News and Notes

NEWS AND NOTES. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021

E. A. STERLING•In Charge.

On May 3oth one of the best known forestersamong English speakingpeople, Sir Dietrich Brandis,died at Bonn, Germany. His fame was made through the successfulintroduction of forestry principlesinto India, and the original organizationof the Indian Forest Department. Born and educatedin Germany,a pupil of GustaveHeyer at Giessen,hence thoroughly versed in forestry he succeededin graspingthe needsof entirely different conditionsin India from the start, when over half a centuryago he was calledto the sperintendencyof the teak forestsof Pegu. He was, to be sure, loyally and vigorouslysupported by Lord Dalhousie'sgovernment, and in x864 becamethe first Inspector General of Forests to the Government of India. In a different spirit from the know-nothing attitude that sometimeshas ani- mated American forest reformers,Mr. Eardley Wilmot writes, "To him and to his successorsand pupils, Messrs.Schlich and Ribbentrop(also two Germans) is due primarily the credit for the creation and organization of the forest departmentand for the introductionof methodsof managementadapted from the best European schoolsto suit the various circumstancesfor the vast forestsof India." His last work, a large manual on Indian Trees,only lately published,was the resultof his leisuresince x883,when he had retired to Bonn, without howeverlosing connection with the departmentof his creation.

Probablyno other gatheringof industrialinterests has beenso assiduouslyand broadlyadvertised as the Fifteenth National Ir- rigation Congressto be held in Sacramento,California, in Sep- tember. Forestryalso is to be made a specialfeature, especially in the InterstateExposition which will be a part of the proceed- ings. Among the prizes and trophiesto be offered for special exhibitsthe DiamondWatch Companyand the PacificHardware Company have each presentedone for the best collective State exhibit of forest products,but the most suggestivetrophy is 356 ForestryQuarterly offeredby the CaliforniaWine Association,which is to be for a suitable substitute for oak staves, accentuating the growing scarcityof the supplywhich is coupledby a constantand rapidly Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 increasingdemand.

A committeeof the AmericanSociety for Testing Materials has made its final report at the tenth annual meetingthis year on standardspecifications for the grading of structuraltimbers, in- cludingthe definitionof standarddefects, standard names for structural timbers, and standard specificationsfor bridge and trestle timbers. The definitionsof standarddefects, modified as above,are as follows: Measurements which refer to the diameter of knots or holes shouldbe consideredas referring to the mean or average diameter. •. Sound Knot.---A sound knot is one which is solid across its face and which is as hard as the wood surroundingit; it may be either red or black, and is so fixed by growth or positionthat it will retain its place in the piece. 2. Loose Knot.--A looseknot is one not firmly held in place by growth or position. 3. Pith Knot.-•A pith knot is a sound knot with a pith hole not more than ¬ inch in diameter in the center. 4. Encased Knot.--An encasedknot is one which is sur- roundedwholly or in part by bark or pitch. Where the encase- ment is lessthan • of an inch in width on both sides,not exceed- ing one-halfthe circumferenceof the knot, it shall be considered a sound knot. 5. Rotten Knot.--A rotten knot is one not as hard as the wood it is in. 6. Pin Knot.--A pin knot is a soundknot not over « inch in diameter. 7. StandardKnot.--A standardknot is a soundknot not over x« inchesin diameter. 8. Large Knot.--A large knot is a soundknot, more than i« inches in diameter. 9. Round Knot.--A round knot is one which is oval or circular in form. News and Notes 357

•o. Spike Knot.--A spike knot is one sawn in a lengthwise direction; the mean or average width shall be consideredin measuringthese knots. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 •x. Pitch Pockets.--Pitch pockets are openings between the grain of the woodcontaining more or lesspitch or bark. These shall be classifiedas small, standard and large pitch pockets. (a) Small ]>itch]>ocket.--A smallpitch pocketis onenot over « of an inch wide. (b) StandardPitch Pocket.--A standardpitch pocketis one not over • of an inch wide, or 3 inchesin length. (c) Large Pitch Pocket.--A large pitch pocket is one over •- of an inch wide, or over 3 inchesin length. •2. ]>itch Streak.--A pitch streak is a well-definedaccumulation of pitch at one point in the piece. When not sufficientto de- velop a well-defined streak, or where the fiber between grains, that is, the coarse-grainedfiber, usually termed "Spring Wood," is not saturatedwith pitch, it shall not be considereda defect. •3. Wane.--Wane is bark, or the lack of wood from any cause, on edgesof timbers. x4. Shakes.--Shakesare splitsor checksin timber which usually causea separationof the woodbetween annual rings. •5. Rot, Dote and Red Heart.--Any form of decaywhich may be evident either as a dark red discoloration not found in the sound wood, or the presenceof white or red rotten spots,shall be considered as a defect. •6. Ring Shake.---An openingbetween the annual rings. •7. Through Shake.--A shake which extends between two faces of a timber. The following trade names are those now recommendedby CommitteeQ: •. Southern Yellow Pine.--Under this headingtwo classesof timber are used, (a) Longleaf Pine, (b) Shortleaf Pine. It is undertsoodthat thesetwo terms are descriptiveof quality, rather than of botanical species. Thus, shortleaf pine would cover such speciesas are now known as North Carolina pine, loblolly pine, and shortleafpine. "Longleaf Pine" is descriptive of quality,and if Cuban,shortleaf, or loblollypine is grown under such conditionsthat it producesa large percentageof hard summer wood, so as to be equivalent to the wood producedby the 358 Forestry Quarterly true longleaf, it would be coveredby the term "Longleaf Pine." 2. DouglasFir.--The term "DouglasFir" to coverthe timber known likewise as yellow fir, red fir, westernfir, Washington Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 fir, Oregonor Puget Soundfir or pine, northwestand west coast fir. 3. Norway Pine, to coverwhat is known as "Red Pine." 4. Hemlock, to cover Southern or Eastern hemlock; that is, hemlockfrom all Stateseast of and including Minnesota. 5. WesternHemlock, to cover hemlockfrom the Pacificcoast. 6. 3•pruce,to cover Eastern spruce; that is, the sprucetimber coming from points east of Minnesota. 7. Western•Cpruce, to coverthe sprucetimber from the Pacific coast. 8. White Pine, to cover the timber which has hitherto been known as white pine, from Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. 9. Idaho White Pine, the variety of white pine from western Montana, northern Idaho, and eastern Washington. •o. Western Pine, to cover the timber sold as white pine coming from Arizona, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. This is the timber sometimesknown as "West- ern Yellow Pine," or "Ponderosa Pine," or "California White Pine," or "Western White Pine." I •. Western Latch, to cover the speciesof larch or tamarack from the Rocky Mountain and Pacific coastregions. •2. Tamarack,to cover the timber known as "Tamarack,"or "Eastern Tamarack," from States east of and including Min- nesota. •3. Redwood, to include the California wood usually known by that name. The standard specificationsfor bridge and trestle timbers are as follows, to be applied to solid membersand not to composite members: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. Except as noted all timber shall be cut from soundtrees and sawed standard size; close grained and solid; free from defects suchas injuriousring shakesand crookedgrain; unsoundknots; knotsin groups;decay; large pitchpockets, or otherdefects that will materially impair its strength. News and Notes 359

StandardSize of SawedTimber.--Rough timbers when sawed to standardsize, shall mean that they shall not be over ¬ in. scant from actual size specified. For instance,a I2 in. x i2 in. shall Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 measurenot lessthan ii4a in. x I•4a in. Standard Dressing of Sawed Timbers.--Standard dressing means that not more than ¬ in. shall be allowed for dressing eachsurface. For instance,a I2 in. x i2 in. shall after dressing four sides,not measureless than ii• in. x II• in.

STRINGERS. No. I. Longleaf Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir.--Shall show not lessthan 80 per cent.of heart on eachof the four sides,measured acrossthe sidesanywhere in the length of the piece; loose knots,or knots greater than • in. in diameter,will not be per- mitted at pointswithin 4 inchesof the edgesof the piece. No. 2. Longleaf Yellow Pine, Shortleaf Pine, Douglas Fir, and Western Hemlock.--Shall be squareedged, except it may have I in. wane on one comer. Knots must not exceed in their largestdiameter ¬ the width of the face of the stickin whichthey occur. Ring shakesextending not over • of the length of the pieceare admissible. CAPS AND SILI•. NO. I. Longleaf Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir.--Shall show 85 per cent. heart on each of the four sides, measuredacross the sidesanywhere in the lengthof the piece; to be free from knots over 2« in. in diameter; knotsmust not be in groups. No. 2. Longleaf and Shortleaf Yellow Pine, DouglasFir and WesternHemlock.--Shall be squareedged, except it may have I in. wane on one corner, or « in. wane on two corners. Knots must not exceedin their largest diameter¬ the width of the face of the stick in which they occur. Ring shakesextending not over • the length of the pieceare admissible.

I•OSTS. No. L Longleaf Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir.--Shall show not lessthan 75 per cent.heart, measured across the face any- whereon the lengthof the piece; to be free from knotsover 2• in. in diameter,and must not be in groups. 36o Forestry Quarterly

No. 2. Longleafand ShortleafYellow Pine, DouglasFir and Western Hernlock.--Shallbe squareedged, except it may have I in. wane on one corner, or « in. wane on two corners. Knots mustnot exceed,in their largestdiameter, •; the.width of the face Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 of the stick in which they occur. Ring shakesshall not extend over • of the'length of the piece.

LONGITUDINAL STRUTS OR GIRTS. No. I. Longleaf Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir.--Shall show one face all heart; the other face and two sides shall show not less than 85 per cent. heart, measuredacross the face or side anywhere in the piece; to be free from knots I• in. in diameter and over. No. 2. Longleaf and Shortleaf Yellow Pine, DouglasFir, and WesternHemlock.--Shall be squareedged and sound; to be free from knots I• in. in diameterand over.

LONGITUDINALX-BRACm, SASa BRACESAND SWAY BRAC•S. No. I. Longleaf Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir.--Shall show not less than 80 per cent. heart on two faces and four square edges; to be free from knotsover I• in. in diameter. No. 2. Longleaf and Shortleaf Yellow Pine, DouglasFir, and WesternHemlock.--Shall be squareedged and sound; to be free from knots2« in. in diameterand over.

Mr. L. D. Van Rensselaer,of Ithaca, N.Y., advertisesinsur- ance againstfire for standingtimber and for cut wood lying in the forest.

In Michigan a bill was passedby the Legislature,withdrawing 4o,oooacres of Agricultural Collegelands from sale,with a view of ultimately turning them into a forest reservation. The Senate also passeda bill providingfor a commissionto investigatethe questionof reforesting,but we are not informed that it has be- come a law.

The State of Washingtonhas enteredthe numberof States providing educationalfacilities for forestry in connectionwith the Collegeof Agriculture,Prof. W. S. Thornbetin charge. News and Notes 36I

The State Foresterof Maryland has begun a detailedstudy of the forestresources of the State by counties. The work doneby the Forest Serviceof the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture in sev- eral countiesis being revised and greatly extendedto give accu- Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 rate and completereports. In addition to this, two countiesnot heretofore studiedhave been taken up in detail and will be com- pletedbefore the end of the season. After August x5th the State Forester will co-operatewith the Forest Service in examining lands in western Maryland for the proposedAppalachian Na- tional Forest.

In connectionwith the plansof the SantaFe Railroadto propa- gate eucalyptuson a large scalein California,E. O. Faulkner, manager,Tie and Timber Department,will go to Australiaabout the middle of Septemberto study the various speciesof eucalyp- tus in their native habitat. It is understoodthat speciessuitable for railroad cross-tieswill be planted in southernCalifornia; so the questionof rapid-growingspecies suitable to the soil and cli- mate conditionsof the land acquired,and which will take treat- ment readily, is to be carefully investigated. This recognition of eucalyptusby such a commercial organization should give added impetusto the planting of this tree where conditionsare favorable.

That the policyof wood preservationby the Northern Pacific Railroad is to be put on a more permanentbasis is evident from an officialcircular to the effect that Mr. Andrew Gibsonwas ap- pointedSuperintendent of Timber Preservationand Tie Treating Plants,on AugustI. The Companynow operatestreating plants at Brainerd, Minn., and Paradise, Mont.

The followingchanges in the teachingstaffs of the Forestry Departmentsin severalwestern colleges have been made: Prof. F. G. Miller, of the Universityof Nebraskagoes to the University of Washington,at Walla Walla, his placeat Lincolnbeing taken by F. J. Phillips,of the ForestService; while E. O. Siecke,also of the Forest Service,is to teachin a new schoolof Forestryes- tablishedin connectionwith the State College of Washington, at Pullman. Professor Phillips graduated in forestry from the Universityof Michiganin I9O6 and ProfessorSiecke did like- 362 Forestry Quarterly wise from the Iowa State College of Agriculture and the Me- chanicArts the same year. Both have had wide experiencein the extension of the Forest Service. Prof. H. P. Baker has left the Iowa State College of Agriculture to organize the Depart- Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 ment of Forestrywhich Dr. Fernow institutedat the Pennsyl- vania State COllege.

The registration at the Yale Summer School of Forestry at Milford, Pa., has this year been exceptionallylarge. It will be recalled that Yale conducts two courses in connection with its summerschool: first, the regular summerterm which is required of the Junior Class; second,a short coursedesigned for pros- pectiverangers, woods foremen, and others who wish a short generalcourse of forestry. This year sixteenmen are taking the short courseand fifty are enrolledin the long course. The summerwork is in chargeof Prof. H. S. Graves,who has associatedwith him this year in the technicalforestry work Prof. H. H. Chapman,Dr. A. H. Gravesand Mr. N. C. Brown, and m the work of surveyingProf. J. C. Tracy,Mr. C. S. Farn- ham and Prof. Wheeler. Mr. H. H. Chapmanhas recentlybeen promotedfrom the positionof instructorin Forestryto an assistantprofessorship. Prof. J. W. Tourneyis inspecting,for the ForestService, the work of plantingon the nationalforests. Mr. R. C. Bryant,who has chargeof the work in lumberingat Yale, is travellingin the Southinspecting the plantsof differentlarge manufacturers of lumber. Mr. R. C. Hawley,instructor in Forestry,is working during this summerfor the Bureauof Corporationsin connection with their investigationof the amountof standingtimber in the country. The fall term of the Forest Schoolopens October xst.

S. B. Detwiler,who receivedhis trainingat Yale and Univers- ity of Minnesota,has left theForest Service to becomeassistant to Prof. Green at the University of Minnesota.

JohnFoley left theForest Service to becomeassistant to E. A. Sterling,forester to the PennsylvaniaRailroad Company. Max Rothkugelhas re-entered the ForestService. News and Notes

Mr. Robert C. Rosenbluth(Yale, '07) after enteringthe ForestService July •st resignedat the endof the monthto ac- cepta similarposition in thePhilippine Bureau of Forestry. Mr. Rosenbluthsailed early in Augustto enterupon his duties in the Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 islands.

Dr. W. C. Geer (Cornell,'02) severedhis connectionwith the ForestService August Ist to acceptthe position of superintendent with the B. F. GoodrichRubber Company at Akron.Ohio. Dur- ing the pastyear Dr. Geerhas made an exhaustivestudy of the destructive distillation of wood.

The legislatureof Massachusettsthis year improvedupon its forestlegislation by consolidatingand re-organizingthe forest warden systemand making the appointmentof forest wardens (formerly forestfire wardens)subject to approvalby the State Forester. The measuresfor preventingforest fires due to loco- motive sparksare also improvedby enforcingthe use of spark arrestersand burning over right-of-wayfor 2o0 feet each side as well as cleaningup unimprovedland adjoining. It also pro- vides for a trained [orester who has had a technicaleducation as StateForester, with a salaryof $3,oooper annum.

The DominionGovernment of Canadain its Departmentof the Interior hasbegun to publishin elegantstyle a preliminaryedition of a set of mapsof the Provincesof Manitoba, Saskatchewanand Alberta and of the railway belt of British Columbiaon a scaleof •2« and 7.89 miles to the inch respectively.This scalepermits the showingby color of characterof ownershipdown to quarter sections,namely, homesteadspatented, unpatented and t.ntered, Indian Reserves,Forest Reservations, Timber Berths,and Special Grants. The informationis correctedto July •, •9o7. In addition the characterof the country, whether prairie, park country, chieflywooded or timberedis indicated. A brokenline in gold, limits thesevarious types of country of courseonly approximately. It wouldappear that whileoutside of British Columbia there is little timber for commercial use, the countryis neverthelesslargely woodland,where wood for local use should be busbanded,for Canada is a country practically 364 1-.orestry Quarterly withoutcoal. Just x2 forestreservations, mostly small ones, are locatedin various parts of the prairie country,besides 8 larger ones in the Railway Belt. Altogether there appearsto be much more settledcountry in these sectionsthan one is accustomedto Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 think and the countryopen to entry is mostly away from rivers or rail.

That forest planting is part but not all that enters into the practiceof forestry by private corporationsis an axiom of the profession. Despite the propaganda,for some years past the unfortunate fact remains that little reliable data is available on the cost of private planting in the East. Sincethe utilization of waste lands by planting is part of the forest policy of the Penn- sylvaniaRailroad, figures on the costof the work donethis spring may be interestingand suggestive. The plantingwas done during April and May on ten sites in three localitiesbetween Harrisburg and Altoona. The seedlings usedwere x to 3 yearsold, purchasedfor $5.25 per M. Where Italians plantedthe trees6' x 6' in holesprepared with mattocks, the costwas $5.I2 per i,ooo. With American labor and the trees planted 4' x 6' apart in furrows 5' apart, the cost was $7.85 per •,ooo in one placeand $4.82 in another. The greater expensein the one casewas due to clearingbrush and resettingfences. In all 448,226seedlings were planted at an averageexpense of $6.04 per M. If their purchaseprice were includedthe set-outtrees cost $11.29 per M. or $•5.93 per acre. The specieshandled are shown in the following table: Number Species of seedlings planted Red Oak, ...... 252,154 Black Locust...... •75,7•6 European Larch...... 6,970 Pin Oak, ...... 4,57ø Scotch Pine, ...... 3,5o0 Tamarack, ...... 3,0oo Chestnut, ...... 2,316

Total...... 448,226 News and Notes 365

Circular No. 23, issuedfrom the office of the SecondVice- Presidentof the Atchison,Topeka & Santa Fe Railway System, under date of July 24th, •9o7, statesthat: "Mr. Hermann yon Schrenkis herebyappointed Consulting Timber Engineer,with Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jof/article/5/3/355/4760038 by guest on 27 September 2021 headquartersat St. Louis, Mo. Effective August I, 19o7. A circular letter dated July Ist gives the further information that Dr. Von Schrenk is to be one of a firm of ConsultingTimber Engineers. His associatesbeing E. B. Fulks, and Alfred L. Kammerer. This follows Dr. Von Schrenk's resignatiorras Pathologist in charge of investigatonsof timber diseasesand methodsfor preventingthe same, in the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture. This firm has establisheda technicallabo- ratory and consultingoffice at St. Louis, devotedto the prosecu- tion of investigationsinto the usesof timber,and are preparedto carry on investigationsand makereports on all problemsdealing with the utilizationof timber,the closeradaption of all kinds of woodsto specialuses, and determinationas to the kind and value of various preservativeprocesses.

ERRATA IN VOL. V, NO. 2.

The followingserious errata have, after proofreading,crept into tablesand platesaccompanying the article on The Sprout Forestsof the HousatonicValley, which readersare askedkindly to correct. Page 125, Plate II, Fig. 3. In the title change"at fight" to "at base." Page 129,Table II. In fifth column,drop "25" to line below In eleventh column, reverse "17" and "18". In seventeenth column,change "4" to "3". Page 134, Plate III. Interchangetitles, and insert in title for lower figure, "two Chestnuts"after "Hickories." Pages,14o, 142 , 144. In the title of thesediagrams, interchange readingsso that dominantseedling trees are representedby hea¾• dots,suppressed sprouts by light unbrokenline.