SETTLEMENT. 43 



required to take oath that he is an Indian of a certain tribe; that he 

 was born in the United States; that he is the head of a family or a 

 single person over the age of 18 years, as the case may be; that 

 he has not heretofore received an allotment; that he is not entitled 

 to an allotment on a reservation, or that no reservation has been pro- 

 vided for his tribe, or, in lieu of the latter declaration, that there was 

 not sufficient land set aside to afford an allotment to each member 

 thereof. The applicant must show further that he has made actual 

 bona fide settlement on the lands described, for his exclusive use and 

 benefit, or that he has improvements thereon. This affidavit must 

 be corroborated in so far as his Indian character, nativity, and actual 

 bona fide settlement or erection of improvements are concerned, by 

 the affidavits of two or more disinterested witnesses (who may be 

 Indians), or by the affidavit or certificate of some field officer of either 

 the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior. 

 A nonmineral affidavit, executed on the prescribed form, must accom- 

 pany each application for allotment. Applications must be submitted 

 to the supervisor of the particular National Forest affected, by whom 

 they will be forwarded with appropriate report, through the district 

 forester and Forester, to the Secretary of Agriculture, in order that he 

 may determine whether the land applied for is more valuable for 

 agriculture or grazing than for the timber found thereon. 



In case the land is found to be chiefly valuable for agriculture or 

 grazing, the Secretary of Agriculture will note that fact on the appli- 

 cation and return it to the applicant with instructions to file it with 

 the register and receiver of the proper local land office. 



Should the Secretary of Agriculture decide that the land applied 

 for or any part of it is chiefly valuable for the timber found thereon, 

 he will transmit the application to the Secretary of the Interior and 

 inform him of his decision in the matter. The Secretary of the 

 Interior will cause the applicant to be informed of the action of the 

 Secretary of Agriculture. 



Forest rangers and supervisors and district officers will afford every 

 facility to Indians desiring to take allotments under this act, and will 

 assist them wherever necessary in the preparation of their applica- 

 tions and the required proofs. Blank forms for application may be 

 had from the Indian Office, any local land office, forest supervisor's, 

 or district forester's office. 



PROCEDURE IN DISTRICT OFFICE. 



Applications for the examination and listing of agricultural land 

 under the Forest homestead act will be addressed to 

 Action on re- and filed with the district forester. When an appli- 

 ' cation is received in the district office, it will be imme- 

 diately indorsed with the date and hour of its receipt, 

 and the indorsement will be certified by the initials of the mail clerk 

 by whom it was made. An index card and folder will be prepared 

 for each application received. Upon the index card will be entered 

 the case designation and such notation as may thereafter be neces- 

 sary. The index cards will be filed alphabetically by the names of 

 applicants. The folders will be filed by Forests, and thereunder 

 alphabetically by the names of applicants. When an application is 

 received which does not conform to the requirements of Reg. L-51 



