248 



ARBORICULTURE 



"In the large timber of Spearfish 

 Creek were the hirger species of beetle, 

 and in vast myriads. 1 should be mod- 

 erate in estimating 200,0(»0 in one tree 

 thirty inches in diameter, which we ex- 

 amined. This insect devours the inner 

 bark, burrowing along between the sap- 

 wood and bark, severing the lattt'r com- 

 pletely, so that in time the tree dies, at 

 times not until the following spring. 



"The small beetles are one-quarter- 

 inch and the large ones threc-eighths- 

 inch in length, black and brownish color, 

 many white larvjr being present. Prob- 

 ably one-fourth of the timber is already 

 destroyed. The grand Black Hills spruce 

 seems not to be affected. 



WILL BE VERY DESTRUCTIVE. 



"So great is this devastation that noth- 

 ing will prevent a total destruction of 

 all the pines in the hills, including the 

 magnificent second growths which cover 

 the higher mountains, except a speedy ac- 

 tion by the government to destroy the 

 pests. • 



"I counted only twenty birds in all 

 during a week's stay in the Black Hills, 

 only two of which were woodpecker spe- 

 cies. Were birds abundant there would 

 be no serious injury by the beetle. The 

 dead bark, twigs, leaves and worthless 

 wood should be burned and the dead 

 timber sold to consumers without restric- 

 tion. 



"A large number of woodpeckers 

 might be introduced to protect the un- 

 affected trees. While the entomo^ogist^ 

 will study the habits of the beetles and 

 the parasites and ])r<'datory enemies, yet 

 the thing to do is to act at once in de- 

 stroying the beetles which are in such 

 numbers in the dead trees. 



"Audubon societies should be organ 

 ized in this region to educate the people, 

 young and old, that birds are their 

 friends. I have no i»atience with those 

 scientists who teach boys to make collec- 

 tions of birds' efifiii, a fact which is worse 

 than that of ladies wearing the feathers 

 of birds upon their hats." 



I sent an urgent communication to the 

 Interior Department, Washington, ask- 

 ing that speedy steps be taken to prevent 

 the increase of these beetles, but, as in all 



government affairs, it has taken six years 

 to get out a bulletin on the subject, and 

 it may, in another decade, take some ac- 

 tion. 



Fortunately for the divide pine, there 

 are but very few insects in the timber, 

 and reasonable care will preserve it. 

 There are large numbers of birds pres- 

 ent, which may explain the freedom from 

 pests. Here the pine is encroaching 

 npon the prairie, and. if aided, would 

 cover the entire country. 



Pinus ponderosa, besides being the 

 most valued lumber tree of the Middle 

 West, is essentially an arid climate tree. 

 It is the one tree of the American conti- 

 nent upon which the afforestation of the 

 plains region must depend. There is no 

 good reason why. the bull pine should 

 not be covering the semi-arid prairies 

 from the foot of the Rockies to the Mis- 

 souri River on all tracts not required for 

 agriculture. Can the officials of this Na- 

 tion and the States show an exalted pa- 

 triotism and begin this important work? 



FOREST FIRE REMEDY. 



By far the most important subject con- 

 nected with the forestry question in the 

 United States is how to prevent disas- 

 trous forest fires. It is criminal in offi- 

 cials of the government to dally with 

 this question. Experience of half a cen- 

 tury in all portions of the country has 

 amply proven the cause. There is no ne- 

 cessity for further investigations on this 

 point. Spontaneous combustion may set 

 fire to greasy rags in an overheated fac- 

 tory, but never in open air and in the 

 forests. Criminal carelessness among 

 smokers, campers and those who bum 

 that they may ]»urchase the wood are the 

 <b»uiinMting causes. 



Wliat is wanted is a remedy. Let the 

 forests be turned over to the War De- 

 partment, a branch of this government 

 tliat has the power, and the wholesome 

 respect of all. With stringent rules, en- 

 forced by those whose authority is un- 

 (luestioned. tlure need be no fires in the 

 future. 



The Springfield R(>pub]ican has the 

 following on this subject, which we in- 

 dorse: 



