Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-05

for stock, houses, barns. c~orrals, etc,
Fire Fighting Spectacular service.
The fire fighting department of the
forest service is the most spectacular
and the best known to the public, but
few realize the extent Of this work.
The summer force of range and
guards, whose main duty is fire pa
troll, numbers 1850 men. aud each
man is required to protect about 122,-
600 acres. Tho primary object OF the
building of bridges and telephone lines
and the construction of trails and
roads is better to enable the Anglers
to protect the forests from fire. Every
holder of Il permit to cut timber
Craze stock or for amy special use" Is
required to assist the forest officers
in time of fire.
The forest service. in addition TO
looking after the details of its own
work. co-operates with the states and
private owners. Acting with the
states. II makes examination OF forest
conditions. outlines the policies nee
esSary TO protect and maintain the
timber supply, makes preliminary ex-
aminations which often are followed
by more comprehensive studies, in
Guiding q detailed forest map. esti-
mate of the timber, plans for the sys-
tematic management of the forest
lands. etc. 1t also conducts expert
ments in nurseyr practice n field
planting in cooperation with the
states.
The services of the bureau are al
the disposal of he individual land
owner also. Any wne who wishes to
learn whether forestry might be prof
table may apply TO the forest service
and have an examination of his lands
made by an expert. From the data
collected a working plan is outlined
which will enable the owner to de-
rive from his forest the fullest and
most permanent revenue consistent
with his special requirements. own
ers OF about 10000. GOO acres of for
est land have made applications Tor
assistance of this nature.
In the reforestation work now be-
ing carried on throughout the United
states, Illinois is furnishing "A large
proportion of the young seedlings
that are thus required.
only recently John ID. Rockefeller
drew on the state for thirty thousand
young white pines which have been
transplanted in the soil of the Adiron-
dack Mountains.
on IA single farm near Dundee.
Kane county, were grown the first lot
of jack pine seedlings to start a great
forest in the sand hills of Nebraska,
near Halsey. the work now being car
ried on by the United States govern
ment. The same farm furnished the
Pennsylvania railroad company with
500, 900 red oak plants. n they were
set out in the Allegheny mountains
near Altoona. The farm also fur
nished the same company with 400
bushels of acorns from which oak
plants are being produced.
James j. Hill ef the Great Northern
and other lines got 100000 white pine
plants from the same farm, and they
were set out in the former great PIN
cries of the northwest.
This farm also furnished three and
a half million white pine plants for
the reforesting work now being car
ried on in the New England states on
abandoned farms and in exhausted
timber tracts.
The farm consists of nearly 200
acres, the larger part of which is nov
given up to the growing of timber
plants for some of our most valued
hard and soft wood. 1t overlooks from
a level bluff the Fox river valley and
is one OF the most beautiful locations
in northern Illinois.
Not only have millions Of a great
variety of plants been sent to almost
every state of this country, but great
quantities have been sent across b
oceans. A tremendous export has
been made of the Douglas fir, which
grows hardly in foreign countries.
Our own government is now buying
all of the seed it can get Of this vari-
ETY. from every known collector in this
country.
There are $4,000, 600 acres in the
forests. of which about -
600 are in Alaska and Porto Rico.
There are 3,270, 600 acres In the
state reserves.
The private forests in the United
noun to 500, 600. 900 acres.
TWo-thirds IF all the timber cut Is
Il total loss, chiefly through Wastcfui
methods.
The annual loss i'm the forests due
to fires is $780, 600. 600 in timber and
fifty lives.
The national forest service employs
/, 500 men.
The revenue from the national for
ests increased from $5S,436 in 1904 to
$1.T36,O1l in 1903.
During 1905 1,3SO.0O0 head of cat
tie and horses and 100000 head of
sheep and goats were grazed in the
national forests, representing $4,000
different owners.
The forest service during 1905 built
$50 miles of trails. 1858 miles OF
roads, 2,524 miles of telephone lines, I
clio miles of fences. 34S houses, Sc
bridges. etc. the total expended for
permanent improvements being SOL
nHp