354 



NA TURE 



[FebruarV 12, 1903 



(7) "First Book of Forestry," by Filibert Roth. This little 

 elementary book is most charmingly written, giving in simple 

 terms, and in an attractive form, the first principles of forestry. 

 Although the illustrations are taken from species growing in the 

 United States, I can strongly recommend the little book 

 (published by Ginn and Company, pp. 261, price y. 6a'.) to 

 landed proprietors and foresters in this country. 



I have no doubt that these publications form only part of those 

 which have lately appeared. All show signs of a good grasp of 

 the subject, and prove the vigour with which it has been taken up. 

 Asalready indicated, the forests of the United States areat present 

 worked under a heavy deficit, as compared with production. 

 This deficit will increase with the growth of the population and 

 the further development of the industries of the country, and 

 this will go on until a sufficient area of forests has been placed 

 under systematic management. That measures to bring this 

 about have not been taken a day too soon will be evident when 

 it is considered what the requirements of the country are. Not 

 only are enormous quantities of wood fuel wanted for a popula- 

 tion of some So million peoples, but timber in proportion is 

 required for pulp wood, posts, railway ties, poles for tele- 

 graphs and for piling, mining timber, ship timber, cooperage 

 and wagon timber, lumber generally, and for many other 

 purposes. To give an idea of what the total requirements may 

 amount to, I shall pick out one or two items. There are 

 upwards of 200,000 miles of railways in the States, which require 

 annually some 70 million railway ties. To keep up this supply, 

 some S to 10 million acres of well-managed forests are wanted. 

 The annual requirements of general lumber are at present esti- 

 mated at 30 billion feet, board measure, requiring not less than 

 some 100 million acres of forests to keep up the supply. The 

 demands for pulp wood and mining timber are already enormous, 

 and likely to increase. The exports of timber from the States 

 amount to a little more than one million tons a year, and these 

 are already considerably exceeded by imports from Canada. 



On the whole, then, the reservations made up to date can be 

 considered only as a moderate beginning in the right direction. 

 To meet the future requirements of the nation, the present area 

 of reservations must be largely increased and they must all be 

 brought under systematic protection and management. How- 

 ever, the people and the Government are evidently determined 

 to do what is necessary, and their efforts up to date bear 

 testimony to the energy with which any question bearing on the 

 general welfare of the nation is taken up and carried through. 



Can we in this country not learn a lesson from the above 

 facts, as we have been obliged to do in more than one other 

 respect of late years? Our timber imports have latterly grown 

 very rapidly, far more so than the increase of the population, 

 while the sources of supply are becoming more and more 

 precarious. It is all very well to say that we can pay for the 

 imported timber, but what when the sources of supply fail? 

 And all this time we have some 13 million acres of waste 

 land and some 12 million acres of mountain and heath land 

 used for light grazing in these islands, or a total of 25 million 

 acres which yield a very small return or none at all. One- 

 quarter of that area put under forest and treated in a rational 

 manner would supply all the timber we require (apart from 

 limited quantities of tropical timbers) and keep some 25 million 

 pounds sterling in the counlry which we now send abroad every 

 year to pay for the imported limber. And how many of the 

 unfortunate unemployed, who are becoming the nightmare of 

 our city authorities, would not find healthy employment in the 

 country if a real effort were made to grow our own timber at 

 home? W. Schi.ich. 



THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY. 



I" AST March a few of those interested in the advancement 

 of the study of electrochemistry in this country held a 

 meeting in London. After some discussion as to the best 

 means of advancing the object which it had in view, the meet- 

 ing unanimously agreed to endeavour to form a society of 

 electrochemists. A small committee was then appointed, 

 which, after holding several meetings, sent out circulars to 

 those who it was thought would be interested in the formation 

 li a society. A considerable number of favourable replies 

 w.i- received, but some who wrote deprecated the idea of add- 

 ing yet another to the already large number of scientific 

 societies. The committee then approached several exist- 

 ingsocieties, in order to see whether it might not be possible 



N0 - *7Z7> vol- 67] 



to work in conjunction with one or other of them. Bu> 

 although the replies received were couched in friendly terms, 

 none of these societies seemed inclined to make any special 

 effort to help forward the movement. 



In these circumstances it was decided to call a general 

 meeting of supporters of the movement to inaugurate an 

 Electrochemical Society. By the kind permission of the 

 committee of the Faraday Club, the meeting was held in the 

 club rooms at the St. Ermin's Hotel, on the afternoon of 

 February 4. 



Mr. Swinburne, chairman of the committee, took the 

 chair, and briefly reviewed the circumstances which had 

 brought the meeting together. He emphasised the import- 

 ance of the electrochemical industry abroad, and pointed out 

 how exceedingly backward we are in this country. Mr. 

 Swan, in a brief speech, then proposed the formation of the 

 society, and said that there was no doubt but that it would 

 be of great scientific and commercial value. Mr. Alexander 

 Siemens seconded the motion, which was carried unani- 

 mously. 



Mr. Swinburne then read out a list of those who had been 

 nominated by the committee and had expressed their 

 willingness to serve on the council of the society. Mr. 

 Swan, F.R.S., was elected president, the vice-presidents 

 being Lord Kelvin, Prof. Criim Brown, F.R.S., Sir Oliver 

 Lodge, F.R.S., Lord Rayleigh, Mr. Ludwig Mond, F.R.S., 

 Mr. Alexander Siemens and Mr. J. Swinburne. The com- 

 mittee's recommendations were unanimously endorsed, and 

 after a short discussion, and a vote of thanks to the com- 

 mittee of formation, the meeting separated. 



The youngest of scientific societies in the country started 

 off with a promised membership of 150. There is, however, 

 very little doubt but that in a short time many more, who 

 have only been waiting for the movement to become an 

 assured success', will join. Already since circulars calling 

 the meeting were sent out, several who in the first place 

 refused their support have sent in their names for member- 

 ship. 



The science of electrochemistry, which was initiated in 

 this country through the splendid work of Davy and Fara- 

 day, has been allowed to languish, and but little attention 

 has been paid to its great advancement abroad. In Germany 

 a nourishing society, which issues a weekly journal, has 

 been in existence for more than eight years. The Americans 

 have a very vigorous society, which was established last 

 year. The British society has been established with the 

 object of advancing both pure and applied science. One is 

 often met by the cry that electrochemical industry is all very 

 well in countries where there is plenty of cheap water- 

 power, but that it will never be a success when you have to 

 depend upon coal as an initial source of energy. But there is 

 such a source of power as the Mond gas, and gas engines 

 are every day becoming more perfect. Again, coal is 

 cheaper in this country than in most places where there is 

 an abundance of water-power. In some directions we may 

 be handicapped ; to a large extent this is due to our own 

 inertness — our great chemist, Faraday, laid the foundation- 

 stone of electrochemical science — we have left it to others 

 to build thereon. But the building is not complete ; indeed, 

 it may require to be partially pulled down and rebuilt. The 

 Electrochemical Society has been formed to rehabilitate the 

 science in this counlry, and its promoters look forward 

 with the sanguine hope that when the scientific history of 

 tlii next decade is written, British discoveries and inventions 

 in the domain of electrochemistry will not be behind those of 

 any other country. 



All interested in electrochemistry and physical science 

 and who are willing to help forward this society should 

 ■s.nd in their names to Mr. F. S. Spiers, Grosvenor 

 Mansions, Victoria Street, Westminster. 



AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 

 TN a shilling pamphlet published at the offices of the Mark 

 -*■ Lane Express, Mr. W. |. Maiden, of the Colon al College, 

 Hollesley Bay, discusses the m:ri>s of ten new •' pvatoes with 

 money in them." Hundreds of new varieties have been raised 

 in the past few years, but nearly all of tho e named in the 

 pamphlet have been produced by one grower — Mr. Fin Hay, of 

 Markinch — and this fact indicates tint to raise valuable new 



