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  ANNUAL, 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1922. 
  

  

  As 
  illustrating 
  the 
  extent 
  and 
  location 
  of 
  these 
  remaining 
  vacant 
  

   public 
  lands, 
  the 
  accompanying 
  plate 
  1 
  is 
  given. 
  On 
  this 
  the 
  va- 
  

   cant 
  land, 
  aggregating 
  189,000,000 
  acres, 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  solid 
  

   black 
  spots. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago 
  when 
  a 
  similar 
  map 
  would 
  

   have 
  shown 
  these 
  black 
  areas 
  covering 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  

   west 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi. 
  Large 
  portions 
  of 
  these 
  vacant 
  lands, 
  par- 
  

   ticularly 
  those 
  which 
  embrace 
  the 
  high 
  mountain 
  areas, 
  in 
  all 
  132,- 
  

   000,000 
  acres, 
  have 
  been 
  withdrawn 
  from 
  entry 
  and 
  converted 
  into 
  

   national 
  forests, 
  smaller 
  areas, 
  or 
  5,800,000 
  acres, 
  have 
  been 
  desig- 
  

  

  Fig. 
  1. 
  — 
  Relative 
  area 
  of 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  Western 
  States 
  ; 
  also 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  vacant 
  public 
  

   lands 
  (in 
  solid 
  black) 
  ; 
  of 
  national 
  forests 
  (in 
  Crosshatch) 
  ; 
  of 
  national 
  parks 
  (in 
  

   crossbar) 
  ; 
  Indian 
  reservations 
  (in 
  diagonal) 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  white 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  

   State 
  — 
  this 
  being 
  in 
  private 
  or 
  corporate 
  ownership. 
  

  

  nated 
  as 
  national 
  parks, 
  and 
  some 
  parts 
  have 
  been 
  reclaimed 
  by 
  

   irrigation. 
  The 
  relative 
  extent 
  of 
  vacant 
  and 
  reserved 
  land 
  is 
  

   shown 
  in 
  figure 
  1. 
  

  

  The 
  nation 
  is 
  calling 
  science 
  and 
  engineering 
  to 
  its 
  aid 
  in 
  im- 
  

   proving 
  portions 
  of 
  these 
  vacant 
  or 
  waste 
  lands, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  areas 
  

   having 
  fertile 
  soil 
  may 
  be 
  utilized 
  in 
  providing 
  opportunities 
  for 
  

   homes 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  enjoyed 
  in 
  the 
  past 
  in 
  the 
  great 
  Mississippi 
  

   Valley, 
  where 
  nature 
  has 
  so 
  lavishly 
  provided 
  the 
  easily 
  tilled 
  

   farming 
  lands. 
  

  

  The 
  conception 
  that 
  not 
  merely 
  the 
  vacant 
  lands 
  of 
  the 
  nation, 
  

   but 
  also 
  its 
  funds 
  should 
  be 
  utilized 
  in 
  providing 
  opportunities 
  for 
  

  

  