390 Roosevelt Wild Life Bulletin 



these safe, the samples must be fairly large and widespread, or 

 devastating fires or incompetent officials are liable to cause an exces- 

 sive loss. There should not be too much concentration. 



An excellent example of the need of natural conditions for scien- 

 tific studies is seen in the case of the timber line on mountains. 

 A few years ago the American plant ecologist, Shaw, was making 

 a special study of the causes of the high timber line on mountains 

 and pointed out that : 



" Most of the work on the subject of timber line has been done 

 in Europe, and there the conditions are peculiarly unfavorable. 

 For in the Alps and Pyrenees, the timber line has been greatly 

 modified by human agencies. When an observer has first to decide 

 whether that which is before him is due to natural causes or not, 

 his conclusions stand a double chance of error. Certain European 

 workers have published elaborate tables showing the precise altitude 

 of timber line and other facts of vegetation for parts of the Alps. 

 When it is remembered that flocks and shepherds have played a con- 

 siderable and not easily determined part in bring-ing about present 

 conditions, the value of such tables is less apparent. A study of 

 wooded mountains where conditions are entirely undisturbed would, 

 therefore, seem desirable. ... So far as first-hand knowledge 

 goes, I may say that in a walking trip of several weeks through 

 the Alps, I had much difficulty in finding an illustration of timber 

 line that was beyond suspicion of being artificially caused. I did. 

 however, see the shepherds pulling up little trees near timber line 

 in a manner which left no room for speculation as to its efficiency.'' 

 (Plant World, Vol. 12, pp. 63-64, 65 ; 1909.) 



ENDOWMENT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH 



The greatest advances in science and education are today made 

 by the combination of private endowments and public support. 

 Our Smithsonian Institution was no doubt an influential agent in 

 teaching Mr. Carnegie and Mr. Rockefeller the value of endow- 

 ments for research. The American Museum of Natural History 

 and the New York Zoological Society are examples which show that 

 semi-public institutions, supported by taxes and by endowments, 

 make the most rapid and constructive advances in their respective 

 lines. The Palisades Interstate Park, supported and built up by 

 private gifts and State funds from both New York and New 

 Jersey, under the guidance of Mr. George W. Perkins taught 



