The farmer and mechanic., 1911-12-12
(By the Associated Press.)

Washington, D. c., Dec. 9.-The
first purchase of land under the
Weeks law authorizing the creation
Of the Appalachian Forest Reserve
was authorized at a meeting of the
National Forest Reservation Commits
sion in the office of Secretary Of War
Stimson, chairman of the commits
sion, today.
Ten tracts of mountain land, aggre
eating 1880 acres in Mcdowell
county, North Carolina, were decided
upon by the commission for pur-
chase. The tracts range from 100 to
10,06O acres in size and are located
near Mount Mitchell in the western
part Of the State, and are declared to
be excellent for practical forest work.
The price ranges from three to six
dollars an acre, the total cost amount
ing to about 100000.
All the tracts are on the watershed
Of CataWba River, an important tribu-
tary Of the Wateree River, which with
the COngaree, forms the Santee,
stream of much industrial importance,
which, with it's tributaries, is navlga-
BILE for $50 miles in South Carolina.
In taking favorable action upon
these tracts the commission was
had selected one of the most favorable
localities of the Southern Appalachian
region for the application Of the
Weeks law, the purpose of which is
the protection and control Of the wa
tersheds Of navigab1e streams. Fur
ther meetings will be held in the near
future to take action upon other tracts
already under consideration
Some of the tracts decided upon
to-day are we'll timbered, some par
TALLY cut over and some entirely cut
over. With the exception Of one
tract all are purchased without tim
Der or mineral reservations. On one
tract of $500 acres the standing tim
Der is reserved by the owners and
will be cut under regulations already
agreed upon with the Department Of
Agriculture. These regulations are
so framed as to leave upon the ground
a considerable stand Of young timber
and insure it's protection from fire.
All of the tracts are contiguous or
nearly so and will form an area
large enough for administration pur-
poses and for the demonstration Of
methods Of practical forestry in this
portion of the Southern Appalachi-
Ons.
The forest service had made a care
full examination and had reported on
the character and value Of the land
and timber. The Geological Surveys
report said that Federal control of
the lands will prevent excessive soil
wastage and erosion which is likely
to ensue if such control is not estab-
lished. The prevention of excessive
erosion, it added, will tend to pro-
mote and preserve the navigability Of
the CataWba River, within the water
shed Of which the district lies
Other tracts of timber land which
have been examined soon will be
brought before the commission for
consideration.
The commission today reaffirmed
the announcement made early in the
summer that it will not pay any
speculative prices for land and will
not purchase and land which will not
COnduce directly to the purposes Of
the act
The commission consists of the
Secretary of War, the Secretary Of the
Interior, the Secretary Of Agriculture.
Senator Gallinger, of New Hampshire:
Senator Smith, Of Maryland; Repre-
sentative Lee, of Georgia, and Rep
resentative Hawley, of Oregon.
Asheville, n. c., Dec. 9.-Daniel
W. Adams, supervisor Of the local Of
flee of the Forestry service, before
leaving for Washington, where he to-
day recommended to the National
Forest reservation Commission the
purchase Of several thousand acres
OF lands in Western North Carolina
stated that at the meeting of the COM
mlttee to be held in January he wollld
recommend the purchase Of an addi-