September 27, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



387 



eat the eggs in their own country might be 

 imported. 



Mr. Cornelius C. Vermeule, of the New 

 Jersey Geological Survey, read a paper 

 upon forests and rivers, this relating mainly 

 to the conditions within the State of ISTew 

 Jersey, reference being made to data from 

 Massachusetts, New York and Pennsyl- 

 vania. In his conclusions he stated that 

 the river measurements failed to indicate 

 any notable effect of forests upon evapora- 

 tion or upon the very highest or lowest rate 

 of flow. The measurements do show what 

 is quite as important, namely, a more 

 equable flow, fewer floods, and shorter 

 periods of extreme low water upon well 

 forested catchments. Some of Mr. Ver- 

 meule's conclusions were called in question 

 by Mr. Fernow as not being applicable 

 beyond the areas studied. 



Hon. Warren Higley, of New York, spoke 

 of the progress of legislation in his State, 

 and described the inception and growth of 

 the Adirondack Park. The lands within 

 the Park limits are being acquired by the 

 State through tax sales or by purchase, ex- 

 cepting such as are owned or controlled by 

 clubs or corporations whose interests in for- 

 est protection are identical with those of 

 the State. It was the original intention to 

 manage this Park upon rational principles 

 and dispose of the ripe trees for timber 

 wherever this could be done without injurj^, 

 but the Constitutional Convention adopted 

 a provision against the sale of any timber 

 upon lands OAvned or to be acquired by the 

 State, the people thus putting themselves 

 upon record as being able to buj^ and main- 

 tain these forests without the aid of revenue 

 from the sale of forest products. 



Colonel William Fox, Superintendent in 

 charge of the State Forests, brieflj^ described 

 the organization of the Commission under 

 which he was employed, and stated that it 

 was the intention to purchase 80,000 acres 

 as soon as possible. The forests could un- 



doubtedly be improved by cutting, but since 

 this was prohibited by the Constitution, 

 a rational system of forestry must be held 

 in abeyance for the present. 



Prof. J. C. Smock, State Geologist of 

 New Jersey, stated that some of the largest 

 land holdings in that part of the country 

 are in southern New Jersey. The Geolog- 

 ical Survey is performing, to a certain extent, 

 some of the functions of a forest commis- 

 sion and is making examinations as to the 

 relation of forests to water supply and sani- 

 tary conditions. The agricultural interests 

 are as a rule subordinate in New Jersey to 

 the question of water supply, especially in 

 the northern part of the State, where are 

 situated the great metropolitan districts. 

 For the southern part the main source of 

 anxiety is the forest fires, one of these alone 

 having burned over and destroyed probably 

 a million dollars' worth of lumber and other 

 property. Such a fire leaves onlj' the bare 

 white sand, destroying even the soil. 



Baron Beno Keinhardt von Herman, 

 Chamberlain to the King of AViirtemberg, 

 Forestry Councillor and at present Attache 

 Forestry and Agriculture to the German 

 Legation, read a brief address upon forestry 

 management in Germany, and spoke of the 

 special education of the foresters in colleges 

 devoted to this purpose, and their subse- 

 quent training by practical experience in 

 the woods. 



The remaining papers on the program for 

 Tuesday were not read owing to the absence 

 of their authors. Adjournment was taken 

 till Wednesday, September 4th. 



On Wednesday morning, September 4th, 

 the session was called to order by Vice- 

 President Appleton, the first paper being 

 by Mr. T. S. Gold, Secretary of the Board 

 of Agriculture of Connecticut. He spoke 

 of the causes tending to re-establish wood 

 growth in his State, these being mainly the 

 decrease of profit in wood cutting, owing to 

 the extinction of the iron furnaces. Many 



