South Dakota School Lands. 33 



method a better and fairer valuation was obtained than if such 

 valuation had been determined otherwise. Under this method 

 of classification, land at the present time not under cultivation and 

 having upon it a heavy stand of timber or a dense growth of re- 

 production was classified as agricultural if the land was without 

 doubt of more value for agricultural purposes than for the rais- 

 ing of timber, or than for merely grazing purposes where at pre- 

 sent the land was used for such purpose yet was cultivable, the 

 cost of clearing the land being taken into consideration in each 

 instance. 



Under grazing land was considered such as was not cultivable 

 and yet possessed a higher value than for the raising of timber 

 alone. 



As timber land, was classified such land as did not possess the 

 value either at the present time nor potentially to permit its 

 being classified under agricultural or grazing land. 



The considerations and methods enumerated in the foregoing 

 were the basis for the actual work of appraising the value of the 

 school sections as well as the lieu area and as such form the basis 

 of the work done by the Board. 



The Board found it impossible to select the lieu area in one 

 solid body owing to the necessity of having an equivalency in both 

 value and acreage, as well as on account of certain administrative 

 difficulties, and accordingly the lieu lands selected are in two 

 separate tracts. A tract of 47,937.65 acres was selected along the 

 exterior boundary of the Harney National Forest and one of 

 12,212.17 acres in the Sioux National Forest. 



Under the terms of the proclamation, the lieu areas were tenta- 

 tively excluded from the Harney and Sioux National Forests and 

 the State of South Dakota given a period of ninety days within 

 which to make the necessary filings before the land office covering 

 the lands selected by the Board. The State has now made the 

 necessary'filings and so the last step in the exchange of the school 

 sections has been taken and the State of South Dakota has as- 

 sumed jurisdiction over the lieu selection and the Forest Service 

 over the surrendered school sections. 



The data concerning each section were compiled in tables, of 

 which the following is a sample : 



