The Dickinson press., 1893-02-25
IRRIGATION AND FORESTRY.
View Reasons Why These Matters
Should Be Encouraged.

- lew Reasons why lheSe Matters
Should Be Encouraged.
State Superintendent OF Irrigation and
Forestry of North Dakota advances
many reason why an officer to look
after these interests should be literally
supported, and his remarks upon the
matter are so applicable toSouth as well
as North Dakota we give them Il place in
our columns, and invite Il close reading
OF the article.
After speaking OF the object ofthis de-
partment and the work accomplished, he
says:
And there is presented the fact that we
have i'll North Dakota six hundred and
seventy 900 flowing artcsian wells and
a number OF artesfan springs. whose
combined fiowaSe amounts to over f.
COG, OOO, 600 gallons each successive wear,
without any %diniinution OF the output.
We have in the Dakotas the largest
area and fullest supply OF artrsinn depos.
its in the world. These great and inex.
haustible underground waters are the
elements of our wealth. the watercapital
OF our state. These, with our phreatio
waters and the rainfall. are us necessary
for our crops and sustenance us the
ground wherein we plant our grain.
Should not the practicable benefits oil
these wealth-producing elements be
brought more fully to view by the con-
t%inuation OF the present law, and thus
encourage the better class OF emigrants
to settle our unoccupied garden landso
This investigation and presentation
OF facts as regards our underground
waters is but preliminary work. 1t is
essentially important that the duties OF
the state superintendent OF irrigation
and forestry should be continued from
year to year under the management OF
competent incumbents, when new facts
and new features will appear. capital be
invested and developments ACCOMPLISHED,
and our wonderful artesian deposits
made available in Embarrassment OF the
quantity and values oi agricultural aud
horticultural productions.
Who can consistently claim we have
sufficient trees and forests in North Da-
kota? Who can say forestry should not
be encouraged i'll our commonwealth?
The area OF ourstate. is47,55I, $50 acres,
and but near 100000 acres are covered
with native and near 40, 1000 acres with
cultivated timber. What better, cheap
er or more practical plan can
there be devised for the encouragement
and development oi forestry than the
present law, whereby all the facts, the
laws and conditions OF tree life must be
properly presented in reports for the bene-
fit OF our farmers and all citizens OF our
state. Other states have forestry off
Gals, known as commissioners, amongst
which are the following: Maine, New
Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Kansas,
Colorado and California. Some OF these
states have but onecommissioner, whilst
Others such as New York. Ohio and
California have a board consisting OF
many members. All observation-disclosures
receive good compensation for their ser
vices. And | will here add, numerous
states have commissioners OF irrigation
and also superintendent OF weather SER
vice or %metcorology. Have we not as
much need OF such a commissioner or
superintendent OF such departments
(three Observation-Disclosures, forestry
and metcorology, are merged into III OF
flee in our state) in North Dakota as the
other western states.
in my report forestry is fully presented
in its various phases under different head
ings, amongst which are the economic
uses OF trees and timber Tor fuel, building
and manufacturing purposes; for pro-
lection from cold winds and storms: for
the increasement OF values; for favorable
influence upon the climate; for conserva-
ton OF moisture and tllecleation oifavor-
able crop conditions, etc.
There are also given IL full list and the
size and height OF our native trees, con-
sisting OF fifty (5O) varieties, large and
small. The small wild fruit OF our state
constitute nineteen varieties. These. and
forest seeds, acorns and nuts, amount to
many carloads each year.
Short articles are devoted to hot winds,
how prevented; prevention OF frosts,
scientific rain college, irrigation 10y
the nation or states, the Turtle
Mountain Park reservation, m%eteroro-
logical reports, etc.
1t is claimed by some this Office is a bill
OF eXpesnse to the state, and therefore
should be g abolished. BY law he who
may chance to be the superintendent OF
irrigation and forestry is entitled to ST.
600 for salary and $500 for travelling eN-
penses per annum. The assessed valua-
tion OF the real and personal property of
IL state for 1891, the observation-disclosures
report, was $SS, S96,291. Now, two
hundred (2O0) part OF one mill on a dol
lar OF this amount gives $1,776, equal
to two cents on each $1,000. Surely the
usefulness OF this department ought to he
worth this small percentage.