188 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIV. No. 1392 



tion of nitrogen by the barium process. The fact 

 remains, however, that we are still in the construc- 

 tional or experimental stage, while Germany far 

 outdistances all competitors in actual production. 



FORESTRY LEGISLATION 



The Forest Service, United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, reports that no less than 

 thirty-three states have now provided for some 

 sort of forestry activities and twenty-five of 

 these share in the federal cooperative forest 

 protection fund, allotted to states maintaining 

 an effective fire detection and suppression 



Two others have applied recently for such 

 assistance. Public backing of the movement 

 to preserve the remaining forests from de- 

 struction by fire, and to put idle forest lands 

 to work growing trees, is becoming widespread, 

 and the eiiects of the popular demand for ac- 

 tion is shown clearly in the state laws passed 

 this year. 



Peimsylvania, under the direction of Gifford 

 Pinchot, the new commissioner of forestry, 

 leads all states in forest activities. The bien- 

 nial appropriation passed by the legislature 

 and approved by the governor carried $1,870,- 

 000, an increase of $863,300 over the appropri- 

 ation of 1919 ; $1,000,000 of the total is for fire 

 protection. The legislature also passed an act 

 empowering the federal government to acquire 

 lands on the watersheds of navigable streams 

 within the state, by purchase or condemnation, 

 and to control and regulate such reserves. 



The Minnesota legislature was more gener- 

 ous with the state forestry board than ever be- 

 fore. A total of $275,500 for general forestry 

 work was appropriated for the next two years, 

 of which $125,000 a year is for fire protection. 

 The last named sum was augmented by an ad- 

 ditional allotment of $44,000 from the state 

 board of relief. For the equipment of a flying 

 field $45,000 was voted. This provision was to 

 meet the offer of the federal government to fur- 

 nish the service of twelve planes if the neces- 

 sary hangars and flying fields were provided. 

 While the primary purpose of this agreement 

 is to supply aerial mail communication, the 



planes will be able also to render effective serv- 

 ice in discovering forest fires. 



In California, where there has been much 

 favorable sentiment toward forestry for many 

 years, the legislature voted a substantial in- 

 crease in appropriation for the state board of 

 forestry, for the biennial period beginning 

 July 1. For the prevention and suppression 

 of fire $75,000 was appropriated; for general 

 administration, $27,000 ; for a study of water- 

 shed areas, $10,000, and to establish and main- 

 tain state forest nurseries, $35,000. The l^is- 

 lature also voted $300,000 for the purchase of 

 redwood timber land for park purposes along 

 the state highway in Mendocino and Humboldt 

 counties, the area to be administered by the 

 state board of forestry. 



THE HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 



Plans for the organization of a School of 

 Public Health in Harvard University, with the 

 aid of an initial gift of $1,785,000 by the 

 Eockefeller Foundation, are announced by 

 the university and the officers of the Founda- 

 tion. The announcement says: 



An excellent general course for the training of 

 public health officers as well as special courses in 

 preventive mediciae, in tropical medicine and in- 

 dustrial hygiene have already been developed at 

 Harvard. The work has been hampered, however, 

 by lack of adequate funds and by uneven growth. 



The new school will provide opportunities for 

 research, will unify existing courses and will offer 

 new or extended teaching facilities in public health 

 administration, vital statistics, immunology, bac- 

 teriology, medical zoology, physiological hygiene 

 and communicable diseases. 



For the housing of the school the university 

 hopes to secure an existing building of very suit- 

 able character immediately adjacent to the Med- 

 ical School. Funds for the purchase and equip- 

 ment of the building will be drawn from the gift 

 of the Eockefeller Foundation. 



The cost of maintenance and development of the 

 school will be met from endowment funds in part 

 set aside by the university and in part contributed 

 by the Foundation. The Foundation's immediate 

 appropriations to the project will aggregate 

 $1,785,000. The arrangement also provides for 

 further gifts, if the growth of the school seems to 

 demand it, to any amount which shall not exceed 

 $500,000. 



