October 6, 1897.] 



Garden and Forest. 



397 



and transplanted seedlings consisting chiefly of Oaks, Chest- 

 nut, Ashes, Black Cherry, Tulip-poplar, Maples and White 

 Pine. The party was also taken through a number of natural 

 forests in which was explained the evils of the common and 

 the value of the correct method of cutting and taking out 

 useful and ripe timber without the usual damage to young 

 growing stock. In still other plats the practical effect of inter- 

 lucation on natural regeneration was exhibited. Well-stocked 

 forest nurseries and seed-beds conveniently located were 

 visited and the methods of producing young stock for planta- 

 tions duly explained. At the conclusion of a hasty survey 

 of these interesting operations the party was conducted to the 

 home of Dr. Schenck, which is pleasantly situated on one of 

 the many hills overlooking the broad valleys and distant moun- 

 tains, and combining in its immediate surroundings and 

 furnishings a forester's ideal home. The visitors were cordially 

 welcomed by Mrs. Schenck and hospitably entertained. 



An evening session of the association was held at Battery 

 Park Hotel, the chief feature of which was an address by Dr. 

 Schenck on Forest Finance. The address was confined strictly 

 to the money aspect and profits of forestry operations and was 

 lucidly set forth. The paper was concluded by an elaborate 

 exposition of charts, photographs and sections of trees, illus- 

 trating studies in the current and annual growth of important 

 timber-trees in the Biltmore forests. Numerous specimens of 

 lumber and other wood products of the estate were shown as 

 examples of the available timber supplies, together with vari- 

 ous tools and appliances used in sylviculture. The members 

 were provided with a neatly printed pamphlet containing Dr. 

 Schenck's address in brief form. 



In the absence of Mr. M. V. Richards, Land Agent of the 

 Southern Railway, who was to address the meeting, a short 

 paper was read for him by his representative, Mr. James H. 

 Best. The paper was devoted to a general rehearsal of the 

 manifold uses of various classes of woods, with an earnest 

 plea for the preservation of the southern forests. The meet- 

 ing was concluded by a vote of thanks to Dr. Schenck for his 

 elaborate preparations in behalf of the association meeting. 



The morning of the 18th was spent in another visit to Bilt- 

 more, in which Dr. Schenck took the party over portions of the 

 estate not seen the previous day, pointing out the agricultural 

 and horticultural operations, also forest road-building, reten- 

 tion of washed lands and other general features. 



At midday the party left for Chattanooga, Tennessee, where 

 it took quarters at the famous Lookout Mountain Hotel. The 

 following day was spent in an excursion to the battle-grounds 

 of the vicinity, Missionary Ridge and Chickamauga Park, and 

 a part of Monday in examining the forest growth and other 

 points of interest on Lookout Mountain. Through the cour- 

 teous attention of Mr. B. L. Goulding, Secretary ot the Chatta- 

 nooga Chamber of Commerce, the pleasure and interest of the 

 visit to Chattanooga were greatly enhanced. Taking train from 

 Chattanooga, the party reached Nashville Monday evening, 

 and spent the following day in sight-seeing and visiting the 

 Exposition grounds. 



On Wednesday, September 22d, the principal meeting of the 

 association was called to order at 10.30 o'clock, a. M., in the 

 assembly hall of the Children's Building. Colonel E. C. 

 McDowell, of Nashville, presided and opened the meeting 

 with a few remarks upon the great need of some forest policy 

 for regenerating the rapidly disappearing supply of southern 

 timber, adding the hope that the present meeting of the asso- 

 ciation would stimulate local interest in so important a move- 

 ment. In the absence of Major J. W. Thomas, of Nashville, 

 who was to have given an address of welcome on behalf of 

 the city and Exposition, Colonel J. B. Killebrew was intro- 

 duced as Major Thomas' representative. Colonel Killebrew 

 gave a warm and cordial welcome to the members of the 

 association, touching upon the forest needs and resources of 

 Tennessee. The Vice-President of the association, Mr. J. D. W. 

 French, responded to the address of welcome, and spoke at 

 some length upon the great need of legislative action toward 

 the protection and administration of public and private forests. 

 He cited the private estate of Mr. Vanderbilt as a fitting exam- 

 ple of what should be undertaken on a more extensive scale 

 by state and national government. Colonel McDowell then 

 resigned the chair to Mr. French, who proceeded with the pro- 

 gramme. Mr. George B. Sudworth next read a paper on the 

 Forest Flora and Conditions of Middle and East Tennessee. 

 The paper was devoted to the general forest, soil and topo- 

 graphical features of the middle and eastern divisions of Ten- 

 nessee, with a detailed account of the most important timber 

 species of the various regions, and with special reference to 

 their relative abundance, economic character, development 

 and means of natural regeneration. 



Colonel J. B. Killebrew followed with a paper on the Forests 

 of Tennessee. Colonel Killebrew dealt with the general fea- 

 tures of Tennessee forests, calling attention to the rapid 

 denudation of the past and present, and then gave a survey of the 

 best-timbered counties of the state, with mention of the princi- 

 pal classes of timber cut for lumber and employed for various 

 economic purposes. He reviewed the rise and present rapid 

 increase of wood-working industries of the state, giving sta- 

 tistics of the principal kinds of manufactures, and closed with 

 an earnest expression of the consequent need on the part of 

 the state of some protection against such rapid and wasteful 

 despoliation of the state's most valuable resource. The next 

 paper on the programme was the Effect of Forest Destruction 

 on Water-courses, by Mr. D. W. Baird, of Nashville, in the 

 absence of whom the paper was read by Mr. H. B. Bond, of 

 Nashville. The paper gave a survey of the well-known results 

 of forest denudation at the headwaters of small and large 

 streams, causing a permanent or partial diminution in their 

 supply of water. The afternoon session was called to order 

 by Vice-President D. M. Riordan, of Arizona. The Secretary 

 of the association, Dr. George P. Whittlesey, read a paper on 

 Forests and Rainfall, by Professor H. A. Hazen, of the United 

 States Weather Bureau. Mr. W. W. Ashe, of Raleigh, North 

 Carolina, also read a paper on the Forest Conditions of Iowa, 

 by Professor Thomas H. McBryde, of Iowa. The paper of 

 Mr. George W. Rafter, of Rochester, New York, on Stream- 

 flow in Relation to Forests, was read by title owing to its 

 length and technical character. The remainder of the session 

 was given up to remarks by several members. Mr. D. M. 

 Pdordan gave a very lucid and interesting account of the gen- 

 eral soil, climatic, topographical and forest conditions of 

 Arizona, with special attention to the San Francisco mountain 

 region. He described the relative position of the various 

 timber and other woody growths from the plateau to the 

 higher elevations, stating that the chief lumber-tree of the San 

 Francisco mountain region is the Bull Pine, or Pinus pon- 

 derosa. An interesting part of Mr. Riordan's address was the 

 definition of several life zones, and notably the one above 5,500 

 feet elevation, at which the timber Pine of the region begins 

 to appear in a broad horizontal belt. 



Mr. J. W. French again referred to the necessity of general 

 forest legislation, especially in the western states, for the pro- 

 tection of the existing forests, and urged the members of the 

 association to enlist their Congressmen in securing such 

 needed legislation. Mr. D. M. Riordan, in discussing the 

 question, acknowledged the necessity of some stringent laws 

 to control depredators and to protect western forest lands, but 

 called attention to the impossibility, almost absurdity, of a few 

 association members being able to instruct their Congress-. 

 men until the communities themselves should reach that 

 understanding of the necessity of forest legislation that they 

 should demand of their representatives the passage of suitable 

 protective measures. At the present time he said the com- 

 mon interest of Arizona communities leads them to oppose all 

 forest protective measures and to look with suspicion or ridi- 

 cule upon any forest missionary work attempted among them. 



Dr. Schenck was called upon for a few remarks and stated 

 briefly that all forestry operations should be viewed only from 

 their money-producing power. Growing forests which would 

 not give a net interest of two to three per cent, on the original 

 and current investment should not be considered up to their 

 proper earning power and should therefore be cut down. He 

 explained the necessity of distinguishing between what must 

 be considered profitable individual and communal or state 

 forest lands, the interests of both ownerships being viewed 

 from different standpoints. 



Notes. 



A society entitled Socie'te' des Sylviculteurs de France et des 

 Colonies is being formed in France for the purpose of diffusing 

 the knowledge of silviculture and increasing popular interest 

 in this art. 



Mr. Harlan P. Kelsey, whose address at present is 1123 Tre- 

 mont Building, Boston, has regained control of the Highlands 

 Nursery at Kawana, North Carolina, and is now prepared to 

 supply the shrubs and other plants of the southern Alleghanies, 

 which are the specialty of this nursery. 



New-crop hickory-nuts, which have been on sale here 

 during the past two weeks, have realized $2.50 a bushel. 

 Chestnuts, in moderate supply, from the Catskills, in this 

 state, and from as far south as Maryland, have sold for as 

 much as $12.00 a bushel, but within the past few days have 

 rapidly declined in price. 



