The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-06

1872, had accomplished the eXamina-
ton and classification as chiefly val
liable for agriculture of a total Of
over 100000 acres, or land enough to
make 10000 homes, and had listed
those areas with the secretary of the
interior to be opened to entry. In ad-
ditton sufficient knowledge of the ag-
ricultural possibilities of the who,e
national forest area has been obtained
to show that on the most liberal es-
innate, of the total of 100, 1893, 996 acres
IN the United States proper there re-
mains not more thar 1000, 600 acres or
less than 2.5 per cent that is suitable
for cultivation.
The exterior boundaries of the for
ests were in the first place so locat-
ed as to include Sc far as practical
BILE only lands chiefly valuable for
forest purposes and to exclude lust
so far as possible all lands of higher
value for other purposes. including
agriculture. Naturally then the ma
tlonal forests are confined to the
highest, toughest and most noun
famous sections of the country
where the climatic and topographic
'' u "i'A' u tiit hipSl
adverse to agricu ture and where
such lands by conditions of climate,
topography and soil are adapted to
agricultural use must Of necessity &C.
cur as a rule in the shane of small
scattered tracts, narrow strips of bot
tom or bench lands among the streams
or small meadows in the basins at
Their heads. Instances of broad level
valleys with deep fertile soil and fa-
vorable climate are so rare as to be
most exceptional and no such areas
now remain closed to entry except
where the stand of timber is so heavy
and its value SO great as to induce
timber speculation to the exclusion Of
the bona f,de agricultural sett CT if
thrown open will The timber stand
ing. Such tracts obviously must be
withheld until by the logging of the
timber the timber speculative value
overshadoWlng the bona fide agricul-
tural value a be removed. The
work of locating and s~egregating
these remaining 1000, 900 acres is now
being actively prosecuted on a sys-
tematic and comprehensive basis. In
the appropriation for the forest sher-
1872 i'A'N N''iAS 'N'' u
item for agricultural classification
work of $25, 600, and for 1914 has in
creased this amount to 100000. be
sides giving the bureau of soils $40
000 to be used in cooperating with
the forest service.
HI failure on the part of congress
to pass the appropriation bill for 1913
until August 10, 1872, naturally pre-
vented the forest service from getting
the work rounded into a shape that
would enable il to accomplish moro
than u preliminary start before the
close of last years field season. The
service has, however, been working
through the winter in southern Cali
fornia and in Arkansas, where
weather conditions would permit and
with the opening of the coming sum
mer season we shall be in a position
to open up simultaneously in the vari-
Gus sections of the country on as
broad a scale as the present availa-
Tile funds will permit and from that
time on the rapIdity with which the
work will progress will depend upon
the financial Limitations placed upon
US by congress.
The general principles governing
the agricultural classification are as
follows:
Bureau Of soils, cooperating with
the forest service, will determine first
I what portions Of a given area are by
conditions Of climate. topography and
soil and related factors, positively
adapted to agricultural use and what
portions are nOn-agricuitural in char
acter. The non-agricultural portions,
will, of course, be Withheld from set
tlement as being chiefly valuable for
forest imposes. Each tract of land
chiefly valuable for agriculture will
be opened to entry under the forest
homestead act.
II may happen that land designated
by the bureau Of soiss is so heavily
timbered that it should be Withheld
from settlement because the opening
of 1t to entry would lead To its ac-
QUESTION for speculation IN timber
values and the consequent blocking of
agricultural development. In such
event, the aim Will he 10 withhold
from settlement t!mbered agricultural
lands whose estimated stumpage value
Is greater han the estimated sale
value Of the lane for agriculture, or
IS sufficient to lead 10 the acquisition
of the land Tor purposes of specula-
ton in the timber in the place of
agricultural development. Agricultural
lands Whlch have only a slight stand
Of timber Of 80 low a value as 10 be