In his address at St. Paul, Dr. Loring observed that in the East the natural condition of neglected farm land was to revert to forest growth, and the acreage of woodland increased under these conditions. He praised arbor days and legislative fostering, and believed that under these inducements 38,458 acres had been planted in 1882. The profit of wood growing was no longer a question. One-fourth of the whole area of the United States was yet forest. There was no immediate fear of a dearth of timber, except in the case of the very valuable White Pine. The points upon which Commissioner Loring enlarged were the necessity for new legislation for the protection of forests; the modification or entire repeal of the Timber act; legislation providing punishment for the destruction of forests; a sale of public lands to include a valuation of the timber growing upon them; forests and their management in other countries; proper age for cutting profitably; and the influence of forests upon rainfalls.

So far as the editor of this magazine could judge from a few hours in St. Paul on the day of the opening, the meeting of the Forestry Association was not as well attended as the one last year in Montreal, but accomplished good work; and it was a source of much regret that the arrangements of the editor did not permit him to remain longer.

Among the useful work were the usual number of impracticable suggestions, of which the following is a sample, it being a resolution offered by Mr. Miner, of Illinois: That this Forestry Congress earnestly urge as soon as practicable the introduction of both the science and the art of forestry in the public schools.

In many public schools an average often different studies a day are taught in the primary departments, and these are about five too many, without adding more. Practical educators are endeavoring to cut down instead of adding to public school studies.