FORESTRY. 



235 



a log. A careful observance of this rule 

 will save large tracts of forest. 



Chas. Gibson, Eufaula, I. T. 



ANSWER. 



Nevertheless, there are other sportsmen 

 who habitually leave fires burning when 

 vacating camps. I have personally seen 

 several instances of this, and have put out 

 such fires myself. — Editor. 



SYSTEMS OF FOREST CULTURE. 

 The system to pursue in the manage- 

 ment of forests depends on the quality of 

 the locality and the purpose of the for- 

 est. By "quality of the locality" a great 

 deal is meant. First, the yield capacity of 

 the soil, which depends also on the climate; 

 and secondly, the nearness to market and 

 transportation facilities. In addition, the 

 absence or presence of too much moisture 

 is also important. The determination of 

 the method of management depends also 

 on the purpose of the forest. The purposes 

 of forests may be roughly classified as fol- 

 lows: Forests of a purely business nature; 

 forests in combination with agriculture; 

 forests for game preserves; forests for 

 pleasure parks and groves, and protection 

 forests. The latter may be divided 

 into forests for the prevention of floods; 

 forests for the fixation of shifting sands; 

 forests for windbreaks; forests for sanitary 

 purposes; forests for the prevention of 

 earth slides and avalanches, and so forth. 

 Persons in writing me for information in 

 reference to their forests should not fail to 

 explain in full the quality of the locality 

 and the purpose of their forest. 



TREE PLANTING PLANS. 



The annual meeting of the Tree Plant- 

 ing Association of New York city was held 

 at the Merchants' Club, No. 346 Broad- 

 way, on December 9th. 



Hon. W. L. Strong, president of the as- 

 sociation, presided, and one of the guests 

 was Dr. Stephen Smith, of the State Board 

 of Health. 



Reports of Secretary John Y. Culver 

 and other officers showed the membership 

 increasing and work progressing satisfac- 

 torily. 



About 1,700 trees have been planted by 

 the association since January, 1899, along 

 the river front and in residence streets. It 

 is proposed to extend this tree planting to 

 the tenement house district, where the as- 

 sociation thinks the trees will not only 

 beautify the ugly streets, but afford relief 

 to the residents. 



_ There is no initiation fee in the associa- 

 tion, and the annual dues are $5. Ex- 

 Mayor Strong was re-elected president, 

 J. Y. Culver secretary, and C. R. Hender- 

 son treasurer. 



SEEDLINGS. 



For years the American people have laid 

 waste the woodland with a high hand and 

 an outstretched arm. They have de- 

 stroyed the forests that crowned a thou- 

 sand hills and in so doing they have 

 changed our climate, once so temperate, to 

 one of raging storms, floods and long 

 summers parched by the burning sun. The 

 birds and animals, once so numerous, have 

 been robbed of their homes and have either 

 fled to some isolated spot or else must 

 succumb to the fate in store for them. 



The destruction of the forests and the 

 slaughter of the living creatures are de- 

 plorable indeed; but now that Recrea- 

 tion has come to the rescue we may hope 

 for the future. 



Chas. W. Potter, East Enterprise, Ind. 



The first journal of forestry ever pub- 

 lished in the United States, called the 

 "American Journal of Forestry," was edited 

 by F. B. Hough, first chief of the Division 

 of Forestry, Washington, D. C. It was 

 published by Robert Clark & Company, of 

 Cincinnati, Ohio, and lived but one year. 

 It forms, however, an interesting volume, 

 and no forestry library is complete with- 

 out it. 



It is a noteworthy fact that the Dismal 

 Swamp of Virginia is perfectly healthful, 

 while the surrounding territory is infected 

 with malaria. In early times it was the 

 custom to fill ships' tanks with the amber- 

 colored water from the swamp because of 

 its healthfulness and keeping qualities. 



In the forests of India the elephant is 

 used in wood transport. Although it re- 

 quires 2 coolies to cut sufficient herbage to 

 keep him, he works with more intelligence 

 than any other domestic animal. The logs 

 are carried and piled up with great care 

 by these remarkable creatures. 



If you are interested in the Forestry de- 

 partment will you not kindly send me oc- 

 casional notes and items for it? If you 

 would like to know anything about for- 

 estry ask questions and they will be an- 

 swered through this department. 



One of the most promising of all Ameri- 

 can trees for timber culture is the Douglas 

 spruce, Pseudotsuga taxifolia. It grows 

 rapidly, endures'drought, is a beautiful tree 

 and forms timber of excellent quality. 



Bobbs — Some man has invented a type- 

 writer that you just sit down and talk to 

 and it writes out everything you say. 



Dobbs — I guess I'll keep mine. She 

 doesn't write everything I say. — Baltimore 

 American. 



