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of immediate preparation for this event, which would otherwise be sure to come.

There is no important interest in this Commonwealth, no influential newspaper of the State, no political party, no considerable number of leading citizens, which has not approved of all that the State has done in forestry and which will not approve of any reasonable action of the Legislature in still further advancing this forestry work in which the whole State has such a vital and immediate interest.

M

J. T. ROTHROCK.

Forest Resources of Maine.

UCH has been said in regard to the rapid denudation of Maine's timber-lands, and the following extract from Governor Hill's annual message gives an authoritative statement in regard to the situation as far as spruce is concerned, which will be of interest :

"The Forestry Commissioner, after a most careful and thorough investigation, reports that there is standing in Maine to-day over 21,000,000,000 feet of spruce timber, not less than 9 inches in diameter, at the height of feet. The annual growth varies from 2 to 4 per cent., according to the character of the soil and other conditions, and the Commissioner believes it is safe to assume that when cut judiciously it will make an average yearly growth of 3 per cent., or 630,000,000 feet. About 662,000,000 feet of spruce was cut in the State during the season of 1901-02, which is somewhat in excess of the average amount for the past few years.

"It is evident that the growth of our spruce forests is nearly keeping pace with the amount annually consumed. They are not likely to be exterminated by our industries, but their greatest danger is from fire.

"It is estimated that there is also about 2,000,000,000 feet of spruce in the Androscoggin valley, in New Hampshire, for which the natural outlet is the pulp- and saw-mills of Maine. The new Fish River railroad will turn a large part of the forest products of that section to Maine manufacturers, which formerly went down the St. John river to New Brunswick.

"There is also a large growth of valuable hard woods of various kinds which will ultimately be a source of great wealth to the State, and give employment to a large number of people.

"The Forestry Commissioner, who has conducted his investigations with great care, has been aided in his work by the United States Department of Forestry, which, during the past year,

sent an expert, accompanied by ten experienced foresters, to this State to study our forests. Nearly three months was spent in the work, and the information thus obtained will be of great value.

"There are about 80,000 acres of school or public lands under the care of the State land agent. These lands are located in eighty different plantations, situated in eleven counties. About $13,000 has been received during the past year from the timber on these lands, of which nearly $1000 was collected in trespass cases. Frequent complaints of trespass upon public lands are received, and, on account of the tracts being so widely scattered, much time and labor is required in making investigation and properly protecting the State's interest.

"The land agent also has the care of Indian township, so named, in Washington county. This town contains 22,400 acres. It is well located, and is covered with young trees of different varieties, which are making rapid growth. The soil is fertile, and it is a valuable tract of land."

The Eucalyptus on the Roman Campagna.

RECENTLY published paper upon the eu

calyptus trees that have been introduced into this country,* recalls a visit that I made in the spring of 1901 to the celebrated eucalyptus plantations on the Roman Campagna.

For several reasons the observations there made have never been published, but since Professor McClatchie's bulletin doubtless will revive or awaken interest in those wonderful trees, they may be brought forward now.

The plantations lie about three miles outside the southernmost gate of Rome, close about an Fontane, now occupied by a body of Trappist old monastery, known as the Abbadia delle Tre monks. The brothers are a thrifty set, and, apart from their plantations and gardens, turn many a penny by showing to visitors their three churches and three springs. According to the legend, St. Paul was beheaded there, and the three springs or fountains gushed from the spots touched by his head as it made three bounds when severed from the body.

It is always hard to separate fact from fiction in Italy, but in this case the effort to do it was made because plantations of eucalypts afford a cheap and easy means of improving many a malarial district, if the claims made for this one can be substantiated.

* " Eucalypts Cultivated in the United States," by A. J. McClatchie, Bulletin No. 35, U. S. Bureau of Forestry.

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