EDITORIAL. 



9i 



of 638 head, not counting between 200 

 and 300 head previously sold. The his- 

 tory of that herd, however, has amply 

 demonstrated the fact that bison suitably 

 located on the flathead Reservation can 

 live all the year round by grazing, and 

 without being fed on hay. 



The site proposed for the new national 

 herd is situated immediately north of 

 Ravalli, on the Northern Pacific Railway, 

 which is the station from which 398 bis- 

 on were shipped to Canada last year. 

 The ideal range desired contains 20 

 square miles (12,800 acres) of ridges 

 and hills, nearly all of it too steep for 

 agriculture of any kind, and of no value 

 to anyone save as grazing lands. In the 

 ravines and watercourses there is an 

 abundance of water, and sufficient timber 

 to afford shelter for bison in the severest 

 storms. The grazing grounds are abun- 

 dant for the support of 1,000 bison, with- 

 out the necessity of feeding them. The 

 proposed ideal range has a frontage of 

 seven miles on the Northern Pacific Rail- 

 way. 



Unfortunately the Indians will have to 

 be paid for any land that may be set aside 

 for a bison range, probably at the rate 

 of $1.25 per acre. To accomplish this 

 purpose, and to provide for fencing, 

 Congress is asked to appropriate $30,000. 

 If this is done the Bison Society will at 

 once set about the task of raising funds 

 for the the purchase of a herd of from 

 15 to 20 bison, of pure blood, to present 

 to the government for the new national 

 range. In comparison with the great 

 sum that is being expended by Canada, — 

 between $150,000.00 and $200,000.00 — 

 for the purchase, transportation and care 

 of the Pablo herd, the sum now asked of 

 Congress seems very small. In view of 

 the object to be gained, it is trivial. The 

 American Bison Society is backed by a 

 strong board of managers, and there is 

 reason to believe that it will make a very 

 vigorous campaign in behalf of the pro- 

 posed new herd. 



One of the most interesting features 

 of the Society's annual report is the 

 bison census, which was made by Dr. W. 

 T. Hornaday, and completed on January 

 first. Its summary shows the existence 

 at this date of 1,722 pure-blood Amer- 

 ican bison in captivity, throughout the 



world, and 325 head (estimated) run- 

 ning wild. Of the latter 25 are credited 

 to the Yellowstone Park, and 300 to the 

 region southwest of Great Slave Lake, 

 in Canada. In the United States there 

 are 1,116 bison in captivity, of which 506 

 are males and 610 females. Of this 

 total, 203 are calves that were born in 

 1907. Canada now contains 476 captive 

 bison, of which 214 are males and 262 

 are females, 98 of the total being calves 

 of the vintage of 1907. Europe con- 

 tains 54 male and 76 female bison, of 

 which 22 are calves of the past year. 

 The grand totals for the world, of cap- 

 tive bison, are JJJ males and 948 fe- 

 males ; and of these 323 were born last 

 year. 



In 1903 there were living in captivitv 

 a total of 1,119 American bison. It thus 

 appears that since 1903 the total net in- 

 crease has been 603 head. If these bison 

 were all owned by national or State gov- 

 ernments, the future of the species would 

 be far more secure than it now is with 

 these animals in the hands of sixty-four 

 different owners! The temporary tenuie 

 of private ownership constitutes a great 

 danger to the species, and renders the 

 establishment of several national herds 

 imperatively necessary. 



In advocating before Congress the e3- 

 tablishment of the proposed national 

 herd in northwestern Montana, the 

 American Bison Society desires the ac- 

 tive assistance of all persons who are in- 

 terested in the perpetual preservation of 

 what once was our most conspicuous and 

 valuable American animal. The thing 

 to do is to request Senators and Repre- 

 sentatives to facilitate the passage of 

 Senator Dixon's bill. 



BUMBLEBEES EOR THE PHILIPPINES. 



Clover is one of the most valuable 

 plants in the whole range of agriculture, 

 and the lack of it has been severely felt 

 in the Philippines. The plant is not only 

 valuable as pasturage for certain animals, 

 but it actually enriches the soil on which 

 it grows, instead of making it poorer. 

 If "you pull up a handful of the first 

 bunch of clover that you see in your 

 path, and remove the adherent earth, you 

 will observe that the roots are studded 

 with irresrnlar nodules, each about the 



