Forestry Notes. 



209 



these sprouts into rapid height growth by the lateral shading of 

 the more rapid-growing eucalyptus. 



Co-operation with the Central Counties Land Company, which 

 owns over 35,000 acres of land on Clear Lake in Lake County, 

 has resulted in the construction of a lath-house 40 by 128 feet 

 in area for the propagation of eucalyptus and ornamental species, 

 which will be used for commercial and ornamental planting on 

 the holdings of this company. The land of the company extends 

 in a narrow strip around the borders of the lake, including a 

 frontage of seventy-four miles, and includes also blocks of vary- 

 ing area located in the valleys four or five miles back from the 

 lake shore. The object of planting is to ornament the holdings 

 near the lake, which will be sold for residence purposes, and 

 to establish commercial plantations on the holdings remote from 

 the lake, where colonies of settlers will be placed. Actual plant- 

 ing will be commenced next winter with the seedlings grown in 

 the lath-house now under construction at Lakeport. 



Assistant State Forester C. H. Sellers is in charge of the con- 

 struction of the lath-house and the establishment of the nursery. 



Two important bills relative, to State forestry were introduced 

 in the last legislature. One provided for the assembling of all 

 provisions relating to punishment for setting forest fires ; for 

 the more certain conviction of those arrested, and for the more 

 equal distribution of the fines collected. This bill became a law. 

 Under its provisions the dry season, which was formerly defined 

 as "the period between May 15th and the first soaking rains of 

 autumn or winter," was changed to read "a dry season." In the 

 past some trouble has been experienced in that defending attor- 

 neys have sought to prove that "a dry season" did not actually 

 exist at the time when fires were started, because in some cases 

 a little sprinkle has occurred between that time and the previous 

 May 15th. The fines, which formerly varied from $50 to $1,000, 

 were changed to $25 as a minimum and $500 as a maximum. 

 This change will result in the conviction of a larger percentage 

 of those who violate the forest laws, inasmuch as it will eliminate 

 the objection of many magistrates to the imposing of a fine 

 greater than the value of the property destroyed. It will also 

 place the jurisdiction of cases before the justices,' while formerly 

 the maximum fine, being over $500, placed the jurisdiction in the 

 superior courts and made too long, expensive trials, which were 

 objected to by the counties, which formerly received no portion 

 of the fines. The disposal of fines has also been changed. For- 

 merly the State received the entire sum, but under the new law 

 the county in which a conviction is secured divides the net fine 

 equally with the State. 



