Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1899-06-03
THE FORESTRY QUESTION.

oOfoIumouI LIB At Gn9 Cm0 giving
special attention. 1t is tree planting.
While the Forestry Division of the
Department OF Agriculture is sup.
posed to look into forestry questions
for the entire United States, as a
matter Of fact, special direction is
now being devoted by the new Fores-
ter, Mr.. Clifford Pinchot, to the con-
ditions in the Plains States and the
Rocky Mountain States. The for.
ests have such close relation to the
moisture supply and the general
subject OF agriculture in the West
that the Department of Agriculture
foressees the necessity of making an
investigation which will show the
exact conditions of the forests and
wooded mountains whence comes the
rivers and streams, and the effect of
del 1restizatlon which B going ON
through tho cuttings by lumbermen
and the devastations from fires.
During the past twenty years a
great deal has been done in the way
OF tree planting in the West, the
Timber Culture law being enacted
by Congress in the hope of building
up tree areas. This law generally
proved a dismal failure, yet a vast
amount OF artificial tree planting has
been successful. While the Forestry
Division is in favor of any thing that
will perpetuate or pporogate tree
areas, 1t is proposed i'll the first place,
before going into any planting
schemes, to carefully collect all the
data which can be- found on the SUBJ
Ject OF tree planting. 1t Is some.
times fully as important to have the
evidence OF failure as of q success,
for, il the experiment has been well
made the knowledge of its failure
will obviate the necessity for further
trial. 10 this connection, Prof j. w.
Tourney, the Botanist of the Arizona
Experiment Station, and a practical
forester, is now making a tour
through the West in the interests OF
the Agricultural Department. The
Government Forester himself, Mr..
Pinchnt, is also about to start on
trip into the Northwest taking with
him a forestry Glass;" consisting Of
young men who are making a special
study Of the subject.
While forestry has not yet come to
be generally considered an important
branch Of the Government, the sub.
ject is one which is undoubtedly
coming to the front in this country,
and forestry and irrigation are soon
destined soon to be, if they are not
already, the two leading problems for
the West. Our great natural resour-
css and the vast area of uncut tim
Der in the United States have kept
the attention Of the people from the
necessity for some such line Of action
by the Government as is practiced in
European countries. where this
branch Of agriculture is recognized as
OF the highest importance. France
Germany. Italy and other contiuen-
ten countries are as careful Of their
forests as Of their waterways and
hundreds Of thousands of dollars are
expended every year by their govern
ment in reclaiming worn out and
waste land by planting trees; while
the Crown forests are administered by
the Government with distinct profit
TO the State.
1t will be long time, Mr.. Plnchott
says, before the forests of the United
Stats are managed as he would like
to see them, namely, like those Of the
European countries where the forest.
ry question is an old one and the
word "virgin" is unknown. There
the most absolute system in the for
est management prevails and growth
and rotation OF forest crops are made
as much Of study as many other
branches OF 40 riculttlre Mr. pincbrtt