14 
= 
255, acts of 1882). The city of Boston has made special efforts in 
this direction, having set aside more than 7,000 acres for forest parks. 
The State board of agriculture was, in 1890, ordered to inquire ‘‘into 
the consideration of the forests of the State, the need and methods of 
their protection,” and report thereon, which order did not produce 
anything of value. A bill to secure such forest survey, introduced 
into the legislature this year (1897) failed of passage. 
In New Jersey the appropriations for the State geological survey 
have since 1894 contained a clause which provides that the State 
geologist shall make (1) a survey to ascertain the extent, location, 
and character of the wild lands or forest lands of the State, and the 
advantages of their retention in forest; (2) a survey of the more 
important watersheds or drainage basins and their forested areas, 
with reference to the protective measures needed to save this forest 
cover and thereby maintain the purity of the water, as well as pro- 
mote the more equable flow of the streams; (3) a study of the rela- 
tions of forests as climatic factors, and particularly to the rainfall; 
(4) a compilation of the forest legislation in other States and countries 
in so far as it may be applicable to conditions in New Jersey. 
Two reports have been published discussing forest conditions in 
various parts of the State, effects of forest fires, relation of forests 
on stream-flow, etc. 
In North Carolina a similar provision exists since 1891 in the 
laws appropriating for the State geological survey. ‘Two bulletins 
(Nos. 5 and 7) have been published, one on the ‘‘ Forest, Forest 
Lands, and Forest Products of Eastern North Carolina,” the other 
on ‘‘ Forest Fires: Their Destructive Work, Causes and Prevention.” 
In the West Virginia legislature a well considered bill was intro- 
duced last year, providing for a forest commission and State forest 
reserves. The State geological survey has functions similar to that 
of North Carolina. 
In Colorado, although the constitution makes special reference to 
the duty of the State to care for her forestry interests, the forest 
commissionership, which existed for several years, has become vacant 
from lack of appropriations. 
In California the result of the efforts of the former State board 
of forestry (created in 1885, abolished in 1892) in the form of several 
forest plantations is taken care of by the University of California. 
FEDERAL LEGISLATION. 
The legal authority for the establishment of the National forest 
reservations is found in the following section (sec. 24) of ‘‘ An act to 
repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes,” approved March 
Bila Wore) be 
Sra, 24. That the President of the United States may, from time to time, set 
apart and reserve, in any State or Territory having public lands bearing forests, 
any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or under- 
growth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations, and the 
President shall, by public proclamatton, declare the establishment of such reser- 
vations and the limit thereof. 
Acting upon this authority, Presidents Cleveland and Harrison 
established seventeen forest reservations, with a total estimated area 
of 17,500,000 acres previous to 1894. 
