438 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 



investigations and the adoption of preventive 

 measures as the outcome of its recommenda- 

 tions have been followed by the practical dis- 

 appearance of Malta fever from the garrison 

 of the island. I think that the Royal Society 

 is well aware how genuine is the appreciation 

 of the government. We owe much to the 

 Eoyal Society's commission for the successful 

 issue of this remarkable investigation, and for 

 the excellent results which have followed. 

 These results illustrate the enormous impor- 

 tance of bringing science into our business of 

 government." 



The coal purchases of the United States 

 government aggregate in value nearly $6,300,- 

 000 annually, and it became apparent some 

 time ago that a more uniform basis for buy- 

 ing coal was urgently needed. Until after the 

 establishment of the fuel-testing plant of the 

 United States Geological Survey at St. Louis, 

 in 1904, reliable information in regard to the 

 character of the coals of the United States was 

 difficult to obtain. Coal has been purchased 

 by the government, as well as by the general 

 public, on the mere statement of the selling 

 agent as to its quality or on the reputation of 

 the mine or district from which it was ob- 

 tained; and if it did not prove to be satisfac- 

 tory there was no standard for settlement or 

 justification for canceling the contract. If a 

 consumer thought he had cause to find fault 

 with the quality of the fuel he received he 

 was in many cases assured that it must be 

 good because, like all the other coal sent him, 

 it came from a mine with an established repu- 

 tation. AU the other products of mines- 

 gold, silver, copper, and even lead, zinc and 

 iron ores — are purchased to a great extent on 

 the basis of their value as shovsm by chemical 

 analysis; of coal this is now true only in a 

 small degree, but the number of contracts 

 made on this basis is increasing from year to 

 year. The United States Geological Survey 

 has been charged with the duty of analyzing 

 and testing the coals used by the government, 

 and a summary of the information on this 

 subject obtained to date, including samples of 

 the specifications for coal contracts that are 

 now in use and analyses of some of the coals 



purchased during the winter of 1906-Y, pre- 

 pared by Mr. D. T. Eandall, has just been 

 published as Bulletin No. 339. This bulletin 

 is distributed free of charge and may be ob- 

 tained on application to the director of the 

 survey at Washington, D. G. Samples of the 

 specifications used by many of the large com- 

 mercial consumers of coal are also given. 



Porto Eico wiU soon have its only national 

 forest under administration. Mr. M. Eoth- 

 kugel, of the United States Forest Service, 

 has sailed from New York for the island 

 to make a study of forest conditions and out- 

 line a plan of management of the Loquillo 

 National Forest. The Loquillo is the only 

 national forest in the insular possessions of 

 the United States, and, while it was created 

 in 1903, provisions for its administration were 

 not made until early in January, when the 

 comptroller of the treasury affirmed the juris- 

 diction of the Department of Agriculture over 

 the forest. The forest takes in a little less 

 than 66,000 acres and is located in the north- 

 eastern part of the island. Mr. Eothkugel, 

 on reaching Porto Eico, will confer with Gov- 

 ernor Post, and will spend three months study- 

 ing conditions and making his plans and will 

 report to Forester GifEord Pinchot. While in 

 Porto Eico he will select and appoint native 

 rangers, picking men who have a thorough 

 knowledge of forest conditions in Porto Eico. 



The people of Ireland pay $5,000,000 a year 

 for the timber which is imported from other 

 countries. This is the penalty of failure to 

 protect its forests. Ireland has only IJ per 

 cent, of its land in timber and much of that 

 small area is covered with scrub growth of 

 little value. At the same time 23 per cent, 

 of the island is uncultivated. Few inhabited 

 countries have been so extensively deforested. 

 The work of changing conditions for the bet- 

 ter has been entered upon however, and scien- 

 tific forestry will be applied. Consul General 

 Alfred K. Moe, of Dublin, Ireland, reports the 

 progress that has been made looking to the 

 preservation of the few remaining forests and 

 the reforestation of vast areas. The Irish 

 Department of Agriculture maintains a forest 

 school at Avondale which will have charge 



