SUBSCRIPTION, ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR. The attention of Nurserymen and others is called to the advantages of FOREST LEAVES as Labors to disseminate information in regard to the necessity and methods of forest culture and preservation, and to secure the enactment and enforcement of proper forest protective laws, both ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE, THREE DOLLARS. LIFE MEMBERSHIP, TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. Neither the membership nor the work of this Association is intended to be limited to the State of Pennsylvania. Persons desiring to become members should send their names to the Chairman of the VICE-PRESIDENTS, Robt. S. Conklin, Wm. S. Harvey, J. F. Hendricks, Albert Lewis, Samuel L. Smedley. GENERAL SECRETARY, Samuel Marshall. THE HE Pennsylvania Forestry Association, for the coming year, does not see that it will have enough income to meet its necessary and desirable expenses. Despite the exercise of all care as to costs of conducting the Association, the continued high cost of almost everything, and an advance even yet in costs of some things, will make us run short in 1921 unless some steps are taken to avoid it. Study the Treasurer's report in this number of Forest Leaves and you will see. "Steps" means increasing our income in some form. There are two ways to do this: One is to ask everyone to contribute something over and above the dues. This is the poorer way. It lacks novelty, to say the least. It benefits no one else. It is but a temporary expedient, and only postpones a real readjustment of sufficient income to meet expenses. It is distasteful. The other way is to BUILD UP OUR MEMBERSHIP. This is the real answer. This is the real way to assure greater and continuing income to not only enable the meeting of current expenses but the doing of more and better work than ever. Moreover it benefits others by extending the advantages of information, interest and help in belonging to the Association. And it avoids an assessment upon ourselves. Why should we not have many times our present number of members? There are nearly 9,000,000 people in our state. If but one fiftieth of such number be considered as of that better, earnest, understanding and appreciative class which supports forestry work (or will if properly made to realize its importance) there are nearly 200,000 people from whom members should be secured. When one realizes the universal love of the woods by all classes—the preservation of such as the prime object of this association-the trifling yearly cost of membership in it and the information, interest, advantages and pleasures secured through membership, it would seem as though every member could, with but moderate effort, secure at least two or three new members in his or her own immediate personal circle or neighborhood. If through such, we should double for the present our numbers, we would secure an annual increase of income of about $3,300 that would not only meet all current needs but enable a large increase of Association work. What that work is and the present scope and growing importance and value of forestry work, is especially well indicated in the annual reports of our General Secretary and the Council on pages 179 and 182 of the December issue of Forest Leaves, and every member will be thankful for the reminder to read the same throughout. Rarely has so much and such interesting information on forestry been compiled or submitted as has been therein given. Will you not make an earnest effort for new members as herein asked? Application blanks, additional numbers of "Forest Leaves' and all further information desired, will be gladly given to members applying to the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, 130 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY Entered at the Philadelphia Post-Office as second-class matter, under Act of March 3d, 1879 Vol. XVII-No. 12 Τ PHILADELPHIA, DECEMBER, 1920 EDITORIAL. HE forest fire season for this year is over. And it may be safely said that there has been a marked reduction in the number and severity of the fires. In fact this may be credited to favorable weather conditions; though during October there were periods of extreme anxiety. But making every allowance for favorable weather it is evident that there were other influences at work. There never has been a season prior to 1920, when the one great problem to solve was, where is the money to come from if the needed protective steps are taken, was settled in advance. Fortunately that question did not arise during the past season, for it was evident that the Governor had pledged the whole weight of his influence in support of measures that would reduce the fire risk. In addition to the weather and the backing of the Governor, Mr. Pinchot conducted a most intensive campaign holding every forester to a strict account for fires on the land under his care. The newspapers told of the losses to the community and to the nation caused by forest fires. The duty of every owner to clear away all inflammable material, which was a fire hazard to his own, or his neighbor's property, was insisted upon as never before. The railroads responded to the demand that their right of way, and beyond it, be made safe against laboring locomotives, and to their credit be it said that their response was on the whole hearty and effective enough to encourage even greater care next season. This is a good time to ring in again the fact that as a rule people are not given to burning their own property, or property in which they have an interest. To many thousand, vigorous, red-blooded citizens of this state the Autumn months are looked forward to as the period for an outing. Months are spent in preparing for it and in anticipation of the open air life which will come with the frost. It was noticeable that greater care than ever before was exercised against dropping burning matches among the leaves, camp fires at noon were fewer and care was usually taken to leave no live flame, or embers, when those who made the fire departed. Whole Number 200 Fires burned up the sprouts and the acorns on which the deer lived and the hunter was gradually realizing that when he turned a forest fire loose he was destroying his own outing. There will be other fire seasons, the next one will come when the trout streams invite the fisherman. He too pays the penalty for carelessness if the fires prevent, as they do, increase of forest cover which hoard the water to make the streams steady in volume. It is up to you Mr. Fisherman in the coming spring to surpass, if you can, the record of care left by the Autumn outers of 1920. J. T. Rothrock. Narrative of the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania. Forestry Association was held in the Green Room of the City Club, Philadelphia, Pa., on Monday, December 13th at 3 P. M. Vice-President Conklin in the chair. The reports of the Council, the Treasurer and the General Secretary, and the remarks of President Drinker were read and will be found on other pages of this issue. Messrs. Wm. S. Harvey and J. Clarence Cranmer were appointed Tellers of Election, and after collecting the ballots, announced that the following officers were unanimously elected to serve during the year: |