ipoS EDITORIAL 



255 



commercially speaking- — that has ever On several isolated, and relatively 

 been made. Among the questions small, sections of the areas mentioned, 

 covered will be : Destruction of the experiments have already been made 

 forests ; the necessity for stopping this with one or more of the Siberian 

 proceeding, the extent of reforesta- vetches ; but these experiments have • 

 tion work in progress, the means nee- not been particularly successful, as a 

 €ssary for the encouragement of re- whole, although a measure of success 

 forestation; in addition to which the has been attained in securing profit- 

 report will cover such grounds as the able stands of vetch. It is well known 

 purely commercial aspect of the mat- that the steppes of Siberia produce 

 ter, operations of the lumbering busi- other legumes that are extremely val- 

 ness, relations of railroad rates to lum- uable for forage ; and it is also well 

 bering, and of water transportation to known that these forage crops bear 

 railroad rates; the making and main- the long, hard winters of Siberia with 

 tainance of prices, average and actual no apparent ill effects. The question 

 cost of lumber production, and profits of overgrazing is one that has not, 

 of the business. ' as yet, affected Siberia to any appreci- 



It wll be seen from the above that able degree ; and just how well these 



the probe is to be thrust deeply into high-latitude forage legumes will 



the lumbering industry, and the re- stand transplanting and American 



suiting report is certain to be of very grazing methods is problematical, 



great interest and value to everyone However, it is certain that the native 



concerned, whether he be engaged in grasses have been so closely grazed— 



lumbering, or merely interested from practically to the point of extermina- 



the standpoint of one who is affected tion — that some forage crop will have 



by the increasingly grave conditions to be sown, if grazing is to continue 



that are touching more and more close- as a profitable business. With an ap- 



ly all Americans and every branch of propriation even as limited as the one 



American industry. recommended by the Senate Com- 



mttee on Agriculture, a start can be 



Government Among the recommen- made toward replacing grasses that 



to Try Siber- dations of the Senate are gone with a vigorous forage that 



ian Legumes Committee on Agricul- may be adaptable to the conditions 



ture, in reporting the Agricultural Ap- that exist over the northern portions 



propriation Bill, was one to the effect of the range States, 

 that $10,000 be appropriated for the 



purpose of importing hardy forage Startling Ridicule of all sorts has 

 plants from Siberia, such plants to be W^"^*^^ °^ l^een heaped upon Gif- 

 tried on the northern portions of the Timber ^^^^^ Pinchot for his ex- 

 great plains areas. This is in addition ^^^^ pressed opinions as 

 to a recommended appropriation of to the quantity of merchantable tim- 

 the same amount, to be used in co- ber remaining in the United States, 

 operation between the Deaprtment of and persons and publications having 

 Agriculture and the Reclamation Ser- absolutely no knowledge of actual 

 vice in demonstrating the possibilty of facts and conditions have waxed 

 crop production on lands under the funny at the expense of the Forester 

 latter service. In its report the Com- and his pubUshed expressions as to 

 mittee said : the imminence of a universally dis- 



"The great need in all these regions astrous timber famine. It is inter- 

 (the northern plains areas) is for le- esting to know that men fully ac- 

 guminous crops which will serve not quainted with the facts share Mr. 

 merely to maintain normal husbandry, Pinchot's views on this question, and 

 but to build up the soil, which other- that some of them are willing to risk 

 wise will be utterly depleted by the their professional reputations by go- 

 single-crop system now in vogue." ing further than Mr. Pinchot felt safe 



