350 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Fourth National Conservation Congress. 



The Fourth National Conservation Congress met at Indianapohs, 

 Ind., October 1 to 4, and the State Forester was appointed a dele- 

 gate by Governor Foss. 



The Congress was a success, and from the forestry standpoint 

 interest was aroused that promises for even greater accomplish- 

 ments at future meetings. The lumbermen were well represented. 

 Many of the State officials in forestry lines were present, and the 

 work along forest fire protection and management was fully 

 discussed. 



While at this convention I was particularly fortunate in having 

 an opportunity to go over the data accumulated by the Indiana 

 State Forester relating to the catalpa tree. This tree is indigenous 

 to Indiana. There has been so much written about it as being a 

 tree well adapted to general forestry uses, particularly the catalpa 

 speciosa, that I was pleased to obtain information I have much 

 wished for. I find that this species, even in Indiana, is not con- 

 sidered commercially as valuable as many would make it. This 

 corroborates our experience thus far with the catalpa in Massa- 

 chusetts. We have several examples where the catalpa plantations 

 have proved a failure. 



Meeting of Eastern Foresters. 

 A meeting of the organization known as the Eastern Foresters, 

 which is composed of the State officials and others engaged in 

 teaching or professional forestry work in the eastern States, was 

 held July 15 and 16 at Petersham, Mass., at the invitation of 

 Professor Fisher of the Harvard Forest School. It proved to be 

 the largest gathering ever held of the members, and the occasion 

 gave an opportunity to study the Harvard forestry school methods 

 and discuss State forest policies. 



Financial Statements. 



General Forestry. 

 In accordance with section 6, chapter 409 of the Acts of 1904, 

 as amended by section 1, chapter 473 of the Acts of 1907, the 

 following statement is given of the forestry expenditures for the 

 year ending Nov. 30, 1912: — 



