The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-10-29

self, representing the department OF
agriculture, had to do with the cut
over lands and those soon to be cut
over, in order to determine how best
they may be utilized what should
be utilized, and what should be refor-
ested. The important lesson growing
out of the seas ons study is this: The
cut-over lands should be protected
from fire. That is the great desidera-
tum. If possible it is more important
to keep the fire out of the cut-over
lands than out of the standing timber.
The standing timber and underground
is green. In the cut-over areas, how
ever, there usually remains on the
surface all manner of timber waste
which in time becomes dry. The hui
mus, being no longer shaded, also
dries. The waste, including the
stumps, is of such great quantity that
duces great heat, and the fire con-
sumes not only the brush and other
forest waste, but all the mulch and
all of the humus in the soil, and re-
duces the soil to the condition in
which it was when the glaciers re-
treated thousands of years ago. Thus
all of the conservation work of nature
during the millennium will be lost. The
land once burned over loses it's pro-
ductivity, virtually reverts to the des-
ert and is lost, so far as productivity
is concerned.
"Secondly, there are extended areas
in the State of Washington where the
lands, especially in the second and
third benches above Puget Sound,
where ordinary agriculture can hardly
be made successful except under con-
ditions such as permit of intensive
operations intensive as to produce
mulch or some other cover of humus
in abundance corresponding to that
provided on the timbered areas by ma
ture Ordinary agriculture never will
fit in land of that type. Agriculture
in that region will not be practiced
until virtually a new agriculture is de-
veloped adapted to conditions which
exist there. Such an agriculture no
doubt can be developed and of such
intensity that family can be support
ed on five acres.
New Kind of Agriculture.
while We did not go extensively
into the question of developing a new
kind of intensive agriculture suitable
to this region, it is my judgment that
poultry farming, bee farming, truck
ing and berry growing are all adapt
ed to the peculiar conditions which
prevail. Not all of the localities are
suited to berries; in some localities
the water is too low; in others too
near the surface. But when the re-
ports of our studies are published, re-
gions suitable to this industry can be
located Up to the present time poul-
try farms are the only ones doing we'll
SO far as my observation went.
LAS | said before, what we wish
most to emphasize is, first, the ex-
IRENE Importance of preventing fires
running over the cut-over lands, and,
second, the necessity of bringing these
lands, or some of them, under agri-
culture gradually by intensive meth
DDS. Some of these cut-over areas
will naturally reseed themselves and
carry another stand of timber; and
that is true of localities best adapted
to forestry. Where the forests will
not renew themselves it is not advis-
able, in my opinion, to undertake to
plant trees.
The cut-over areas in general are
in private ownership. In case they
are in the neighborhood of cities they
are subdivided and sold as building
lots at prices far in excess Of their
agricultural value. Where the cut
over areas, however, are remote from
large cities, the lands, when the tim
Der has been removed, are usually
abandoned and eventually revert back
to the county for non-payment of
taxes. The counties are thus acquir-
ing considerable quantities of land.
Prof. Landes has a plan of handling
these lands, plan which seems to
poss ess merit. 1t is to have the State
cooperate with the counties in such
manner as to either acquire these
abandoned lands as State property or
allow them to remain in possession of
the counties, but bring them under a
comprehensive system of forest man
agement whereby they would be made
useful to the State as a whole. 1t is
not his idea or mine to turn over these
lands to the federal forest service, but
rather to develop State forestry sys-
tenn, such as exists in New York,
Pennsylvania and other of the older
States. Such an idea is encouraged
by the forest service officials"
| Result Would Be Appalling.
What will happen if the cut-over
areas are devastated by fire, DR.. Nc
Gee would not venture to predict.
1.-THE result would be appalling" he
answered. Floods would be frequent,
following heavy rainfall; much of the
remaining top soil would be washed
off; the clear streams so characteris-
tic of Western Washington, instead of
having an almost constant flow would