NOTES AND COMMENT 



43 



studied, and work is now in progress on the influence of soil moisture, 

 wind, and light on the reproduction and estal)lishment of the yellow 

 pine. An additional investigation under way is one looking to the 

 possibility of securing turpentine from the western yellow pine. The 

 attack upon these difficult and important problems is being made in a 

 most thorough and comprehensive manner by the present officer in 

 charge. In 1909 two more stations were established, the Fremont For- 

 est Experiment Station, in the Pike National Forest, Colorado, and the 

 Wagon Wheel Gap Station, in the Rio Grande Forest, Colorado. The 

 work of the Fremont Station is looking to a determination of the envi- 

 ronmental factors which underlie the occurrence of different types of 

 forest. The investigations thus far prosecuted have been concerned 

 with the soil and climatic differences between habitats dominated 

 respectively by Engelmann spruce, Douglas fir, and yellow pine. The 

 results indicate at present that soil moisture and soil temperature are 

 the chief controlling and differentiating factors involved. At this sta- 

 tion also the most thoroughgoing methods are being emploj-ed, and the 

 attainment of the full value of the work under waj' is not expected for 

 many years to come. At the Wagon Wheel Gap Station a more prac- 

 tical problem is under investigation, the outcome of which will give 

 quantitative details regarding facts which are already well known. Two 

 valleys have been selected which are alike in all their natural features, 

 and concrete dams have been erected in the principal streamway at 

 the foot of each of the areas. The rainfall and "stream flow of the 

 valleys are to be measured for two years, one of the areas is then to 

 be denuded of forest and the influence on stream flow to be determined. 

 The observations on the difference between the climatic conditions and 

 run-off of the two areas will be continued during the natural refor- 

 estation of the denuded area. The Utah Forest Experiment Station, on 

 the ]\Ianti National Forest, Utah, is concerned with practical problems 

 in regard to the best methods of restoring grasses and shrubs in over- 

 grazed forests. The Feather River Station, in the Plumas National 

 Forest, California, and the Priest River Station, in the Kaniksu Forest, 

 Idaho, have been but recentlj^ established and nothing has been heard 

 of their operations. 



We venture to predict that the work of these stations represents 

 merely the beginning of a large body of activities which will ultimately 

 place the practise of forestry in America on a most enlightened and 

 efficient scientific basis. 



