96 Canadian Forestry Journal. 



of the actions of those who preceded us, the widespread interest 

 in forestry promises to repair this neglect in very large measure. 

 One of the most striking evidences of this movement is the first 

 of a series of four large and handsome volumes on "The History of 

 the Lumber Industry iii America," which is just now claiming 

 the attention of the public. This history, which promises to be 

 an indispensable work of reference for those interested in the 

 subject, as well as a most interesting account of the facts, is the 

 work of Mr. James Elliott Defebaugh, editor of the American 

 Lumberman. The work is published by the American Lumber- 

 man in Chicago. Volume I, which is now before us, contains 

 559 large octavo pages. The matter is divided into 31 chapters. 

 After an excellent account of the discovery and early settlement 

 of America in which the attractions to settlers held out by the 

 forest are clearly shown, the author goes on with an account of 

 North American forest geography. This chapter is especially 

 valuable. It gives an account of the timbered area, with some 

 consideration of the influence of climate upon forests and vice 

 versa, and closes with a cyclopedic list of the commercial tree 

 species of America. This latter portion of the chapter, which 

 must depend for its value upon its perfect accuracy is based upon 

 Mr. Charles S. Sargent's work, "The Sylva of North America," 

 and is illuminated with foot notes giving quotations from that 

 work on all points likely to arouse questions or require elucida- 

 tion. Following this comes a portion of the work which will be 

 of special interest to Canadians. About 135 pages, divided into 

 three chapters are taken up with an account of the forest resources 

 and lumber history of Newfoundland and Eastern Canada. One 

 chapter is devoted to Labrador and Newfoundland. In the 

 account of the latter is given a list of the principal trees found on 

 the island and a brief history of the lumbering business leading up 

 to the Harmsworth concession of which so much has recently 

 been written. A brief summary of the Crown lands timber 

 regulations is also given. 



The first chapter, relating to Canada, is devoted to the com- 

 mercial forests of this country. The omission from this portion 

 of the work of any account of the great Pacific Coast forests of 

 Canada and the industries which have been founded upon them, 

 which omission naturally challenges the attention of the intelli- 

 gent reader, is explained by a paragraph in which the author says 

 that this 'will be reserved for detailed treatment in connection 

 with the history of the lumber industry of the Pacific coast of the 

 U. S. with which it is closely connected and which have been 

 developed together.' Bare mention is made of the forests of the 

 Canadian Northwest, although the author speaks of a practically 

 continuous forest of sub-arctic species and characteristics, as 

 existing to the north. It is to be hoped that in subsequent 

 volumes the facts concerning this vast forest, which is becoming 



