FORESTRY. 



151 



make themselves generally useful. Geduhn 

 had the Western part and Hoffius the East- 

 ern, these 2 men being expected to cover 

 this vast territory. All they can hope to do 

 is to get over the trails once or twice during 

 the summer. They can do nothing toward 

 cutting new trails, the old trails requiring 

 constant attention, as they are constantly 

 filling up. Last year as we were going 

 along the Avalanche trail we heard a crash 

 just behind us, a large tree having fallen 

 squarely across the trail where we had 

 been but a moment before, though there 

 was not any wind. Here, as everywhere, it 

 is a struggle for existence, and trees are 

 always falling without any apparent reason. 

 In the valleys and far up the mountain 

 sides the timber, fir, spruce, cedar, tama- 

 rack and pine, is so thick it is almost 

 impossible for one to get through afoot, 

 to say nothing of a pack animal making 

 his way. Game is plentiful and consists of 

 moose, deer, sheep, goats, bears, cougars 

 and smaller animals. In one day last sum- 

 mer, within 15 miles of our camp on the 

 bank of Lake McDonald, I saw a black 

 bear, at least a dozen deer and 3 moose. I 

 know of no place in this country where a 

 larger variety of big game can be found. 

 But it is difficult to secure owing to the 

 dense timber and undergrowth, and the 

 game a man gets up there he earns. 



But what a magnificent national park ! 

 The reserve is too far North and the sur- 

 face too much broken for agricultural use. 

 The timber will have no market value for 

 years. The scenery is unexcelled. As a 

 great soil reservoir, holding the snow until 

 late in the summer, it is of untold advan- 

 tage to the lower Flathead valley. As a 

 game preserve, it is unequalled. Thus far 

 it is unspoiled by people, with no defacing 

 traces left by former visitors. As soon as 

 you get away from the trails you are an 

 explorer. May this crown of the conti- 

 nent be preserved permanently. 



I am glad Recreation has added a for- 

 estry department. The people of the future 

 will marvel at our reckless carelessness in 

 forestry. Although incalculable damage 

 has been done to the forests, out of the 

 general wreck much can yet be saved if 

 public sentiment is aroused in time. All 

 honor to Cornell for leading in this work 

 among our colleges. 



L. O. Vaught. 



AN INDEPENDENT BOARD. 



Some misapprehension has arisen in the 

 public mind anent the character of the new 

 United States Commission on Commercial 

 Forestry, recently appointed by President 

 McKinley at the suggestion of Commis- 

 sioner General Peck, who represents this 

 government at the Paris Exposition. It 

 has been mistaken oftentimes for a special 



commission of forestry, its duties being 

 confused with those of the regular depart- 

 ment of forestry and fisheries. The new 

 board in question is entirely independent 

 of the regularly established department of 

 forestry at Washington and was appointed 

 merely as a kind of advisory board on com- 

 mercial forestry, to act in conjunction with 

 the United States Department of Forestry 

 and Fisheries during its tenure of life, 

 which will probably be the life of the Paris 

 Exposition itself. The new board consists 

 of 15 members, the officers of which are 

 representative lumbermen of the country. 

 This commission will provide for the erec- 

 tion of a United States forestry building 

 at Paris to be paid for by a subscription of 

 $30,000 from the lumbermen. It will dis- 

 play products in 4 lines, yellow and white 

 pine, hemlock and hard woods, in both the 

 rough and finished state and in condition 

 ready for commercial use ; also furniture, 

 to show the value of the different grades of 

 lumber in every possible stage. The some- 

 what widespread belief that this board on 

 commercial forestry, composed solely of 

 commercial lumber dealers, is to exhibit 

 the different specimens of timber growth 

 that thrive on American tablelands and for- 

 ests is erroneous. 



James S. Glenn, Columbus, O. 



THE DISMAL SWAMP. 



The little note in March Recreation con- 

 cerning the great Dismal Swamp was full 

 of interest to me. My camp is only about 

 25 miles from the Dismal Swamp canal and 

 a more healthful country I never saw. I 

 know many lumbermen who have stayed 

 in the Dismal for months at a time and 

 they all agree they were never healthier in 

 their lives than when working, there. The 

 brown water to which reference is made 

 is locally known as "Juniper" water and is 

 found in many swamps in Eastern North 

 Carolina. 



The natives here say the color and pecu- 

 liar taste of the water are caused by its 

 percolating among the roots of the juniper 

 (white cedar) trees and that the water, in 

 any swamp containing these trees in large 

 quantities is entirely healthful. Many tug 

 boat captains of my acquaintance always 

 make a point of getting their water on the 

 Roanoake and Chowan rivers, when in 

 that neighborhood, for that reason. 



A. S. Doane, Waterlily, N. C. 



Dr. Evermann, of the U. S. Fish Commission 

 has just finished his course on fish culture to 

 the students of the N. Y. State College of 

 Forestry, at Axton. 



Do not fail to contribute to the Lacey 

 watch fund at once. 



