white fir. The young growth that is replacing the brush consists of these same species; but the greater portion of it is white fir, since the brush fields are located principally on areas that most readily produce this species.

Central States Forestry Congress
Organized

The Central States Forestry Congress held its first meeting in Indianapolis December 3-5, 1930. Each of the seven States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ken

10,000 Bushels of Cones a Year

More than 2 tons of tree seed will be used in 1931 in New York State's forest nurseries. When a new unit recently purchased at Willsboro has been added to its seed-extracting plants, however, the State conservation department will be able to fill its own seed requirements almost entirely in years when the cone crop is good. Extraction plants at the State's Lake Clear and Saratoga forest nurseries have a capacity of about 3,000 bushels of cones each, and the one at Willsboro has a capacity of about 4,000 bushels. Operation of the plants at Willsboro, Lake Clear, and Saratoga will cut in half the State's annual seed bill. For 1931 this will be about $12,000.

part in organizing the congress. Michigan, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, also, had representatives at the Indianapolis meeting. The State foresters of all the actively participating States served on the arrangements committee, together with E. F. McCarthy, director of the Central States Forest Experiment Station, and some 25 private citizens. E. Murray Bruner, Federal forest inspector in the Central States, was chairman of the committee. The Indiana Department of Conservation financed the meeting.

In this first meeting it was thought better to discuss many different features of the forestry situation in the Central States than to concentrate on one or a very few of its aspects. Possibly the greatest emphasis was given to farm forestry and forest research. The

In years of good cone crops the department can obtain within the boundaries of New York as many cones as it needs of northern white pine, Norway pine, white spruce, northern white cedar, and balsam fir. Thus far it has had to import from Europe its supplies of seed of black locust, European larch, and Norway spruce. In 1930 the local Norway pine cone crop failed completely and the department found it necessary to buy 4,500 bushels of Norway pine cones in Minnesota. The State's present planting program calls for production of approximately 75,000,000 3-year-old trees in 1934. To fulfill this program 11,000 seed beds must be planted with from 4 to 12 ounces of seed each, according to species.

Educational work is now a full-time job for one man in the Virginia Forest Service. James P. Andrews, formerly district forester for the Piedmont section of the State, has been transferred to this work. At present Mr. Andrews is traveling through the State in a truck equipped for showing motion pictures and stereopticon views.

The Georgia Forest Service has begun publication, with a January, 1931, number, of the Georgia Forest Lookout, a 4-page monthly news-letter. The Lookout is to be an organ not only of the Georgia Forest Service but of the Georgia Forestry Association, the 32 timber-protective organizat ons in Georgia, and the State's vocational schools. The editor is C. A. Whittle, director of education of the Georgia Forest Service.

resolutions adopted by the congress. These urge that the agricultural colleges of the region, on the basis of a policy of complete land use in their respective States, include training in farm woodland management as a requirement in all regular agricultural courses; call to the attention of members of the Federal Congress and of heads of Federal administrative departments the need for erosion-control research and request that adequate funds be provided for studying this problem and developing control methods through forestry practices; urge upon all the States in the central group the establishment of forest nurseries adequate to produce forest planting stock in quantities to meet their respective needs; urge legislation to provide adequate protection for forest land within participating States; recommend to the Federal Government the provision of additional funds for accelerating the work of the forest survey of the United States now being carried on under the terms of the McSweeneyMcNary law, and to the State Governments provision for an early beginning in collecting data on forest and idle land; commend the program of the national forest reservation commission, and urge that increased funds be speedily provided to permit more rapid expansion of this program.

Although the meeting was largely in the hands of professional foresters the program included such speakers as Richard Lieber, director of the Indiana Department of Conservation; Edward C. Elliott, president of Purdue University; Frank S. Betz, retired manufacturer of Hammond, Ind.; W. E. Tharpe, soil specialist of the United States Department of Agriculture; G. E. Young, farm management specialist of Purdue University; R. W. Brown, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau; John I. Shafer, president of the National

Official registration at the meeting totaled 132. Permanent organization of the congress was effected through adoption of a constitution, and a board of 15 directors was elected.

The third day of the meeting was given over to an automobile trip to the newly purchased Morgan-Monroe Counties State Forest of Indiana, situated some 35 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

It is planned to hold the 1931 meeting of the congress in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Indiana State Nursery Prepares for
Large Plantings

Between 800 and 900 bushels of black walnuts have been stratified at the Clark County State forest nursery of Indiana in preparation for planting in the spring of 1931. Woodland owners, county agents, and school teachers cooperated in collecting the walnuts and shipping them to the nursery. Approximately 700,000 Norway spruce, northern white pine, and Norway pine seedlings have been transplanted at the nursery in preparation for planting in 1933.

The Clark County forest nursery has a new reservoir with five times the capacity of the old one.

A New State Park for Michigan

Land valued at $65,000 in the Irish Hills of Michigan has been given to the State by Mercy J. Hayes, of Detroit, for development as a State park, in memory of her brother, the late Senator Walter J. Hayes. The property has an area of 466 acres, includes the whole 60-acre expanse of Round Lake and more than one-half mile frontage on Wamplers Lake, fronts on United States Route 112, and is within 60 miles of Detroit, Toledo, Jackson, Battle Creek, and Lansing. The new park will incorporate the Cedar Hills Park, organized some time ago as the only State park in southeastern Michigan.

Michigan now has 66 State park sites, containing 29,146 acres and having an appraised valuation of $2,123,150. Lands given to the State represent a large part of this valuation, and some of the other lands were acquired through tax delinquency. The State's expenditure in acquiring park sites, in fact, totals less than $250,000. The Michigan State park system was begun 11 years ago. By July 1, 1931, the State will have spent approximately $1,250,000 on developing and maintaining State parks.

Five minutes each Friday noon are allotted to the Mississippi Forest Service by WJDX, the Lamar Life Insurance Co. broadcasting station in Jackson, Miss., under the head of State's Business.

break Demonstrations this Year

To encourage Florida timberland owners to construct firebreaks, many thousand miles of which are needed for the protection of longleaf and slash pine stands in the State, the Florida Forest Service is conducting a demonstration project on which it expects to spend $9,000 within the current fiscal year. The project is to some degree experimental; its results are expected to help determine what kind of firebreak and what type of firebreak equipment are best for the Florida pine forests. A McCormick-Deering "Farmall" tractor and a Taylor double-disk plow are being used. The tractor is transported on a 11⁄2-ton Ford truck; the plow and small equipment are carried on a trailer. The demonstrator is assisted by a mechanic who drives the truck and the tractor. Other makes and types of plows will be tried out.

One of the most satisfactory types of firebreak thus far constructed consists in a 7-foot plowed strip made with one trip of the double-disk plow, the soil being thrown each way from the center. This makes a fairly clean break except for a 6 to 10 inch unplowed ridge in the center. An effort is being made to design a third disk to turn over this center strip.

Demonstrations are carried out on land the owners or lessees of which agree to furnish the gasoline and oil for the tractor and the labor needed to clear logs from the right of way. The demonstrator constructs the necessary firebreaks on one-fifth of the part of the property that needs firebreaks, or on at least two sections of land. In arranging for demonstrations preference is given first to turpentine orchards on protection units, next to other land on protection units, and next to turpentine orchards adjacent to or in the vicinity of protection units.

California had a forestry force of 178 in the field in 1930. In addition the State employed from 6 to 8 men in the forest nursery at Davis, where planting stock is grown for the use of State institutions and for distribution to farmers. The State's 1930 expenditures for forestry purposes were estimated at $325,000. County funds available during the year for forestry activities supervised by the State amounted to $140,000.

A museum of Louisiana's natural resources and a lecture hall equipped for showing films and slides have been established by the Louisiana Department of Conservation on Royal Street, New Orleans, 11⁄2 blocks from Canal Street. The museum is open to the public without charge, from 10 a. m. to 6 p. m. daily; motion pictures are screened daily and by appointment.

Delaware's First Steps in State Forestry

The beginnings of State forestry in Delaware are recounted by State Forester William S. Taber in a printed report for the period July 1, 1929-June 30, 1930, including a summary of activities in the two preceding years. It was in August of 1927 that the Delaware Forestry Commission came into existence, under provisions of a law enacted in that year.

According to United States census figures, the area of land used for farm crop production in the 1,257,600acre State of Delaware decreased by more than 40,000 acres in the period 1920-1930. Natural regeneration of pine is expected to reclaim much of the abandoned land in the southern part of the State. In order to grow trees for planting on other abandoned lands, in the spring of 1928 the State forestry commission provided itself with a 4-acre nursery site by purchase and lease of land along the Du Pont Road adjacent to Hudson Pond. The 1929 inventory showed that the nursery contained 648,000 seedlings. While awaiting the opportunity to distribute trees of its own growing the forestry department has purchased 197,950

trees and sold them to Delaware landowners at a nominal charge for forest planting.

A 46-acre tract situated along the Du Pont Road near Ellendale has been purchased as a State forest. Thinning and pruning operations have been carried out on portions of this area, and on portions not fully stocked with trees demonstration and experimental plantings have been made with loblolly pine, cypress, and Asiatic chestnuts. An area of 5 acres along Red Lion Creek, New Castle County, presented by General and Mrs. Coleman Du Pont will be planted with trees this spring in preparation for being opened eventually as a State forest park.

A forest survey has thus far covered 47,057 acres of land in Sussex County. Mr. Taber estimates that approximately 380,000 acres of land in Delaware is stocked with either timber or brush. Of this area 350,000 acres, he estimates, supports a forest growth capable under correct management of producing at least one-half cord of wood per acre per year.

Much of the effort of Mr. Taber and his assistant, Carl P. Fatzinger, is devoted to public education through illustrated lectures, newspaper articles, and publications.

Recently the State forestry department prepared plans to be used by the State highway commission in establishing ornamental plantings along the dual highway between State Road and St. George's.

Under provisions of the Clarke-McNary law Delaware is receiving allotments of Federal funds for use in distributing planting stock and preventing forest fires. For forest fire detection and suppression the State legislature has not as yet appropriated any funds. The State highway police report fires to the forestry department, and the volunteer fire companies in the

State have without exception given service in suppressing forest fires. The forestry department instructs the volunteer suppression forces in fire-control methods, supplies them with fire-fighting apparatus, and supervises their efforts on the fire line. In 1930, volunteer fire wardens reported 143 fires covering 28,546 acres between January 1 and October 15.

New York Camp Grounds Have 267,886 Registration in 1930

Campers registered at New York State's large public camp sites numbered 267,886 in 1930, which is twice the 1929 registration and seven times that of 1927. This figure does not include picnickers and others who used the grounds less than a day, or campers at public grounds other than the large camp grounds having resident rangers in charge. In the past three years the State's camp grounds of the latter description have increased in number from 9 to 17 and several of them

have been more than doubled in size.

New York's public recreation grounds other than those for which registration is quoted include island property in Lake George, 11 recreational developments on the St. Lawrence reservation, and more than 100

small public camp sites in the Adirondacks and Cats

kills.

A recent purchase brought into State ownership 4,040 acres of land in the Paradox tract, in Essex County, containing some highly desirable sites for public camps. The land consists for the most part of scattered lots adjoining land owned by the State or under contract. It includes frontage on Johnson Pond, Paradox Lake, and Eagle Lake, and is crossed by the Schroon LakeTiconderoga State highway and also the so-called

Johnson Pond Road.

For this land the State paid $21,603, or approximately $5.30 per acre.

Through action of North Carolina and Tennessee conservation authorities 12,000 acres of the French Broad division of the Pisgah National Forest has become the Andrew Johnson Interstate Game Refuge. Approximately half the refuge area lies on each side

of the State line. The two States will share adminis

tration costs on an equal basis, but the Tennessee game officials have agreed to leave the direction of the refuge altogether in the hands of the North Carolina game warden service.

A calendar issued by the Florida Forest Service for 1931 pictures a scene in a turpentining operation and bears the slogan "Liquid Gold from Thrifty Pines: Keep it Flowing." Legends in smaller lettering state essentials of good turpentining practice.

College Forest

In 1931 a new road up Ute Pass having no grades steeper than 6 per cent and having a width such that two heavily loaded trucks can pass anywhere will connect Colorado College's 6,200-acre demonstration forest with Manitou and Colorado Springs, the principal markets for its varied timber products. The old road was double width, but had many sharp turns making it difficult for heavily loaded trucks to pass at any great speed, and had grades as steep as 18 per cent. The improvement of this mountain road and

the paving of the 5 miles which were commonly the

roughest will permit heavier loads of lumber from the college mill and logs, ties, props, and fuel wood from the forest to be handled with safety and with less wear on the trucks. By reducing hauling costs this will add to the profits of the forest and sawmill and will increase utilization.

Korean Larch Thrives on Manitou
Forest

During the past five years the forestry school of Colorado College, at Colorado Springs, has been exchanging forest tree seed with the Korean forest experiment station. Trial sowings and plantings have been made on Manitou Forest, the college's experimental tract, of seed of all the coniferous species of Korea coming from regions having as high altitudes as those of Manitou Forest. The Korean larch has shown exceptional promise and will be used in further experiments. On Manitou Forest plenty of moisture falls during the growing season, but the winters are very dry and many young trees die of winter drought. This larch escapes the danger of winter killing by dropping its needles during the winter, times its needle production during the summer in such a way as to utilize all the favorable weather of the year, and produces a wood having properties not found in the woods of native

timber trees.

Trees on the sample plots are marked with metal tags bearing numbers, and records are kept of their breastheight diameters.

During the past year 40 schools in the State gathered and planted tree seed to grow seedlings for reforestation. More than 50 students started forest-management projects on their home farms.

A prize of $100 was awarded by the Georgia Forestry Association to C. L. Veatch, of Commerce, as the Georgia rural high-school teacher having done the best work in forestry during the year 1929–30.

Forest Recreation Specialist Discusses Camping

Fay Welch, who during the past seven years has directed the Franklin D. Roosevelt Conservation Camps at the Palisades Interstate Park and private camps for children, and who has conducted courses of training in camp leadership for the American Museum of Natural History and for Columbia University, discusses his specialty as follows in a statement sent out from the New York State College of Forestry, where he is engaged in advanced study in forest recreation:

A summer in a good camp is one of the most vital educational experiences for a boy or girl. Here youth is constantly acquiring new skills and interests, developgive and take with other boys and girls and nature hering a sound body, and learning to live on good terms of self. There is nothing artificial about the right kind of "lessons" at camp. It is not strange that President Eliot characterized camping as America's most significant contribution to education.

Camp directors are learning that it is wrong to huddle tents or bungalows together. They are also discovering that real camping and forestry activities are more appropriate than town games and indoor occupations. feverish competition by means of intricate systems of They are finding that to stimulate a constant and awards is not conducive to the sound health or stable emotional adjustment of the child.

Winter camping is as interesting as summer camping and, to a robust person who is prepared to meet weather conditions, just as enjoyable. To know the forest and forest life only in summer is to know but half the story. Camping in all seasons is increasing rapidly. There are some 26,000 camps in the United States One-third of these lie northeast of a line drawn from Philadelphia to Cleveland.

About 20 new agricultural vocational schools started last fall in Georgia are taking up the forestry project begun in the preceding school year by about 100 rural high schools in the State. Each is establishing a school forest, which representatives of the Georgia Forest Service will survey and for which they will make management plans. The school forests are obtained by the schools for practice work under 10year leases. Demonstrations of tree identification, forest nursery practice, planting, thinning, and timber estimating are conducted on them by the State forest service. On each forest two comparable quarteracre plots are located side by side, one to be burned

About 100 North Carolina schools have taken ad

vantage of the offer of the State forest service to supply 1,000 trees without charge to any school that will plant them on its grounds in forest formation. The offer is being continued.

Twenty men were registered for graduate study this year in the New York State College of Forestry. The college's total registration for the first semester was 384.