Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-12-06

DAI
Turkey has helped to establish an in
dustry in California that amounts TO
from 80 to 100 tons of dried figs an.
nually, and is extending over the Pa.
cifie coast. A parasitic fly from South
Africa is keeping in ubjection the
black scale, the worst pest Of the
orange and lemon industry in Califor.
mia.
Careful preliminary work is being
done towards producing our own silk.
The mulberry is being distributed in
large numbers, eggs are being import
ed and distributed, improved reels were
imported from Europe last year, and
two expert reelers were brought to
Washington to reel the crop of coeoons
and teach the art to our own people.
The crop reporting system of the de.
partment of agriculture is being
brought closer to accuracy every year.
1t has 250,OO0 reporters selected from
people in eight voeations in life. It
has arrangements with most European
countries for interchange of estimates,
so that our people may know as nearly
as possible with what they must com
pete.
| Irrigation.
1 DuriuU tha ttuo td h,lf .ro,-. Al..4
have elapsed since the passage of the
reclamation act rapid progress has been
made in the surveys and examinations
of the opportunities for reclamation in
the thirteen states and three territories
of the arid west. Construction has al
ready been begun on the largest and
most important of the irrigation works,
and plans are being completed for
works which will utilize the funds now
available. The operations are being
carried on by the reclamation service,
a corps of engineers selected through
competitive civil service examinations
This corps includes experienced con.
structing engineers as we'll as various
experts in mechanical and legal mat
ters, and is composed largely of mer
who have spent most of their lives in
lpractical affairs connected with irriga
tion. The larger problems have beer
solved, and it now remains to execute
with care, economy and thoroughnes'
the work which has been laid out. AL
important details are being carefully
considered by boards of consulting en-
gineers, selected for their thorough
knowledge and practical experience
Each project is taken up ON the grount
by competent men and viewed from tn,
standpoint of the creation of prosperou
homes, and Of promptly refunding t,
the treasury the cost of construction
The reclamation act has been found t.
be remarkably complete and effective
and so broad in its provisions that
wide range of undertakings has bee
, possible under it. At the same tim
= ECONOMY is guaranteed by the fact tina
: the funds must ultimately be returne
to be used over again.
Il Forests.
! It is the cardinal feature Of the fol
, est reserve policy of this administratio
, that the reserves are for use. What
| ever interferes with the use of their rC
sources is to be avoided by every pos
: sible means. But these resources mus
/ be used in such a way as to make theI
permanent.
; The forest policy of the government
r is just now subject of vivid publ
3 interest throughout the west and to tn
: people of the United States in genera
! The forest reserves themselves are O
{ extreme value to the present as we
4 as to the future welfare of all th
| western public land states. They pow
, erfully affect the use and disposal G
, the public lands. They are of specii
a Importance because they preserve th
= water supply and the supply of timbt
q for domestic purposes, and so promOt
= settlement under the reclamation ae
q Indeed, they are essential to the we
g fare of every one of the great interest
o of the west.
[ Forest reserves are created for tw
8 principal purposes. The first is to pr
! serve the water supply. This is the
!. most important use. The principle usel
a of the water thus preserved are irrig'
e tion ranehers and settlers, cities an
a Towns to whom their municipal wat'
e supplies are of the very first impo
e tanee, users and furnishers of wat'
a power and the users of water for d.
t nestle, manufacturing, mining an
s other purposes. All these are directl
S dependent upon the forest reserves
e The second reason for which fore
a raaarvaa ara ereated il 10 lpreserVe Ill