The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-06-17
CULTIVATION OF TREES
GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGING TREE
PLANTING ON THE WEST
ERN PRAIRIES
SENDS OUT INSTRUCTIONS
Subject of Improvement of Grazing
Ranges Is Also Taken Up
Pasturing the Forest
Reserves.

WASHINGTON, d. c., June 16.-As Is
well known the tree claims of the
prairies of the West, While occasionally
successful, have nearly all proved fail
Ures. This IS accounted for by the fact
that hitherto the requirements of the
trees planted were not known to the
planters. This spring, however, thirty
three planting plans have gone into op-
Grafton as a result of the offer of the
division of forestry in Circular % and
during the summer similar plans will
probably be completed for over 100 more
of those who have applied for them.
These plans furnish the owners of the
lands for which they are made with de-
tailed instructions for planting, and rec
ommeud the species best adapted to each
tract
OF the applications for advice and
planting plans, SO per cent have come
from the treeless regions of Texas, Okla
homa, Kansas Nebraska and the Da-
Sotas. The results of the first investi-
cations of the division in these regions
are about to appear in print as Bulletin
No. q, OF the division, under the tit e
practical Tree Planting in Operation"
ton in what may be called the tree
planting region The sort of work it
outlines win be followed up vigorous
this summer.
As a further result of its work in help
to tree planters the division of forestry
viii place two or three field parties In
the plains region of the West after July
J. These viii study the encroachments
Of trees on the plains, and will also esti-
mate by valuation surveys the kinds,
growth and size of trees in planted
groves. This work will give for the first
time an approximate estimate of the vol
ume and yield of planted trees and of the
actual timber value of forest plantations
I'm The United States
The Sawyer & Austin Lumber COM
pany, which owns $1,000 acres of short
leaf pine lands in Grant, Jefferson and
Saline counties, Arkansas, recently APP
piled TO the division of forestry for a de-
tailed working plan for their tract The
preliminary examination has been made
and favorable report submitted to the
company. A contract has now been
drawn up between the Sawyer & Austin
Lumber company and the division of for
estry in which the latter agrees to make
81 thorough investigation of the tract and
to make out a detailed working plan.
and the lumber company undertakes to
Vision in the field.
A field party from the division of for
ostry is about to start for Southern Cali
fornia to make detailed investigation
of the soil cover of the watershed at the
headwaters of the MohaVe river A pre-
iiminary Investigation of this watershed
was made in October, 1899, when it was
aScertained that comprehensive data re-
garding precipitation, run off, wind We
Rod of several years, had been recorded. .
III was further ascertained that the wa
tefshed in question included secondary
drainage basins representing different
types Of soil cover. varying from dense
forest to open chaparraL
conditions appear to be particularly
favorable toward undertaking the soIu-
ton of the important problem of the
relation of soil cover to the run off of
streams. The party now going into the
neld Is TO investigate the soil cover, in
GLIDING forests and chaparral growth on
all PARTS of the watershed. The data
regard nG soil cover obtained for each
of the secondary drainage basins will
later be compared with the data avail
able regarding rainfall and run off from
the same basins
1t is thought that the investigation
viii result in the possibility of arriving
at scientific conclusion regarding the
relation Of soil cover to run off
GRAZING AT FOREST RESERVES.
The investigation of the question of
graz ng in forest reserves has been be-
gun by Mr.. Clifford Pinchot, forester,
and Mr.. Coville, the botanist, of the de-
partment of agriculture, who are now
studying the conditions in Arizona
About July l the work will be extended
to the Big Horn, Washington, Mount
RrainieT, Uintah, ella River and the
Yellowstone Park timber reserves, and
to those in the Sierras and in Southern
California. The letter if instructions
which has been issued to the field agents
indicates the spirit and thoroughness with
which the investigation will be carried on
1t is here given in full.
The investigation of the effect of graz
Ing upon the national forest reserves. in
which you are about to engage, will be
governed throughout in accordance with
the following considerations:
This investigation is undertaken at the
request of the honorable secretary of the
interior. In the letter to the honorable
secretary Of agriculture which contains
his request, after referring to the prep
aration of other reports on forest matters
for the interior department by this di-
vision he says:
Grazing in the national forest re-
serves being one of the most important
of all the questions which relate to them,
Will naturally form a chief subject of
the aforementioned reports. In the
necessary Investigations and in preparing
these reports. I have the honor to re
quest that special attention be given to
the following phases of the subject:
Il. The grazing industry in the forest
reserves in relation to taxation and the
general prosperity of specified locali-
ties
80 The relation of grazing to forest
fires.
90. The relation of grazing to the pres
erVation and reproduction of forests
- The relation of grazing to irriga-
ton and water supply.
IS. The relative effect of grazing by
various kinds of stock
&c. Moderate grazing and over-grazing
in forest reserves"
In undertaking the investigation alone
these lines this division occupies a com
pletely impartial position 1t has no
case to prove, no interest to favor except
the public interest, nor any preconceived
ideas To establish or defend It's ouiv
concern is to discover and report the es
sential facts, and upon them to base its
recommendations. In order to destroy
any chance Of mistake or misunderstand-
Ing upon this subject, I quote from an