292 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



State Firemen's Association. 



The annual meeting of the State Firemen's Association was 

 held at Lowell during the week beginning September 19, and 

 the State Forester addressed the organization on Thursday even- 

 ing, September 22, on the subject, " Forestry, and Fire Menace 

 of the Same." 



This organization has been ready to co-operate and assist the 

 department at all times, and their good offices have been highly 

 appreciated. 



During the past summer, at a meeting of the officials of the 

 above association and the State Forester, it was agreed that the 

 fire-permit act should aj^ply to cities as well as to towns. 



Thinning Bulletin. 



The bulletin by the State Forester's assistant, Mr. H. O. 

 Cook, on " Thinning," referred to as being in press last year, 

 was received from the press early in the year, and has proved of 

 gi'cat value in assisting us in getting this information into the 

 hands of those who contemplate improving their woodlands. 



This bulletin is opportune, as it meets a definite place in the 

 handling of woodlands in the worst moth-infested sections ; and it 

 helps not only in making better forestry conditions, but, with the 

 poorer trees and dead wood removed, the work of spraying and 

 treating woodlands is greatly simplified. 



Bulletin on Reforestation and Nursery Work. 

 Reforestation and the growing of young trees is at present a 

 subject of gi'eat interest to our people. In order to give detailed 

 and exact knowledge, the bulletin was carefully planned and 

 published, and we have every reason to believe that it covers the 

 subject as clearly and as practically as any publication available. 

 It was written by Mr. R. S. Langdell, assistant in charge of the 

 State nursery at Amherst, who also has charge of the reforesta- 

 tion work throughout the State. We believe it hits the nail on 

 the head, and is of great assistance in the State work. 



The Chestnut Bark Disease. 

 This disease, as reported last year, does not seem to have 

 caused any great amount of damage as yet in this State. We 



