644 



CONSERVATION 



Increase in Flood Damage 



Gov. M. E. Hay, of Washington, in his 

 address of August 9 to the National Irriga- 

 tion Congress, stated that, since 1900, damage 

 by flood has increased from $45,000,000 to 

 $238,000,000. 



va >fe' &' 



Problems of the Waterways 



The large measure of success claimed for 

 the inland water transportation of France, 

 Germany, Belgium, Holland, and other coun- 

 tries of Europe seems to be due to the policy 

 of harmonizing the rail and water routes 

 by operating them in connection with each 

 other. This is only possible under govern- 

 ment ownership, which exists quite gener- 

 ally throughout Europe. Successful opera- 

 tion seems impracticable in this country un- 

 der present conditions. 



It is interesting to note that the United 

 States has by far greater railway and water- 

 way mileage than any other country in the 

 world. The following statistics, compiled 

 January i, 1907, are instructive: 



Mileage per Mileage 



100 square per 10,000 



Total mileage miles of area population 



Rail- Water- Rail- Water- Rail- W'r- 



ways ways ways ways ways ways 



Belgium 7,495 1,360 65.9 11.9 10.6 1.9 



Germany 57,376 17,080 27.5 8.2 9.4 2.8 



United Kingdom 37,107 3,374 30.6 2.8 8.8 .8 



France 47,142 7,617 22.8 3.6 12.1 1.9 



Holland 3,054 2,244 24.1 17.7 5.4 4.0 



Austria-Hungary 41,227 7,200 15.8 2.7 8.7 1.5 



United States. . 222,572 51,834 6.2 1.4 25.3 5.8 



Italy 16,420 664 3.6 .1 4.4 .2 



Canada 22,452 3,355 .6 .09 41.8 6.2 



China 3,435 9,070 .08 .2 .08 .2 



From the above it is clear that Belgium 

 has the most highly developed facilities for 

 transportation on the basis of area and pop- 

 ulation, while the United States, exhibiting 

 exceedingly high mileage for railways and 

 waterways, does not reflect a growth as ex- 

 tensive as the countries of Europe, with the 

 single exception of Italy. — Wall Street 

 Journal. 



^ ^ )^ 



The Dry^farming Congress 



The fourth annual dry-farming congress 

 will be held at Billings, Mont., October 26 28. 

 Representatives of the congress are pushing 

 it with great vigor, circulating bulletins, and 

 otherwise arousing interest in the great and 

 necessary work represented by the organiza- 

 tion. 



A notable feature will be "Governors' 

 Day," when the chief executives from many 

 western states will address the congress and 

 discuss from the statesman's viewpoint the 

 problems now confronting the people of the 

 arid states. The secretary, Mr. John T. 

 Burns, may be addressed at 407 Temple Court 

 Building, Denver, Colo. 



Work of Reforesting Islands 



A movement is on foot to reclothe the 

 Boston Harbor Islands with the trees of 

 which they were robbed centuries ago. The 

 Metropolitan Improvement League, Harvard 

 College, and the Institute of Technology are 

 interested. 



A party recently cruised the harbor to ex- 

 amine the islands. In the party were Syl- 

 vester Baxter, secretary of the league; 

 Charles S. Rackemann, representing the 

 Trustees of Public Reservations; Dr. Werner 

 Hegemann, representing the Boston 1915 

 movement; Prof. Frank W. Rane, state for- 

 ester; Edwin A. Start, secretary of the 

 Massachusetts Forestry Association; Allen 

 Chamberlain, representing that association 

 and the Appalachian Mountain Club. The 

 matter of reforestation will be brought be- 

 fore the legislature. 



>« )^ &' 



Gunnlson/'Uncompahgre Lands Taken 



All of the Gunnison-Uncompahgre lands 

 for which water will now be available is 

 already in private ownership or has lieen 

 entered. It is estimated that not over 15,000 

 acres of Government land under this project 

 remains subject to entry. Practically all 

 these lands are located along the edge of 

 the project, and will be watered from canals 

 yet to be constructed. Owing to the present 

 state of the reclamation fund, it is not likely 

 that sufficiently large allotments can be made 

 to the project for the immediate completion 

 of the entire distribution system for these 

 public lands. ^ ^ ^^ 



An Ideal Pumping Device 



Running water has now become a neces- 

 sity on the farm. The farmer's problem has 

 been to secure a satisfactory pump. The 

 windmill is regarded as unreliable and the 

 power pump expensive. 



A satisfactory hydraulic ram has been 

 awaited with interest ; the Niagara seems to 

 meet the requirements. 



On account of its mechanical perfection, it 

 will operate, with an incredibly slight fall,, 

 practically any flowing brook or spring suffic- 

 ing to supply it with power. Even the smaller 

 sizes supply thousands of gallons of water 

 daily, while large sizes will supply water 

 enough for a small city. This ram is inval- 

 uable for railroad tanks, manufacturing 

 plants, irrigation projects, mine operations,, 

 and anywhere where a constant, unfailing 

 supply of water is needed. It is the only 

 ram made which has a double-action device 

 l)y which the water of a pure spring can be 

 pumped with power supplied from a brook 

 or river which is unfit to drink. 



This ram is handled by the Niagara Hy- 

 draulic Engine Company, 140 Nassau Street, 

 New York City, which has a factory at Ches- 

 ter, Pa. The company issues a Ijooklet and 

 catalogue. 



