Notes. 131 



servoir for the more equal distribution of the rainfall throughout 

 the year, but act, also, as a natural nursery, producing and distri- 

 buting a form of flora naturally adapted to the localitv'. 



The Annual Report for 1904 of the Department of Waters 

 and Forests of France furnishes some interesting figures. The 

 area of state forests is 1,169,820 hectares or 2,911,625 acres. The 

 financial returns for 1903, the last available, were 29,373,903 

 francs or S5, 874, 780, an average of about $2.00 per acre. The 

 product of the wood cut was 21,247,520 francs, and from other 

 sources 8,126,383 francs. The value of the wood imported into 

 France in 1904 was 167,400,000 francs and the export 53,900,000 

 francs, leaving an adverse balance of 1 13,500,000 francs. 



The Moosomin, N.W.T. town council, wishing to encourage 

 tree planting upon the streets by private citizens, has passed the 

 following by-law: — "All property owners or tax-payers, who 

 plant trees on the streets, not less than eight feet from the street 

 line, good, healthy maples, ash, or elm, of a size at least two inches 

 through in the trunk, and not less than twelve feet high, — for 

 every one in every twelve and a half feet so planted shall be paid 

 the sum of fift}^ cents each." 



The conditions are that the trees are to be properly planted and 

 staked, and to be to the satisfaction of an inspector appointed by 

 the council. The inspection is to be made in July of the year 

 following the planting of the trees. At the time of the inspection, 

 if the trees are found in a healthy, growing state, the inspector 

 shall issue to the property owner or taxpayer, a certificate of 50c. 

 for each growing tree. This certificate is to be accepted in lieu of 

 cash by the tax collector for the sum specified, when the property 

 owner or tax-payer is paying his taxes for the year in which the 

 inspection is made. 



Nearly all the developed mines of the Black Hills are large 

 deposits of comparatively low grade ore. either free milling or 

 cyaniding in its character; frequently both processes are com- 



