The farmer and mechanic., 1912-09-17
CHECK CALLS FOR $4,000
Two Millions Annually Available
for Purchase of Lands Under
Act Creating Commission.
FOUR MILLIONS IN ALL
(By AMES BROWN.)

VI! bLSO" NJ
Washinton, Sept. 14.-The first
check to be signed in payment for
lands for the Appalachian Forest Re-
servation by the Secretary Of Agricul-
ture will be made payable to the own
ers of the Mt. Mitchell tract in Nc
DOwell, Buncombe, Yancey and Mitch
ell counties, North Carolina. The
amount Of this payment will be $685.
900. The secretary Of the treasury
will be called upon to honor the
check some time this month
Under the law of 1911 which Great
ed the National Forest Reservation
Commission, two million dollars is ap-
propriated annually for purchase OF
available lands This places at the
disposal of the commission for pur-
chaseS to be cOnSummated by March
a, 1913, four million dollars, less the
sum to be paid Immediately for the
Nit. Mitchell tract.
Approximately 100000 acres Of
land in several states have been ap-
proved for purchase by the commits
sion at an estimated cost Of ST.
100000.
Prospective Acquisitions.
Lands have been approved for pur-
chase by the National Forest Reser-
vatiOn Commission to become sections
of the Appalachian Forest Reservation
in Tennessee, North Carolina. Vir
ginia, Georgia and New Hampshire.
At the meetings of the commission
which will take place in the coming
winter it is expected that these areas
will be greatly enlarged as the forest
service has already completed the ex-
animation Of a large nu1sber Of addi-
tional tracts
In North Carolina the total area
approved by the commission is 53,9S5
acres This lies in what is known as
the Mt. Mitchell and Nantahala dis
tricts The Mt Mitchell district IN.
Cludes parts Of Mcdowell Buncombe
Yancey and Mitchell counties. The
Eantahala district lies in Clay. Macon
Swain, Graham and Cherokee coun'
ties.
The area approved in Tennessee is
59,213 acres and is wholly in the
Smoky Mountain district, which takes
in parts of Monroe Blourt, Sewer
and Cooke counties.
in Virginia the lands approved lie
in three diStrictS,-the Massanutter
district, in Shenandoah, Rockingham
Warren and Page counties: the Nat
ural Bridge district, in Rockbridge
Amherst, Bedford and Boteourt coun;
ties and the White Top district, IL
Washington, Smyth. Wythe and Gray
son counties. The three districts make
up S1,876 acres.
In Georgia 31,876 acres have beer
approved for purchase. What il
known as. the Georgia acrea lies il
Raburn. Hambersham. White, Lump
kin, Union and Towns counties.
The White Mountain district. II
New Hampshire, which consists O.
72,252 acres, lies in Coos and Orator
counties.
The National Commission.
The National Forest Reservation
Commission was created by an act O
Congress, March 1, 1911, which au
thOrized the commission to acqulr'
lands of the watersheds OF naE1gabl
streams for the purpose OF conservln'
their navigability. By this act tn
secretary Of agriculture was directed
to examine and recommend to tn
commission for purchase such land
in his judgment might be necessar.
to the regulation aud flow OF navisa
bic streams and authorized him T.
purchase in the name of the govern
ment lands which had been approved
by the commission. The law appro
Driated 81, 900 900 annually until 191
for the purchase Of lands approved b,
the commission.
To Maintain Perpetual Growth
The general purpose of the law is t
secure the maintenance OF a pefpetu
al growth Of forest on the WATERSHED
of navigable streams where tn
growth will materially aid in prevent
ing floods improving low waters. il
preventing erosion Of steep slopes ant
In oil n a ~ N