Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-01-05
Our Forestry Stations RETROSPECT
tive and Prospective.

EDITOR WORLD: Our people are just
now specializing with good deal of in
terest as to the kind of new Forestry
Commissioner we shall have next.
1t is, of course, conceded that new
one VIII be appointed, for it has become
custom since these stations have been
esta blished to make new appointments
every two years. These changes sug-
gest some things of which we wish to
speak of at this time, with the hope
that it may reach those whose endorse
ment gives strongest accent to the favor
ed candidate for this place.
Experience is sometimes a very ex-
pensive and at all times an impressive
teacher. Those who have observed the
general management of these stations
for the greater part of the past eight
years will readily agree with the writer
that the object lessons are abundant.
Going to show that it is not all sufficient
that man should be a shrewd politi-
clan or good business man for this
place. He should have a practical as
well as a good theoretical knowledge of
the business to make a successful COM
missioner. There are plenty of men, in
fact too many of them, who can go to
the Governor loaded down with petit
toners names, but how many can take
with them evidence of knowledge that
ton upon all things pertaining to the
matter of growing trees in western Kan
sas, can show that they have a thorough
knowledge of how to sprout all kinds of
timber seeds in order to get the best re-
suits. How to plant, when to plant and
how to care for the young seedlings
throughout the entire season. These
are some of the minor details that an
applicant should be familiar with He
should be able to keep careful record
of all experiments made and the results
given to the public either at the end of
term or before, through local newspa-
pers, at various times, as occasion and
opportunity might suggest. We have,
no doubt, out that local newspapers
would cheerfullv lend their aid in this
matter to commissioner in giving out
any useful information upon this SUBJ
ject. We regret to say that if such a
record, as the above mentioned, has
been kept, since Mr.. Robb's retirement,
it seems to have been kept most studi-
ously from the public. There certainly
were no suggestions contained in ex-
Commissioner Bartlett's report, except
that the appropriation be reduced In
deed he need not hardly have mention
ed this matter since the size of his re-
port would have indicated that there
was something small somewhere-most
likely the man who got up the report.
Bartlett was the man who sent A. Por-
ter up from off the knobs of the Big
Blue to take charge of the Forestry sta
ton at Ogallah. The cause for this APP
pointment consisted in the fact that
Porter was Bartlett's father-in-law He
came here burthened with knowledge
of how to grow piemelons, cucum bers
and squashes, but frankly acknowledged,
a few days after landing here, that he
knew but blank little about the Forestry
business. Such man is as incompe-
tent to successfully conduct the affairs
of State Forestry farm as plowman
would be to mount a locomotive and
run it across the continent. If our po-
litical friends who form that little choice