Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-13


partment. Just as
the geological survey
determines the mineral belts of the coun-
Try the new biological survey will deter
mine us animal and vegetable belts. The
result Is expected to be a tremendous eco
hofnic advantage to our producers. Our
agrlcuiturists horticulturists, stock rails
ers ana those engaged in any of the va
rlous animal or vegetable Industries are,
AFTER Few years, to be given charts show
ing the exact portions Of each state and
territory where certain animals and vege-
tables can be advantageously raised. These
VIII De supplemented by a great catalogue
containing every land animal and vegetable
OF the world. and indicating The areas in
which they may be raised or cultivated
by Americans.
Millions of dollars are thrown away each
year by farmers and other producers, who
plant seed in the wrong soil or climate, or
who undertake to breed animals where the
atmosphere and food resource is uncon-
genial. An efficient corps of naturalists
Will make detailed survey of the whole
country, counting and classifying the liv-
ing species found in each county Of each
state and territory. They will also note
the conditions of climate altitude and soil,
and Will note how far each condition in
| nuences the distribution of the species
No other country in the world has ever in
| st1tuted survey Of this kind.
How the Work fs to he Done
The chief of the new survey will be Dr.
c. Hart Merriam. now chief of the division
Of ornithology and mammalogy in the De-
| partment Of Agriculture. The field work
WILDE performed by six naturalists, to be
distributed about the country and shifted
from north to SOUTH according to change
OF season. In few weeks DIR. Merriam
VIII start out upon surveying tour in
| the far west. His equipment will consist
OF light blackboard, with ou:riggers. to be
drawn by mules. Upon the back of this
| Will rest large chest for containing speof-
i mems. The outriggers will hold the camp
equipment and subsistence, which vii! in
| clude dry rationS, TO be eaten with such
game as may be met on the way. The
doctor will be accompanied by his first as
| ststant, Mr.. Vernon Bailey. Both will
| ride saddle horses while third man will
| drive the team and act packer.
| This modest army of naturalists will wage
| bloody war against all animal lfe-not
| domesticated-met on the march. Before
| resting In camp each night they will set
| several hundred traps for catching noe
| turnal animals. AS they proceed the
! march by daylight they will rain showers of
| hot lead upon birds and beasts. For killing
birds and small animals Will be used shot
guns with auxiliary barrels of from % to
| 81 caliber. These will! fit inside the ordinary
| barrels. and will dispatch shot almost as fine
| as powder. so selected because it does not
| 1E1ure the specimens.
| Animal Belts.
AS each animal is trapped or shot it will
! be skinned and stuffed. Its skull will be
| saved and sealed in glass bottle Tags at
| tached to each specimen will contain its
| name and the exact locality where 1t was
! FOUND Specimens of characteristic species
| collected IN this manner throughout the
| country will be studied with reference to
| plotting the animal belts or zones This
| work, which is of preliminary nature. is al
| NEST completed characteristic species of
| almost every state having been collected by
| the division of ornithology and mammaloay
| Charts Will be completed showing the belts
occupied by each Species studied one at a
| tine. Inc naturalists will have before
| them as many large typographical charts
| as the total number of species found The
| zone OF the mink. for instance will he de-
| termined by taking each specimen of that
| species found in the field and making on
| q map dot, showing the locality where
| each was killed. These dots will cluster
and the areas included in the clusters will
be tinted In a representative color. The
| same process will be employed for plot
| ting zones for each species of yegeta BILE
| Besides indicating the sections of the
country III which valuable animal and plant
| life can be raised with success DR. Mer-
| Ram tells the writer that his survey will
determine the zones in which injurious in
| sects, animals and weeds abound or are
| likely to migrate when certain species are
| country, it is. thought, many thousands of
| dollars. For instance. farmer may want
| to plant potatoes on the side Of noun
tain He will look at the biological map
and first learn between what attitudes no.
| tatoes will flourish He will next locate
| the potato bug zone. He will plant any-
| where in the potato zone except that part
intersected by the potato bug zone
| Adapted To the Climate.
The same theory applied to other forms
! Of life would hold good for level lands. all
| of which are included in one of the various
| zones. Minks weazels, rats, mice, moles
and other denizens of the field which prey
upon produce will be located just as in
sects. In determining their zones as well
as those of weeds, it mus. be predicted
| whether they viii prosper in new localities
| after the introduction of plants and ami
| mails upon which they depend for subsist-
| cree. Not only will persons living in af
fected zones be warned against raising GER
| tain things, but those adjacent will lie ad-
vised to get rich by raising those things
| affected in the nearby injurious zone.
What foreign products are adapted to our
zones? Ihis. Or. Merriam tells the writer,
! is the greatest of all economic problems to
| be solved by his survey. AS soon as we
| know definitely where to put them we can
take any animal or plant species and find
| here of practically every life-zone in the
world Foreign species introduced here in
! appropriate climates have, SO FAR seemed
to prosper better than in their native
climes. This. Dr. Merriam says, is for the
| reason that they get away from their
natural enemies. The best example of this
| is the English sparrow. ~
By artificial selection domestic animals
| can be adapted more widely to the different
| zones than wild ones, but there is a limit
which frequently causes breeders of foreign
species to lose many dollars. For !nstance
much money has been lost by American
breeders who have striven to raise Jersey
cattle in high zones where Holstens viii
prosper, but where the former will perish
| JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS Jr,