NEWS AND NOTES 



The Cannon Ball Tree 



One of the most remarkable plants in the 

 world is the cannon ball tree, to be found in 

 British Guiana. The natural height of the 

 tree reaches to eighty or a hundred feet or 

 even taller. The fruit is a hard globular cap- 

 sule, seven inches or more in diameter, con- 

 taining numbers of flat, circular seeds rather 

 larger than a dime. It resembles a thirty- 

 two pound shot, is brown in color and very 

 rough. 



Famous Pine Gone 



The famous De Lancey pine in the Zoo- 

 logical Park, New York, one of the most 

 widely known trees in the East, has been cut 

 down. The tree stood within the boundaries 

 of the New York Zoological Park. It was 

 150 feet high, and could be seen for a long 

 distance. The pine, according to Mr. Merkle, 

 forester of the New York Zoological So- 

 ciety, died from old age. By actual count 

 of the rings the tree was 260 years old. 



"The pine had been dying for the last 

 fifteen years or more," said the forester yes- 

 terday, "and it was a source of danger. A 

 large part of the trunk has been left stand- 

 ing, and ivy will be planted beside it so 

 that at least that part can remain as a re- 

 minder of its historic significance." 



Under the historic pine was reared a man- 

 sion presided over by one of the De Lancey 

 family. Colonel James De Lancey, of the 

 Westchester Light Horse, who was High 

 Sheriff from 1770 to 1777, and who sided 

 with the King. He was the son of Peter De 

 Lancey, known as Peter of the Mills. 



Watching for Forest Fires 



The newly-established fire observation on 

 Mount Pisgah is doing good work and al- 

 ready some thirty forest fires have been 

 discovered. The attention of the fire war- 

 den of the town where the fire was in 

 progress is in each case called to the facts 

 and by the timely observation was soon 

 under control. 



The observer on the tower is Ira Chase 

 and he is a man well-fitted for the work in 

 which he takes a great interest. The present 

 tower is situated upon the top of a high 

 pine tree, on the summit of the lofty rise 

 of land known as Mount Pisgah. 



Mr. Chase is supplied with a chart of the 

 surrounding country and he is connected 

 with the world by telephone, so that he can 

 get into communication when occasion de- 



mands. The towns over which he is keep- 

 ing watch are Amherst, Bedford, Brook- 

 line, East Ridge, Greenfield, Greenville, 

 Hollis, Lyndeborough, New Boston, New 

 Ipswich, Mason, Merrimack, Milford, Mount 

 Vernon and Wilton. 



The following Massachusetts towns have 

 asked to be taken in under this supervision 

 and this has been done : Ashby, Ashburn- 

 ham, Townsend, Pepperell and Winchendon. 

 The entire district is in charge of Fire 

 Warden Worcester L. Winslow, who for 

 thirty years or more has been connected 

 with the Milford department for fighting 

 fires, and is one of the most skilled fire 

 fighters in the State. 



Trees to Check Floods 



The New York Commercial says : "When 

 Congress comes to consider the problem of 

 checking the spring floods in the Mississippi 

 Valley, the reforesting of the hills and moun- 

 tains in the valleys of the Ohio and its 

 tributaries will no doubt receive much at- 

 tention. In these regions are the former 

 sources of supply of our most valuable hard- 

 woods, the growing scarcity of which is 

 threatening the prosperity of many important 

 industries. Hardwoods are superior to pines, 

 firs and spruces, for forest reserves, be- 

 cause they are less liable to be devastated 

 by fire. Extensive fires in hardwood forests 

 are practically unknown and are easily 

 checked and put out with little damage ; but 

 a fire will race through the tops of pine trees 

 as fast as the wind can carry it, and in 

 many cases man is helpless and only rain 

 can stop the loss. Scientific planting with 

 areas for fire breaks free from pine or other 

 coniferous trees could be introduced where 

 the soil is not suited for hardwood, but the 

 demand for the latter is more pressing for 

 industrial purposes. 



Remarkable Trees 



There are being brought to the United 

 States Plant Bureau seeds of two rather re- 

 markable trees. 



One seed comes from the southern part 

 of the Island of Luzon in the Philippines. 

 It is from the pill nut tree, and is said to 

 be extraordinarily rich in flavor. The tree 

 is a very large one, and the Americans in 

 the Philippines think the nut is the finest 

 grown. If a lighted match be held to a nut 

 when roasted it will burn like a lamp, so 

 rich is it in oil. 



The other tree is found on the Isthmus 

 of Panama and is one of the most interest- 



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