The San Francisco call., 1904-12-03
FORESTRY WILL
BE ADV ANCED BY
NEW COMMISSION

am confident show that the money has been
wisely and economically expended and that
mass of available information has been OBJ
tanned at a minimum cost. They will also
show, am informed. that the work. though
lature will be asked to furnish the means Of
carrying it to completion in cooperation with
the Federal Government.
E. A. Sterling Of the Bureau Of For
estry read a paper on the subject of
THE Place of LAUNDERING in California
Forestry" He said that protection of
the forests against fire is the greatest
requirement Second only to fire pro-
lection and dependent upon applied
measures of fire protection is the util-
ization Of the forest resources, in other
words the cutting over of timber lands
In such a manner as not to destroy the
future forest-producing power Of the
land, open 1t up to erosion and destroy
its water retaining capacity or cause
it to revert to worthless chaparral.
Sterling spoke about the forest re-
serves in this State that aggregate near
ly 5000, 900 acres. The greater part OF
Californias timber lands is in the
hands of individuals and corporations.
he said, who can and will utilize it for
their own interests. Concerning this
phase of the situation Sterling said in
part:
1 want to make particularly strong the point
that the State should not stand idly by and
done and will do to save the States forests
There is urgent and definite State duty
toward the private timber land owners. IN as
holdings from fire and by giving them expert
advice In matters OF forest management.
Practically the whole lower timber belt of
the Sierras and the greater part of the forests
elsewhere are held by lumbermen. One investor
in the northern part OF this State owns no less
than 400. 900 acres Many others own tracts Of
from 10000 to 1e0. COO acres. Imagine the
effect upon stream flow on the flood conditions
md he ffx,otac ~ NNfrFR
perity of the State IL these enormous tracts
are cut over and burned until the lands now
you consider the foods in the Sacramento VAL
ley, the water for irrigation bitches or the
prices you must pay for lumber, the outcome
along any of these lines will be nightly af-
fected by the methods followed by the lumber
men during the next fifteen years.
w. c. Hodge Jr. of the Bureau Of
Forestry read report in which he sug-
gested a working plan under the CO.
operation of the State and of the
United States in California. Some Of
his suggestions were as follows:
Reclamation Of existing chaparral TO consist
of experiments for restoring the forest by care
full burning of the brush, followed by plant
ing OF seeds or seedlings; protection OF forest
areas from fire in order to prevent increase
in the chaparral and give opportunity for the
natural return OF the forests. These results
slash" left after numbering and the prepara-
tion of detailed plans OF fire protection suited
TO the local conditions on limited tracts. APP
plication of numbering methods, which will
insure a future growth OF timber instead of
chaparral. Under this head. plans OF man
agement for representative tracts would be
prepared. The result of such a series OF ex-
perimsnts would be OF enormous value to the
State.
Professor Samuel Fortier of the Uni
versity of California, connected with the
irrigation and drainage Investigations
of the States Department of Agricul-
ture, who is in charge of the co-opera-
tive irrigation Investigations in Califor
mia, read long report in which he con-
sidered from practical standpoint the
pumping plants of the State, the duty
of water under pumping plants. the
value of water in fruit growing, the
evaporation from a water surface and
the relation of soil moisture to plant
growth. A part of his paper is as fol-
lows:
In portions of California which receive more
than fifteen inches Of rainfall in year opin-
irrigation in their industry In regard to this
We have obtained testimony from a large num-
Der Of irrigators throughout the Pacific Coast
States. As to the general results II may be
said that they decidedly in favor Of the
value of irrigation The first inquiry was
with reference to the quantity of the product
as affected by irrigation, and the testimony
OF over 200 experienced men went 10 show
that the increase due to a supplementary
water supply by irrigation varied from 10 to
100 per cent.
The second inquiry was whether irrigation
increased the regularity Of bearing. OF the
opinions received about 90 per cent were IA
vorable to Irrigation and 10 per cent were
doubtful.
The third inquiry was with reference to the
general qualities and commercial characters OF
irrigated fruit The numerical result was that !
ity Of irrigated fruit
The effect of water the yield of cereals |
on the worn out soils of the San Joaquin VAL |
ley is being tried In experimenting with /
barley last winter the natural rainfall, which \
amounted to four and a half inches during |
the period of growth produced at the rate OF |
nine bushels per acre, while the application of |
sixteen inches of water increased the yield to !
twenty-five bushels per In the case of /
wheat, the rainfall produced straw but no
grain, four inches Of water produced yield at |
the rate of ten bushels. and sixteen inches of |
water increased the yield to thirty y-eight bush |
els per acre.
At the evening session Southern Cali /
fornia,f for the first time since the as /
sociation was formed, was given the /
presidency on recommendation Of a /
nominating committee appointed by !
Justice Beatty, consisting of Scipio 1
Craig of Redlands, d. S. Cohn of Han |
ford opd ProfeacOr MCAdie of Gan