NEWS AND NOTES 



127 



illicit seining and trapping. The farmer who 

 would cut down an apple tree to harvest its 

 crop is no more improvident than the man 

 who would dynamite a stream for a string of 

 fish. 



But the main cause of fish extinction is 

 the wanton destruction of forests. Thus clear 

 and placid rivers and brooks are turned into 

 muddy and raging torrents in time of spring 

 fioods, and billions of eggs and young fry 

 are buried in the sand-bars that appear when 

 the waters subside. 



Every state has laws for the protection of 

 fish, but little efifort is made to enforce them, 

 and daily and hourly they are violated with 

 impunity. Where fish are abundant and cheap 

 the price of meats is regulated and kept in 

 bounds by the laws of competition and sup- 

 ply and demand. 



It is stated that our streams are to be 

 restocked with sturgeon from the Danube, 

 and another very excellent fish of that his- 

 toric stream, the sterlet, esteemed even supe- 

 rior to the Potomac shad, and, unlike that 

 king of fish, it does not migrate, but remains 

 in the waters where it is hatched. 



But if the work of deforestation continue 

 and the waters become thick with mud at 

 spawning time, what chance will these desir- 

 able immigrants have in our rivers? They 

 will not thrive, however hardy they may be. 

 The late Seth Green held that an acre cov- 

 ered with water ought to be more profitable 

 than an acre devoted to agriculture, and it 

 would be if adequately stocked with fish and 

 edible reptiles, and the waters providently 

 conserved. 



But the first thing in order is to enforce 

 the laws of the states enacted for the pro- 

 tection of fish. — Washington Post. 



Conservation in Colorado 



The Colorado Conservation Commission 

 publishes the state forestry laws relating to 

 fires in a four -page folder, introducing it 

 with the following paragraph : 



"Every one in pursuit of business or 

 pleasure, in the mountains of Colorado, is 

 interested in the following laws, and so are 

 all sheriffs and county commissioners." 



An accompanying folder by the commis- 

 sion says : 



"The Colorado Conservation Commission 

 was appointed by Governor Shafroth by the 

 request of the President of the United States 

 and chairman of the National Conservation 

 Comm'ssion, on the 17th day of February, 

 1909, consisting of thirty-six members, twenty- 

 one of whom had been appointed bv Gov- 

 ernor Buchtel on November 28, IQ08. In both 

 commissions Hon. Frank C. Goudy was des- 

 ignated as chairman. 



"The commission met March 11. 1909, for 

 or^-anization." 



The following is taken from another cir- 

 cular -ssued by the commis'^ion : 



"It is not the purpose to interfere with any 

 legitimate use of our natural resources, but 



it is proper and necessary for the commission 

 to know if any person, company or corpora- 

 tion is using them unlawfully, or with undue 

 prodigality and waste; hence, in order that 

 the secretary may discharge the duty im- 

 posed, he earnestly requests that j^ou will 

 supply him with any information of the sort 

 indicated below which may at any time be in 

 your possession, to-wit : 



"i. Is any one unlawfully taking timber 

 from anj^ of our state lands, or from the 

 public domain? 



"2. Do you know of any lands the title to 

 which has been acquired by unlawful means, 

 and do you know of any attempts to acquire 

 title to public lands by such means? 



"3. Are our forestry laws relating to camp- 

 fires, forest fires and their extinguishment, 

 being properly enforced? 



"4. Do you know of any instances of 

 wasteful methods of lumbering where the 

 young growth is unnecessarily destroyed, or 

 where remnants of trees are left to waste 

 that should be more economically utilized, 

 and where slash and debris are left to invite 

 fire? 



"5;. Do any of our birds need better pro- 

 tection " If so, what species in particular? 



"6. Do our laws relating to forestry, game 

 or birds need amending? If so, make par- 

 ticular mention wherein. 



"7. Are any species of wild flowers in dan- 

 ger of extinction ? If so, what ones, and 

 from what cause? 



"8. Are any of the old 'clifif dwellings' 

 within the state being defaced or plundered 

 by tourists and relic hunters? 



"9. Is any of our natural scenery being 

 defaced? 



"10. Do you know of an}' cases of soil ero- 

 sion as a consequence of deforestation?^ 



"11. Do you think of any other matters of 

 vital importance to the public which should 

 be brought to the attention of the commis- 

 sion ? 



"Please carefully consider the above ques- 

 tions and give the commission the benefit of 

 any facts or suggestions you maj'' deem use- 

 ful. All public-spirited citizens are desired 

 to assist." 



Mr. W. G. M. Stone is the secretary of the 

 commission. Address, 1325 Corona Street, 

 Denver. 



i^ «? «? 



The Telephone a Protector against Forest Fires 



Maine has introduced the modern tele- 

 phone into her forests, together with a sys- 

 tem of forest patrols and look-outs. A 

 watchman is stationed at the top of a moun- 

 tain or high point of land in the district 

 assigned to him and where usually a single 

 line is run to the nearest telephone office. 

 At the top of the mountain a telephone en- 

 closed in an iron case is used, a case of 

 this metal being necessary, due to the fact 

 that ledges and rocks are usual'y found 

 there which would make the erection of a 

 small building to mrlose a wooden telephone 

 expensive if not impossible. 



