Miscellaneous Intelligence. 395 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. Report of the National Academy of Sciences for the year 

 1897. — This publication, besides the usual matter referring par- 

 ticularly to the Academy itself, contains the valuable report of 

 the Commission appointed by the Academy upon a policy for the 

 forested lands of the United States. This contains much that is 

 new and interesting, giving the results of the observations made 

 by the members of the Commission themselves throughout the 

 west, as well as of their study of forestry methods in other 

 countries. From the report we quote here the conclusions and 

 recommendations with which it closes : 



"The Secretary of the Interior, in his letter of February 15, 1896, 

 asked the Academy whether 'it is desirable and practicable to 

 preserve from fire and to maintain permanently as forest lands 

 those portions of the public domain now bearing wood growth 

 for the supply of timber.' 



Your committee is of the opinion that it is not only desirable 

 but essential to national welfare to protect the forested lands of 

 the public domain, for their influence on the flow of streams and 

 to supply timber and other forest products; and that it is prac- 

 ticable to reduce the number and restrict the ravages of forest 

 fires in the Western States and Territories, provided details from 

 the Army of the United States are used for this purpose perma- 

 nently, or until a body of trained forest guards or rangers can be 

 organized. It does not believe that it is practicable or possible 

 to protect the forests on the public domain from fire and pillage 

 with the present methods and machinery of the Government. 



In answer to the second question submitted by the Secretary 

 of the Interior, " How far does the influence of forests upon 

 climate, soil, and water conditions make desirable a policy of 

 forest conservation in regions where the public domain is prin- 

 cipally situated ? " it is the opinion of your committee that, 

 while forests probably do not increase the precipitation of moist- 

 ure in any broad and general way, they are necessary to prevent 

 destructive spring floods, and corresponding periods of low water 

 in summer and autumn when the agriculture of a large part of 

 western North America is dependent upon irrigation. 



The answer to the third question,, " What specific legislation 

 should be enacted to remedy the evils now confessedly existing?" 

 will be found in the series of proposed bills appended to this 

 report. They present the following recommendations : 



(1) That the Secretary of War, upon the request of the Secre- 

 tary of the Interior, shall be authorised and directed to make the 

 necessary details of troops to protect the forests, timber, and 

 undergrowth on the public reservations, and in the national parks 

 not otherwise protected under existing laws, until a permanent 

 forest bureau in the Department of the Interior has been author- 

 ized and thoroughly organized. 



(2) That the Secretary of the Interior shall be authorized and 



