THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 103 



work for individuals or corporations, and in this way, the gov- 

 ernment is the means of sending out to all parts of the country, 

 men well trained in forestry. 



Many people were and are greatly opposed to the national 

 forests because they think they are injurious to the home 

 seeker, to the miner, to the user of the range, to the user of 

 water and to the tax-payer. Let us see if such is the case. 

 Before a national forest is created, all agricultural land, as far 

 as possible is excluded, but if there is any agricultural land so 

 situated within the boundaries that it cannot be cut out, the 

 homeseeker is at liberty to choose such of it as he wishes to 

 apply for. Here, after the usual proceedings, he may spend the 

 remainder of his life, providing he takes the land for a home 

 only. The miner may stake out and develop claims just the 

 same on the national forests as on the public domain, provided 

 he does not take up claims merely for the timber on the land 

 or for other purposes not connected with mining. The man 

 who wishes timber for domestic use or for mining gets all he 

 wishes for the asking, and the one who wishes it for commer- 

 cial purposes may obtain it promptly and at a reasonable rate. 

 There is no chance for a monopoly and the local demand is 

 always supplied first. The government protects the range 

 from being burnt, overcrowded and overgrazed, prevents dis- 

 putes between owners of stock and sees that each owner gets 

 the use of range to which he has the best right ; the man having 

 a few head of cattle gets his share of range as easily as the man 

 with hundreds. The use of water is not affected in the least, 

 because the appropriation of water is governed entirely by 

 State and Territorial laws. The tax-payer, instead of being 

 liable to heavier taxes is not so heavily burdened as if there 

 were no forests in the country in which he lives, for they pay 

 the county ten percent of all the receipts from sale of timber, 

 etc., so that we are obliged to admit that instead of opposition, 



