Sovie Covimon Hardtuoods. 403 



be fixed. Yet this is what we are doing, and tailing in a large 

 jiumber of cases. 



From a former equation it will be found that the number of 

 trees in the 1 ft. crown class would be 51,200. This figure has 

 been regarded as altogether out of reason, but in a book just to 

 Jhand, " Seeding and Planting in the Practice of Forestry," by 

 .J. W. Toumoy, Professor of Silviculture at Yale, it is stated that 

 the best results for oak and beech abroad are attained in direct 

 .seeding, Avhich gives 50,000 seedlings or more per acre. Professor 

 Toumey says: ** We have failed to appreciate the necessity in most 

 species for the germination of a. large number of seeds per acre." 

 For Mountain Ash probably 10,000 to 12,000 seedlings per acre 

 may be regarded as satisfactory, but we are not getting this at 

 present. We might even go as low as 4000, but the result would 

 be very doubtful. The whole practice of forestry must be based 

 -on the survival of the fittest. The dangers of too open a forest 

 4:;annot be too strongly emphasized, but this is not our subject. 

 Jf we regard the forest as developing in crown classes, we have a 

 hasis for the practice of thinning. This forest practice is still 

 ■debated, but when we remember that three out of every four trees 

 -are killed in every advance to the next crown class, thinning must 

 be practised. Thinning merely anticipates nature and removes 

 :the trees which are being suppressed before they have injured the 

 icrown or form of the surviving trees. A full and well formed 

 •crown must be the constant aim of tlie forester. 



Seasoning of Timher. — Since these experiments Avere commenced 

 two new American books on the subject of kiln drying have 

 reached here, and these deal fully wdth the subject. The type of 

 l^iln Avhich has been adopted by U.S.A. Forest Service is un- 

 doubtedly efficient. The control of the humidity of the air in tlie 

 kiln waiS obviously defective in our kilns here, and I worked upon 

 the subject, but since these books have appeared there isi no need 

 to proceed further since the method adopted for controlling 

 humidity is evidently successful. However, interestino; i)oints 

 have arisen during the course of the yeai', which throw consider- 

 able doubt on the need for kiln drying on a large scale. Witli our 

 <lry summer climate, long hot days, and almost constant winds, we 

 have a set of conditions at Melbourne most favourable for rapid 

 -drying. There is a belief that the place to season timber is where 

 It is grown, but it remains for tliose who. assert this to prove it. 



Both in kiln di-yiiig and, in some cases in natural seasoning, 

 the wood is fiist steamed in order "to open tlie pores," so that the 



