The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-04

eieVdte themselves IN the scale OF civilization,
we may hope to accomplish at the same time
good work for them and for ourselves.
Projection of Timber Lands.
invite the attention of Congress to the i'm
portance of the statements and suggestion made
by the Secretary of the Interior concerning the
depredst1ons committed upon the timber lands
OF the United States and the necessity for the
preservation OF forests. 1t is believed that the
measures taken in pursuance of the existing
law to resist these depredations will be entirely
successful If Gong ress, by an appropriation for
that purpose, renders their continued enforce
ment pose ible
The experience of other nations teaches us
that country cannot;be stripped of its forests
WITH IMMUNITY, and we shall expose ourselves
TO the gravest consequences unless the wasteful
and lmprovldent manner in which the forests
IN the United States are DESTROYED be eff.ctual-
1y checked. l earnestly recommend that the
measures suggested by the Secretary of the In
terror for the suppression of depredations on the
public timber lands of the U nted States, for the
selling OF timber from the public lands and for
the preservation of forests be embodied in law
and that considering the urgent necessity of
enabling the people of certain states and terri
tories to purchase tim Der from the public lands
IN legal manner which at present they can
not 40, such a law will be passed without una
vodable delay.
would also call the attention of Congress TO
statements made by the Secretary of the Ipte-
rlor concerning the disposition that might De
made OF the desert lands not irrigated west of
the l0Oths meridian. These lands are practical.
~ unsaleable under existing laws, and the sug-
9estion is worthy of consideration that
system OF lease hold tenure would make them
q source OF profit to the United States, while at
tne same Tune legalizing the business of cattle
raislng winch Is at present carried upon them.
Agricultural Progress.
The report of the Commissioner of Agricul.
tuIe contains the gratifying annous cement of
the extraordinary success which has rewarded
Inc agricultural Industry of the country for the
past year, with the fair prices which thew oh
tain for the products of the soil, especially for
the surplus which our people have to export
We may confidently turn to this as the most
important of all of our resources for the revival
OF depressed industries of the country. The re-
port shows our agricultural progress during the
past year and contains a statement of the work
zone by this department for the advancement
OF agricultural industry upon which the pros
perry OF our people SO largely depends Mat
ters OF Information are included of great inter-
est 70 al who seek, by the experience of others
~ improve thelr own methods of cultivation.
Ine enorts OF the department to increase the
production OF important articles of consumn tion
will, it is hoped, improve the demand for labor
and advance the business of the country and
eventually result in the saving of some Of the
many millions that are now annually Maid 10
foreign nations for sugar and other staple pro
ducts which habitual use has made necessary
In our domestic every day life
The board on behalf of the United States
executive departments at the international
exhibition of 1876 has concluded its labors
Ihe hna report of the board was transmitted
TO Congress by the President near the close of
the last session. As these papers are under