St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-15
DOINGS OF DAKOTIANS.
How the Repeal of the Timber Culture
Law Would be Detrimental to
Settlers.
The People of Dakota Would Rather Have
It Modified Then Wiped Out
Entirely.
Report :of superintendent of Public
on--Enormous Increase
of School Children.
Matters of General Interest to the
Prosperous People of the
Great Territory.
The Timber-CuIture Law.

Special to the Globe.
HURON, OAK, May 14.-During the
month Of March only ten final proofs were
made on timber culture entries at Dakota
land offices. Of the number, five were at
Yankton. three at Mitchell and two at
Watertown. This exceeds the timber culture
proofs for February, seven. A casual
glance at the above statement would indl-
cate that the timber culture laws are either
not taken advantage of by the settlers, or
if entered are not cultivated, but held for
speculative purposes. Taking this view of
the matter, it is not strange that an at
tempt is being made by certain parties to
induce congress to repeal the timber-culture
laws. While the law as it now exists is
defective in many respects, it would be a
direct detriment to this part of Dakota
should it be repealed. AS the law now is.
many people enter quarter section of
land
UNDER ITS PROVISIONS,
and at the end of one year either sell the
REIMBURSEMENT or break five acres-just
sufficient to hold the entry-and then wait
for a customer. This method is practiced
more generally by non-residents, and greatly
interferes with the cultivation of timber by
those who would gladly comply with the
timber culture law if they could get the
land without having to pay bonus to the
original entryman for his REIMBURSEMENT.
Few Dakotians would object to thorough
revision of the law. but all would vigorously
protest against its repeal. Ii the law could
be so amended as to abolish to relinquish-
ment business or if relinquished require the
purchaser to cultivate the land to trees the
rirct ftari re ortr in, of
make the time for cultivation date from the
time the entry is originally made. 1t is
gratifying indeed to know that in this
locality there are number of fine tree
claims with beautiful groves of young trees
that are being
SUCCESSFULLY CULTIVATED,
which within the next four years will be
very valuable. 1t is earnestly hoped that
congress will be generous enough not to re-
peal the timber-culture law, without first
trying to remedy its abuses by amendments
similar to those above suggested. To re-
peal the law without giving another oppor-
tunity to settlers on these broad prairieS
some other chance or inducement to grow
trees. would be serious thing and quite
detrimental to them. Hon. Lauren Dun
lap, commissioner of immigration for Da-
kota, has an able article in the April num-
Der of the Monthly Bulletin in reference to
the timber-culture law. He says:
AS it is, the number of tree claims being
cultivated is constantly increasing, and q few
years hence the proofs will begin to come in
much faster. 1t is to be remembered that
the great growth of Dakota has been since
1850. and il will be two years yet before the
timber claims, first cultivated in that year,
will be ready for proof The law should have
been amended long ago, and no time should
be lost before it is done. With the law as il
should be, the cultivation of timber would
receive great impetus in this part of the
country.