1908 



NEWS AXD NOT 





Better Fig- The average man usual- 

 ures Soon j v h as a ver y hazy idea 



Available 



Qf 



growth of trees. In fact, until re- 

 cently very little accurate information 

 had been gathered which could throw 

 light on this very important aspect of 

 American forestry. The value of a 

 forest is not merely the standing tim- 

 ber which it contains, but it includes 

 also the power to produce a future 

 crop. The study of tree growth has 

 a very practic. \ purpose, that of meas- 

 uring this producing power of forests. 

 It is only through this knowledge that 

 the forester can determine whether or 

 not forestry will pay. 



To gather enough information to 

 furnish complete figures of growth 

 even for such of our trees as are at 

 present of commercial importance, 

 would be a vast undertaking and would 

 involve a greater outlay of money than 

 can at present be made. The United 

 States Forest Service has, however, 

 made a large number of local studies 

 of growth which serve well as a firs' 

 ^t.ep in this direction. While the fig- 

 ures at present available are not 

 claimed to be complete or final, they 

 are of great use to foresters in work- 

 ingoutproblems of forest management. 



In an old publication which has a 

 large circulation among handlers o* 

 lumber is given a table showing the 

 sizes of different kinds of trees at the 

 age of twelve years. According to 

 this table the diameter of a birch tree 

 at this age is ten inches and its height 

 twenty feet. The height is approxi- 

 mately correct, but the diameter giv- 

 en is several hundred per cent too 

 high. The actual diameter would be 

 from one to three inches, depending 

 on the kind of birch, situation, and 

 other factors. Again, silver maple is 

 ui veil a diameter of twelve inches, 

 whereas the true size should be about 

 three and a half inches. 



The Forest Service is preparing for 

 publication a "Preliminary Synopsis of 

 the Rate of Growth of Forest Tn 

 in which is given a summary of he 

 figure- of growth so far obtained and 

 worked up. The most important tree c 

 in each of the forest regions of ihe 



I'liited States are L 



with the sizes which th< 



ages of 30, 50, 80, 100, i 



years. \Yhile the figu: nt 



species should not 1>- 



closely, they will admit 



eralization which will be of c< 



able value. 



Prize Winner James D Schu;. 

 Second Time ^ os Angeles the prom- 

 inent hydraulic engineer, 

 has achieved the distinction of being 

 the first member of the profession 

 twice to receive one of the principal 

 honors bestowed by the American So- 

 ciety of Civil Engineers. This is the 

 "Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize" ^iven 

 annually to the member or engineei 

 who contributes the most noteworthy 

 paper describing in detail accomplished 

 work of construction. Mr. Schuyler, 

 who is the author of a standard work 

 on Dams, has been advised that he ha c 

 received the 1907 award for his paper 

 entitled "Recent Practice in Hydrau- 

 lic-Fill Dam Construction," a contri- 

 bution to science which has created a 

 stir among engineers throughout t'-.e 

 world. He had previously won the 

 prize for his paper, "The Const ruction 

 of the Swcetwater Dam." 



Reports Sue- The new School of For- 

 cessful Initial estry at t i lc University 



Year of Washington, Seattle. 



reports a successful initial year, and 

 interest in the course is developing in 

 a very satisfactorv way. Kighteen stu- 

 dents have enrolled in the School, nine 

 of whom arc in the full com Al- 



though instruction in fore-try h:>.- been 

 given at the University since i^'i- the 

 work was not placed on an independ- 

 ent footing until the pre- nt v< 

 Full announcement of the i ; nd 



aims of the School will be made in the 

 catalo-ue. which will be ready for dis- 

 tribution by May ti 



Three courses are outlined. Ope. a 

 four year undergraduate course, de- 

 signed rn 

 w ish r on a business career in 



me pha=e of the lumber industry, but 

 who wish first to have the advantages 

 of a university training: also for those 



