Evening journal., 1915-03-03
FEAR forest FIRES
AS SPRING COMES
January BlazeS in the Rocky
Mountain Region Set
New Record
SOUTH TURNS FROM
COTTON TO OATS CROP

BY The United Press.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-The pos
sibility Of a dangerous spring and
summer fire season in the national
forests in the west is pressaged by
reports that two forest fires occurred
in January and that the snowfall in
much of the Rocky Mountain region
and in the foothills has been much
below normal. the Forest Service an
nounces
January fires are almost unheard
OF in the national forests and the
snow reports are regarded as especi-
ally significant. as they indicate that
unless the deficiency Is made up the
forests will be dry earlier in the
spring than usual. with consequent
increase of the fire menace.
The fires reported occurred in the
Pike forest in Colorado, and i'm the
Black hills forest. in South Dakota.
The latter is believed to have been
of incendiary origin, according 10 the
district forester at Denver. The total
area burned over comprised about 75
acres.
The district forester at Ogden.
Utah, in charge of the national for
osts in Nevada. Utah. and southern
Idaho. reported that the snow in
this region also is below normal
A significant indication of the
spread of southern interest in d.
vcrsihod farming is contained in the
estimate of tho Bureau of Crop Esti-
/ ,,,afao fHuf f,,nr, fnut, double fIt,
quantity of oats-l02 per cent to be
eXact--was sovn in the cotton States
last fall than in 1913
The fall sowings in 1913 amounted
TO approximately l,S72,000 acres; in
1914 10 3.775.0O0 acres. an increase
Of 1.903.OO0 acres. If the same acre
age is sown to spring oats this year
as last. the 1915 crop in the cotton
States will be more than 6.257 900
acres. Recent reports, moreover, in
dicate an intention TO increase the
/ spring sowings as well.
The increase in the fall sowings
Of wheat, though not so great as with
oats. IS still very considerable. II
amounts to l.Sl2000 acres, or an in
crease Of 80 per cent. The total in
crease in tho acreage sown to fall
wheat and oats is 100000, or more
than 10 per cent. of the land planted
i'm cotton in the spring of 1914. Even
| If the spring seedlings of oats and
wheat show no departure from the
practice Of former years. this de-
crease Of 10 per cent in the cotton
acreage will be appreciable, says the
Department of Agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture has
been carrying on experiments to de
termine the adaptibility of the win
ifera of California from which raisini
and wine are made TO various Othe
climates in the United States Th
establishment of the culture of thi
native American grape I'm New Jersel
has also been investigated.
In co-opration with the Bureau o
Chemistry. the best methods of pre-.
pairing fruit juices from apple, pine
apples. and other fruits have been de-
tormined. The ripening of bananas
has also been the subject of study
improvements of citrus fruits, es-
pecially oranges. lemons, and pOmelos
through but selections and breeding
is now being carried on in Califor-
mia and the production of improved
strains and types resulting from this
work will afford growers basis toi
new stock on new plantation or fol
replacing undesirable plantations.
As result of the study by the
department great impetus is expected
to be added TO the planting Of pecan
trees.