Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-29
SECRETARY WILSON'S RETURN
DISCUSSES SEVEN-wEEKS' TRIP
IN THE WEST.
Didn't Find Much Opposition to Gov
ernment's Forest Reserve Policy.
Timber Famine Threatened.

Secretary Wilson has returned to the De-
partment of Agriculture after an absence
of seven weeks, during which he has been
investigating the forest reservations in the
northwest.
1T has been two years since the forest
reservations came under the Department
of Agriculture said Secretary Wilson to
a reporter of The Star today, land I have
been anxious all that time to look them
over myself; but the meat inspection and
pure-food problems have kept me away
until recently.
1.-The government has, roughly, about
150,O00GO0 acres Of forest reserve. With
regard to them 1 found two chief problems
First, to insure protection from fire, and
second, to reforest the land where continual
fires have destroyed the young trees. There
are millions of acres growing nothing ex-
cept little grass. The question of refor-
estation is pressing.
1.-The price of lumber indicates that we
are up against a wood famine. Lumber
is being shipped from the northwest all
over the world. A great deal of it is even
coming here to the east. Common lumber
costs $50 a Thousand when it gets to the
Mississippi valley
I'm the forest regions the homesteader,
or the man who gets patent under the
timber and stone act, often sells to private
corporations, some of which have as many
as SVOUu,Ooo acres, ana are Stlll DuylnS.
Considerable pressure comes from persons
who want to get title merely to sell to such
companies and put the money In their
pockets.
Little Opposition to Policy.
Il failed to find much sentiment against
the reserves, except from the small ele-
ment that would like to get possession to
sell. In the heavily timbered regions of
"a OF &c
make farm. 1t would cost about 500 an
acre to get the land cleared fit for cult
walton. The general sentiment is that the
PRESIDENTS policy is wise, since it is evil
dent that wood is going to be very scarce
In this country before many wears
There was very little feeling regarding
the grazing in the reserves. 1t is desi-ab BILE
10 nave the grass eaten short so that it Will
not feed fires The policy of the govern
ment is to take care of the settler who has
limited amount Of land and to let him
put in few head of cattle for nothing.
charging him for the rest about 20 per cent
of the value of the forage eaten by his
cattle. ~ AIS
What seems to be the best offer of the
government is that of land in the reclaimed
districts Tor the cost of the water used in
llrlsa !! Ihose were the principal OBJ
servat1ons that / made in my journey. I
did not meet Mr.. Pinchot, although l had
planned to do SO, but the fruit raisers of
california were so agitated over the Ques-
ton of the use of sulphur in curing their
products That l had to spend great deal
OF time with them. That subject is now in
the hands of some of our most skillful
chemists. and is not yet decided.
Condition Of the Crops.
''In the northwest found the grain crops
better than usual The Mississippi valley
crops I have not studied, though 1 have
noticed one fact with regard to the corn
crop. The spring was two weeks late, but
corn which was planted on fields where
farmers rotated their crops Is seasona BILE
since 1t always gains two weeks when
planted under those conditions OF course
the corn crop depends on exemption from
frost during most of September
Another thing / have observed is that
when you see cornfie1d with yellow
streaks in 1t you may know at once that
the water level is too high, and that drain
age tiles are called for.
Grain and hay in the corn belt are both
very abundant"