Decembeb 28, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



987 



bill for the establishment of a rational for- 

 estry system will be passed by the next 

 Legislature. It will be devised substan- 

 tially on the lines laid out in the bill that 

 failed of passage at the last session, with 

 certain modifications, required by the rise 

 of a new factor since the Legislature ad- 

 journed. The State University of Wiscon- 

 sin has now under consideration a plan for 

 the establishment of a forestry school as 

 nearly as possible on the model set by the 

 schools at Cornell and Yale. For this pur- 

 pose the express authority and aid of the 

 Legislature will probably be sought, and it 

 is obviously proper to bring the State forest 

 department and the State forestry college 

 into as close relations as the difference be- 

 tween administrative and educational func- 

 tions will permit. 



MINNESOTA. FIRE WARDENS. 



Minnesota has made very substantial 

 progress in forestry legislation, especially in 

 the direction of controlling forest fires. A 

 most commendable feature of the law which 

 has been in operation for five years, is the 

 definite fixing of responsibility by the ap- 

 pointment of a chief fire warden who has 

 general charge of the fire warden force of 

 the State, and who is authorized during the 

 dangerous season to use such means as he 

 sees fit to prevent or suppress fires, the sum 

 of $5,000 being available for this purpose. 

 Supervisors of towns, mayors of cities and 

 presidents of village councils are constituted 

 fire wardens, with authority to arrest with- 

 out warrant any person setting fire to 

 woods or prairies to the danger of property, 

 the wardens themselves being liable to pen- 

 alties for neglecting the duties of their ofiice. 

 Under the vigorous administration of the 

 present chief fire warden, much has been 

 done to promote the growth of a correct 

 public sentiment and not a little has been 

 accomplished in the actual prevention and 

 suppression of fires. Warning notices in 



great number have been posted and the in- 

 telligent cooperation of a large force of as- 

 sistant wardens has been secured. During 

 the drought in the early summer of the 

 present year, over 300 fire wardens were in 

 correspondence with their chief, reporting 

 precautions taken, and otherwise showing 

 their interest and activity. The system is 

 doubtless capable of improvement, but in 

 its inception and reasonably successful 

 working a great step has been taken, and 

 by so much Minnesota is well in advance of 

 Michigan and W^isconsin. 



Forest Reserves. State Forestry Board. 



By the Legislature of 1899 an Act was 

 passed designating as Forest Reserves lands 

 set apart by the Legislature for forestry 

 purposes, or granted to the State by the 

 United States Government, or by individ- 

 uals for such purposes, and creating 'a 

 State Forestry Board to have the care and 

 management of the forest reserves and to 

 represent the State in all matters pertain- 

 ing to forestry. 



The constitution of the board has evi- 

 dently been arranged with a view to mak- 

 ing it non-political and as efBcient as 

 possible. It consists of nine members, 

 including the chief fire warden, ex officio, 

 the professor of horticulture in the State 

 University, three persons recommended by 

 the regents of the University on account of 

 qualifications that are specified, and four 

 to be recommended by the following bodies, 

 namely : The Minnesota State Forestry 

 Association, The Minnesota State Agricul- 

 tural Society, The Minnesota Horticultural 

 Society and the State Fish and Game 

 Commission. 



In creating such a board, authorized to 

 accept lands for forestry purposes and to 

 conduct forestry operations in the name of 

 the State, including the sale of forest prod- 

 ucts, Minnesota has fully recognized for- 

 estry — not only from the protective, but 



