472 



RECREATION. 



tern of clearing, followed by planting, is 

 practiced, the debris can be burned more 

 cheaply, using the early spring season, be- 

 fore the snow is quite gone; and thus the 

 fire danger, always attending logging oper- 

 ations, can be most readily reduced.— From 

 5th Annual Report of the Director of the 

 New York State College of Forestry. 



The New York State College of Forestry 

 has, during the past year, made a substan- 

 tial growth. The registration during the 

 college year 1901-1902 began with 38 and 

 grew through the year to 44. At the be- 

 ginning of the college year 1902-1903, 30 of 

 the old students returned and 43 newcom- 

 ers were registered. Owing to withdrawals 

 and to some changes in registration to 

 other courses, the number was reduced to 

 70, namely, in addition to 2 studying for 

 the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, having 

 taken forestry as their minor subject: 2 

 seniors, 8 juniors, 11 sophomores, 38 fresh- 

 men, 9 specials. The geographical distri- 

 bution of these students is as follows: 

 From the State of New York, receiving 

 free tuition, 45 ; from New Jersey, 4; Ohio, 

 4; District of Columbia, 2; Micmgan, 2; 

 Pennsylvania, 2; and one each from 

 California, Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, 

 Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, West Vir- 

 ginia, Austria, Canada and the Philippine 

 Islands. Of the students registered, 15 

 hold post-graduate degrees from other in- 

 stitutions. 



A fruit grower of Northern Kent county, 

 Michigan, has planted a grove of chestnut 

 trees on his farm. The nuts, it is believed, 

 will yield an annual revenue, while the 

 trees, when matured, will be valuable for 

 timber. The Press, of Grand Rapids, com- 

 ments editorially on the matter as follows: 



If his experiment shall prove successful the pro- 

 moters of reforestation will have a powerful ar- 

 gument to present to other Northern Michigan 

 farmers. At present there are thousands of acres 

 of land in the State yielding practically no profit. 

 They are the pine barrens that stretch North 

 from this vicinity to the straits of Mackinac. 

 The chestnut trees, it is said, grow readily on the 

 barrens. Here seems a chance to derive profit 

 from hitherto reluctant soil. 



The final solution of the forestry problem in 

 this State seems to lie in the finding of various 

 species of trees that will take kindly to the Michi- 

 gan soil and yield an income while they are grow- 

 ing. The chestnut tree is one of these desirable 

 species. The walnut is another. Still a third is 

 the sugar maple. When farmers are shown an 

 immediate as well as a distant profit from their 

 timber lots they will pay far more attention to 

 forestation matters than they do at present. The 

 American farmer, like the American business man, 

 wants quick returns. That is why he displays 

 hesitation in planting trees from which he can 

 not expect financial results for many years. — Ex- 

 change. 



as forestry associations, forestry commissions and 

 individuals. In these 20 years much has been done. 

 1 )epartments of forestry have been established un- 

 dcr State and national government; State reserves 

 have been created; the vast system of national re- 

 serves conceived and carried out; forestry schools 

 founded; and last and most important, the educa- 

 tion of the people has been accomplished. They 

 have been told of the destruction of the forests, 

 taught that the tree can be cut and the forest 

 preserved, taught that the waters of the lowland 

 are born of the forest. 



A new era is opening, one in which we will no 

 longer talk why anything is to be done, but of 

 what is to be done, and how to do it; an era when 

 forest preservation has ceased to be a question of 

 sentiment and foresight but of actual economic 

 necessity. 



It is the lumberman who finally will preserve 

 the forest, not for its beauty, for its benefit to the 

 community, but for the reason which led him to 

 destroy it, his own financial benefit. Do we find 

 any evidence that this state is approaching, that 

 the lumberman is ready to cut without destruction, 

 to sacrifice the present for the future? — Forestry 

 Quarterly. 



In May, Dr. B. W. Evermann, of the 

 U. S. Fish Commission, gave a course of 

 2 5 lectures on fish culture and fish and game 

 protection to the juniors and seniors of the 

 New York College of Forestry. These lec- 

 tures were of great interest and value. 



For the past 20 years the cause of forestry has 

 been talked and worked for in this country. Na- 

 ture lovers, sportsmen and economists have worked, 



THE GRAND OLD FOREST. 



IRA SWEET. 



I love the grand old forest when it's dressed 



in brightest green, 

 When violets are blooming in the dells 



along the stream ; 

 When its sylvan shades are ringing with 



the songs of many a bird, 

 And the woodland fairies' love notes 



through the pines are nightly heard. 



I love the grand old forest when its leaves 



are turning gold, 

 When the colors of the rainbow brightly 



gleam in every fold ; , 



When the quail tunes up his whistle and 



the partridge beats his drum, 

 And the siren voice of Nature bids the 



woodland hunter come. 



I love the grand old forest when it's cov- 



o'er with white, 

 When the silver moonbeams glisten on its 



branches through the night ; 

 When its soft and fleecy carpet gives no 



echo to your tread, 

 And the only sound that lingers is the night 



wind overhead. 



Yes ; I love the grand old forest through 

 each shifting, changing scene, 



Whether white or gold and crimson, or 

 beauteous shades of green ; 



For it brings me health and pleasure as the 

 • swift years come and go, 



And I'm better for an outing in the forest 

 shades I know. 



