•251 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



permanently. Where and how to obtain seed, collecting, drying, storing, 

 mowing, and transplanting the progeny, are all subjects that are clearly and 

 lucidly dealt with. The reproductions of seedlings in various stages of 

 growth, from photographs, do much to make the subject matter clear; 

 while the illustrations of native Pine and Hemlock show well how harvest- 

 ing operations are carried on in the forest.— A. D. W. 



Forestry in Sweden (Journ. Hort, Jan. 22, 1903, p. 78).— The 

 forests in Sweden cover about 30,000 square miles : of this area 20,000 

 are under State scientific management. — C. W. D. 



Forestry, Report of the Departmental Committee on. By 



W. R. Fisher {Card. Chum. No. 840, p. 66; Jan. 31, 1903). — A very 

 good resume of this report is given in this article. "The committee 

 considers that the world is rapidly approaching a shortage, if not an 

 actual dearth, of coniferous timber, which constitutes about 85 per cent, 

 of the total British timber imports," and points out that there are in 

 Britain about 21 million acres of uncultivated land, much of which might 

 be afforested. As it is desirable that improved methods of growing timber 

 should be carried out, the committee have made some valuable suggestions 

 on this point. They suggest that the Alice Holt wocd in Hampshire and 

 an area to be selected in Scotland shculd be set apart as demonstration 

 areas for foresters and others. " The student foresters will work in the 

 woods under a director who will teach forestry, and an assistant who will 

 teach forest botany and entomology, as well as the constitution and 

 pn porties of soils." They also propose lectureships at Oxford and 

 Cambridge Universities, and that lectures should also be given at all 

 Agricultural Colleges that receive grants from the Board of Agriculture ; 

 that a State Forest School for the Empire should be founded at 

 one of the Universities ; and finally that " the attention of Corporations 

 should be drawn to the desirability of planting with trees the catchment 

 areas of their water supply, which Birmingham is already proposing to 

 do." — G. S. S. 



Forests of Rhode' Island. By F. W. Card {U.S.A. Exp. Stn. 

 R) ode Island, Hull. n. 88, October 1902). — The great importance of the 

 m1' Rhode Island may be inferred from the fact that, approximately, 

 100 Bquare miles, or 40 per cent, of the entire area of the State, may 

 be included as woodlands proper. White Pine, Chestnut, and Oak pre- 

 dominate, while Maple, Walnut, and Ash are found in considerable 

 Dumbers, and in 1900 the total lumber product of the State amounted to 

 18.000,265 feet, and thirty-three sawmills were established. There are 

 excellent illustrations of trees in blocks, some of which are of special 

 value as pointing out the benefits accruing from timely and judicious 

 thinnings. 



Hi' hardy Catalpa would appear to be a tree well worthy of introduc- 

 tion to tli. State forests, the timber being remarkably durable, and the 

 rate of growth rapid. — A. D. W. 



Formaldehyde, Effect upon Germination of Oats. By 



1 • ( M U*S.A, I-:< r . Stn. Wisconsin, Rep. 1902).- Oats steeped in 



