Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-12-21
BARRETT'S REPORT.
Commissioner Barrett's Report Is an
Interesting Document, Full
of Valuable Matter.
Deals with the Fish, Lumber and Irri
cation Interests of the State
l~ntellegently.

TIC governor Une CypeWrltten manu-
script of the eight and ninth annual
reports of his department to be issued
under one cover. 1t treats of forestry
and fish culture alone. The aim has
been to bring the subject into a most
compact compass, and at the same
time make the facts and truth clearly
and fully understood, an art which it
is we'll known this official possess to
a most worthy degree. AS in the
past, it is found his ideas and teach
ings are practical. timely and concern
the interest of the people at large.
He described the nature and charac-
teristics of the tree, it's different Or
gans and parts and their functionary
action in the direction of assimilation
by means of elements derived by the
roots and leaves from the soil and the
air. He makes known the absolute
necessity of the trees and forests in
tie realm of nature and their econ
mic uses and advantages, particu-
larly for their wood material entering
into the affairs and needs of human
life, the %husbandry of moisture upon
the forest floor for the support and
Keeping OF the brooks and streams and
the great underflow, supplying water
to the land for the benefit OF grain and
fruit; for the increase of humidity
and rainfall, the cleansing and puri-
tying of the atmosphere, the shielding
from the extremes of cold and heat,
and the adjustment and harmoniza-
ton of the elements of nature. He
makes clear the fact that they are
prime factors in producing the best
meteorological and climatic conditions
and materially aid in bcgetting the
best status of agricultural produc-
tons of the country.
Mr.. Barrett is specifically careful to
give many rules of vital Importance,
pointing ont now to plant, cultivate
and develop trees, windbreaks,
groves. and forests in our state; how
to handle trees and seeds so as to in
sure lie. termination and growth.
He shows the climate and soil of
North Dakota are as we'll fitted to
raise trees and woodlots as any other
western state having like temperature
and moisture. This is made clear by
the fact that the native woods and
domestic trees of our state amount to
near half a, million acres and as for
size, texture. health and persistence
and other good sivicultural features
they will compare favorably with like
trees, produced under similar condi-
tions in any western state.
He makes a statement of the actual
work of his department, showing
great progress in his field of action
The Sylvaton System, or the enlist.
ment of the school children in the arr
of forestry is referred to in a few pages
proving it possess merit of a practical
nature. replete with promising re-
suits.
During the last season Mr.. Barrett
has visited the Turtle Mountain woods
and finds the fires have wrought great
destruction to the heavy woods, find
ing thousands of acres have thus been
destroyed and he claims that for every
cord of wood cut for legitimate use
and speculative purposes from ten tc
twenty cords have been consumed by
fires which rage through the woods
practically annually. And as in the
past he seeks to draw the attention
of our. legislators to this terrible de.
struction of the bounties of nature, alb
solutely needed by our increasing pop.
ulation.
The commission calls attention tt
the fact that the people of North Da.
kota send millions of dollars out Of
the state each returning year to pay
for fuel and lumber, and contends the
trees producing the same should be
raised in our borders, the same tc
constitute permanent branches of di'
versified farming.
He makes known the fact that the
total area of the forests of the United
States is less than 50O,OOO,OOO acres
and that the consumption of the woot
material for legitimate purposes
amounts to twelve billion cubic feet
per annum in excess of the yearly
growth. This does not include the
loss by prairie fires, which is esti'
mated to be five billion cubic feet eact
year. Our national government is
now protecting in the way of nationa
parks and timber reserves near 40,
100000 acres of forests, but has made
no provisions for the raising of trees
Some states are making good progress!
in tree culture, and Mr.. Barrett claim!
that under the circumstances Nortl
Dakota has made good fair advance
ment, having in the neighborhood o