 of native trees and shrubs are mentioned as oc- 

 curring, though none are abundant. Of this 

 list sixteen species are said to occur chiefly 

 along the larger streams, seventeen along pro- 

 tected banks and lower slopes, and seven on the 

 higher slopes and dry places. 



Of the trees planted in groves the native 

 species are claimed to be more hardy than those 

 introduced, and the deciduous better adapted to 

 the country than evergreens. The European 

 larch is mentioned as the best introduced tree, 

 while the white ash and black walnut rank 

 as the hardiest and most valuable trees among 

 the natives. Mr. Shimek states that both native 

 and planted timber thrives best in places where 

 it is protected from the wind. 



W. L. H. 



Some Diseases of New England Conifers. A 

 Preliminary Report. By H. von Schrenk. 

 Bulletin 25. U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 Division of Vegetable Physiology and Pathol- 

 ogy. Pp. 56. Plates XV. Figs. 3. 

 It is gratifying that a trained cryptogamist has 

 been able to turn his attention to a line of study 

 showing the relationship of fungi to the destruc- 

 tion of important American timber trees. The 

 attempt does not pretend to be more than a pre- 

 liminary one ; but the subject-matter brought 

 together has very great interest. The technical 

 portion of Dr. Schrenk's paper will be wel- 

 comed by students interested in the pathological 

 effect of these fungi on wood structure, while 

 the practical deductions to be made are of value 

 to the forester and lumberman. 



