BUBAL ECONOMICS. 817 



and their establishment fti the country where they may live by carrying on agricul- 

 ture. 



The following quotation gives a brief statement of the conclusions reached by the 

 author: "At both Fort Roinie and Fori Amity I found the settlers healthy, happy, 

 hopeful, and, almost without exception, doing well. Beginning in nearly every case 

 with nothing, moreover, in the course of about four years a1 Fori Romie these set- 

 tiers are now worth an average of aboul $2,000 per head above all their debts and 

 liabilities to the Salvation Army and others, and at Fori Amity an average of about 

 $1,000. . . . 



"The venture, however, has not proved so prosperous to its founders, the Salva- 

 tion Army, wh i these two settlements have incurred a total lose of aboul $50,000. 



This loss is due to tour causes: (1) The fact that the settlements were established by 



aid of money borrowed at a heavy rate of interest, namely 5 and 6 per cent, and 

 that the settlers were charged too little for their holdings which they pay for by 

 installments. (2) The considerable initial cost of the estate both at Fort Romie and 

 Fori Amity. (3 ) The fact that the settlers were first established at Fort Romie before 

 the soil had been properly irrigated and at once confronted by a three year.-' drought. 

 (4) The circumstance that at Fort Amity the land, which was virgin prairie, proved 

 exceptionally hard to work; also to be impregnated with alkali or natural salts, 

 whereof the presence was totally unsuspected at the time of buying, of which alkali 

 it has cost much money to be rid by deep draining. So it comes about that although 

 the settlers are doing so well, the Salvation Army have been called upon to pay 

 $50,000 for their experience." 



Grazing- on the public lands ( U. S. Dept. Agr. Forest Serv. J!"/. 62, pi. l, map I . — 

 This bulletin contains a discussion of the condition of the grazing areas of the public 

 domain, and the regulations which are essential to the orderly and economical use of 

 these lands. 



On some of the ranges the supply of grass and other stock feed is now more abund- 

 ant than in former years, but on the greater number the grazing value of the lands 

 has greatly diminished in recent years. Overstocking is the principal cause of the 

 deterioration. Where pastures have been fenced or where the control of the range 

 has been secured through the ownership of the watering places by the ranchmen, 

 the condition of the range has been improved. But where many ranchmen are 

 struggling to secure the same forage, a short-sighted policy is inevitable, the ranges 

 are overstocked and their carrying capacity greatly reduced, to the detriment of the 

 grazing industry. As a result, a large majority of the ranchmen are dissatisfied with 

 the present condition of affairs, and favor "Government control of the ranges under 

 reasonable regulation." 



"The sentiment among stockmen seems to be rapidly changing in this regard, and 

 many who formally opposed any form of control or leasing are now in favor of such 

 action, provided the change is brought about gradually and with care to avoid any 

 unnecessary disturbance of present range divisions and methods of use. It is almosl 

 the unanimous opinion of stockmen that in the adoption of any new system of 

 management for the public grazing land, ample provision should be made for the 

 gradual settlement of the country by actual home seekers." 



The leasing of tracts of grazing land to individuals seems to be the most favored 

 plan of regulation. The report contains an extended discussion of the systems of 

 leasing State lands in Texas and Wyoming, and of the lands of the Northern Pacific 

 Railway in eastern Washington. 



The world's grain production in 1905 {Die Qetreideproduktion </</■ Welt im 

 Jain; 1906. B<i<l<n>, M: Royal Hungarian Minister of Agriculture, 1905, pp. '■>.). — 

 Statistics On the production of wheat, rye, barley, oats, and maize in L905 are given 

 for the different countries of the world. The countries are grouped into those 

 importing and those exporting grain. 



