Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-06

insect that mas become acelimated IN TeAas
and has done great damage. A scientist OF
the Department oftAgriculture has found
the weevil at home Id Guatemala being
kept In check by an ant, which has been
brought to our cotton fields for ooserva-
ton. 1t Is hoped that it may serve GOOD
purpose.
The soils of the country are getting atten-
ton from the farmers standpoint. ana IN
teresting results are following. We nave
duplicates of the soils that grow the wrap
per tobacco in Sumatra and the filler tobac-
co in Cuba. 1t viii be only q question OF
time when the large AMOUNTS paid to these
countries win be paid TO our own people.
The reclamation Of alkan lands Is pro
crossing. to give object lessons to our peo-
pie in methods by which worthless ianos
may be made productive.
The insect friends and enemies OF ln ne
farmer are getting attention. The enemy OF
The San Jose scale was found near tAe
Great Wall of China, and is now cleaning
up all our orchards. The fg-ferunL'ng m
establish an industry in California thas
amounts to from fifty to one hundred tons OF
dried figs annually, and Is extending over
the Pacific coast. A parasitic fly from SCUM
Africa is keeping in subsection the piac
scale. the worst pest of the orange ana
lemon industry In California.
Careful preliminary work is pelng ooHe
toward producing our own SILK Inc nlul-
berry is being distributed in large NUMBERS
eggs are being imported and distributed.
improved reels were imported from europe
last year. and two expert reelers were
brought to Washington to reel the crop
of cocoonS and teach the art 10 our own
people.
The crop-reporting system of the Depar.-
ment of Agriculture Is being brought cioser
to accuracy every year. 1t has Two nun
bred and fifty thousand reporters Seiecteu
from people In eight vocations In iife. II
has arrangements with most european
countries for interchange Of estimates, SO
that our people may know as nearly as PoS-
sible with what they must compete.
Irrigation and Forestry.
During the two and half years that
have elapsed since the passage OF tine re-
clamation act rapid progress has been maue
in the surveys and examinations OF the op-
portunities for reclamation in the thirteen
States and three Territories OF the ARD
West. Construction has already been De-
gun on the largest and most important or
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 Serv-
Ice, a corps of engineers selected through
competitive civdl-Service examinations. Inls
corps includes experienced consulting ana
constructing engineers as well as various
experts In mechanical and legal matters,
and is composed largely of men who have
spent most Of their lives in practical az
fairs connected with irrigation. The larger
mains to execute with care. economy and
thoroughnesS the work which has been laid
out. All important details are being care
fully considered by boards Of consulting en-
gineers, selected for their thorough knowl-
edge and practical experience. Each project
is taken up on the ground by competent
men and viewed from the standpoint of the
creation of prosperous homes, and of
promptly refunding to the Treasury the
cost of construction.
The reclamation act has been found to be
remarkably complete and effective, and so
broad in its provisions that a wide range Of
At the same time. economy is guaranteed
by the fact that the funds must ultimately
be returned to be used over again.
1t Is the cardinal principle of the forest
reserve policy of this Administration that
the reserves are for use. Whatever inter-
feres with the use of their resources is TO
be avoided by every possible means. But
these resources must be used in such way
as to make them permanent.
The forest policy of the Government is
just now a subject of vivid public interest
throughout the West and to the people of
the United States in general. The forest re-
serves themselves are of extreme value to
the present as we'll as to the future welfare
of all the western public-land States. They
powerfully affect the use and disposal of
the public lands They are of special inn
portance because they preserve the water
supply and the supply of timber for do
nestle purposes, and so promote settlement
| under the reclamation act. Indeed, they
are essential to the welfare of every one OF
the great interests of the West.
Forest reserves are created for two prin-
cipal purposes The first is to preserve the
water supply. This is their most important
use. The principal users of the water thus
preserved are irrigation ranchers and set
tiers cities and towns to whom the munich
pal water supplies are of the very first i'm.
portance users and furnishers of water
power, and the users of water for domestic
| manufacturing, mining and other purposes
All these are directly dependent upon the
forest reserves.
The second reason for which forest re-
serves are created is to preserve the timber
supply for various classes of wood users
Among the more important of these are set
| tiers under the reclamation act and other
| acts, for whom cheap and accessible sup
| ply of timber for domestic uses is abso-
! lutely necessary; miners and prospectors.
who are In serious danger of losing their
timber supply by fire through export by
| lumber companies when timber lands ada
cent to their mines pass into private owner
ship: lumbermen. transportation companies,
! builders and commercial interests In gen.
eral.
Although the wisdom of creating forest
| reserves Is nearly everywhere heartily rec
! ogniZed. yet in a few localities there has
been misunderstanding and complaint. The
| following statement is therefore desirable:
The forest-reserve policy can be successful
only when it has the full support of the
people OF the west. IL can not safely, and
| should not in any case, be imposed upon
| them against their will But neither can
| we accept the views of those whose only
| interest in the forest is temporary; who
| are anxious to reap what they have not
| sown, and then move away, leaving Desc
| lation behind them On the contrary, 1t is
everywhere and always the interest of the
permanent settler and the permanent busl-
ness man, the man with stake in the
country. which must be considered and
which must decide.
The making of forest reserves within
railroad and wGgon-road land-grant limits
| will hereafter. as for the past three years
| he so managed as to prevent the issue, UNI
| der the act of June 4. 1897, of base for ex-
change or lieu selection Casually called
| scrip. In all cases where forest reserves
within areas covered by land grants appear
| to be essential to the prosperity of set
! tiers, miners. or others, the Government
| lands within such proposed forest reserves
| will. as In the recent past, be withdrawn
| from sale or entry pending the completion
| of such negotiations with the owners of the
| land grants as will prevent the creation OF
so-called scrip.
1t was formerly the custom to make for.
| est reserves without first getting definite
| and detailed information as to the charac.
| ter of land and timber within their bounda.
| ries. This method of action often resulted
| in badly chosen boundaries and consequent
| injustice to settlers and others Therefore
| this Administration adopted the present
method of first withdrawing the land from
| disposal, followed by careful examination
on the ground and the preparation Of de-