PR 1:1- ACE. 



The oxtcnsive areas of sand (liiiu's wliich sunoiind Capo Cod llarlior 

 fui-iiish tho l)est oxainplo that this country atiords of the oxtoiisivc 

 utili/ation of beach grass for tho binding of shifting sand which would 

 othorwise cause great damage l>y its encroachment on vahiabh> prop- 

 erty. The iiarl)or and city alike are endangeivd ]>y tho shifting dunes 

 which have l)cen encroaching u])on them since the original devastation 

 of the forests which formerly held the sands in check. 



For a century and a half l)oach grass has l)oon utilized for sand- 

 binding work upon the cape by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 

 and })y the (Jeneral Government for the purpose of protecting Cape 

 Cod Harboi-, l)ut it was not until 1893 that the State of Massachusetts 

 put in operation tho present extensive system of reclamation, which 

 has proved so successful. Tiio Province lands, upon which these 

 plantings have been made, are owned by the State, and the work 

 itself is under the immediate supervision of Mr. James A. Small. 



Since these operations are proving so successful and the methods 

 developed there are applical)le in a largo measure to other similar 

 areas in this country, Mr. J. jVI. Westgate, Assistant in Sand-liinding 

 AVork, was authorized to visit Cape Cod for the purpose of in\'estigating 

 tho details of the work now in progress, and to determine, as far as 

 possi])le, the causes which led to the devastation, and also the measures 

 which have at various times been taken looking to the reclamation of 

 the shifting dunes. The results of the investigation are presented in 

 this bulletin. 



Acknowledgments are due the authorities having the reclamation 

 work in charge for the courtesy shown to Mr. Westgate in providing 

 every means to facilitate his investigations. 



W. J. Spillman, 



Agrostolo(/ist. 



Office of tiik Agrostolooist, 



Washington, D. C, M<ty 11, 1901^. 



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