54: QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jan.,.1902. 
Forestry. 
EFFECT OF FORESTS AND SNOW ON WATER SUPPLY. 
The effect of forests on snow and the combined effect of the two on 
the available water supply of a country are the subject of Bulletin No. 55 of the 
Agricultural Experiment Station of Fort Collins, Colo. The bulletin was 
written by Professor L. G. Carpenter, Director and Irrigation Engineer of the 
station. The conclusions of the author are as follows :— 
(1.) The mountain streams in the early irrigation season are largely 
supplied by melting snow. 
(2.) There is a marked diurnal fluctuation, greater with high water than 
with low, ‘due to the daily variation in the rate of melting. 
(3.) The stream at high water may be one-half greater than at low water 
on the same day. 
__..(4.) Cloudy weather in the mountains, protecting the snow from the 
radiation of the sun, causes the fluctuation to disappear and the flow to 
decrease. 
(5.) This decrease is so great that the cloudiness associated with continued 
rain usually more than counterbalances the gain from the rain. 
(6.) The loss of snow by evaporation is considerable, especially when 
exposed to winds. ‘ 
(7.) Snow remains in the t imber and in protected spots much longer than 
where exposed. 
(8.) This is due not so much to drifting as to shelter from the radiation 
afforded by the forest cover. 
_ (9.) Hence the greater amount of forest cover the less violent the daily 
fluctuation, the more uniform the flow throughout the day and throughout the 
season, and the later the stream maintains its flow. 
(10.) The loss of the forest cover means more violent fluctuation during 
the day, greater difficulty in regulating the head-gates and keeping a uniform 
flow in ditches, and hence an additional difficulty in the econoinic distribution 
of water. Also, the water runs off sooner; hence the streams drop earlier in 
the summer, and on account of the lessening of the springs the smaller is the 
winter flow. 
(11.) The preservation of the forest is an absolute necessity for the 
jnterest of irrigated agriculture.—Engineering News. 
VENEERS. 
Here is a piece of news which may induce owners of standing scrub to 
pause before destroying timbers which would be greatly prized in the home 
markets. 
_ We have, over and over again, pointed out the suitability of many of our 
scrub woods for veneering purposes, but all we have said has apparently been 
spoken to the winds. The prices of fine woods have recently advanced from 
15 to 85 per cent. in the European markets. This has been brought about by 
the increased demand for veneers for making furniture, piano cases, musical 
