THE USE BOOK. 241 



AGRICULTURAL SETTLEMENT. 



ACT OF JUNE 11, 1906 (34 STAT., 233). 



The Secretary of Agriculture may, in his discretion, and he is 

 hereby authorized, upon application or other- 

 Secretary of Agri- wise, to examine and ascertain as to the loca- 

 e^"ra^ tion and ex ^ent of lands within permanent or 



tlement. ' temporary forest reserves [except the follow- 



ing counties in the State of California : San 

 Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara"], which are chiefly valuable for 

 agriculture, fuid which, in his opinion, may be occupied for agri- 

 cultural purposes without injury to the forest reserves, and 

 which are not needed for public purposes, and may list and de- 

 scribe the same by metes and bounds, or 

 Metes and hounds, otherwise, and file the lists and descrip- 

 tions with the Secretary of the Interior, with 

 the request that the said lands be opened to entry in accordance 

 with the provisions of the homestead laws and this act. 



Fpon the filing of any such list or description the Secretary 

 of the Interior shall declare the said lands 

 Secretary of the open to homestead settlement and entry in 

 n^UBdi to wffiZ tra( ' ts not exceeding one hundred and sixty 

 ment. acres in area and not exceeding one mile in 



length at the expiration of sixty days from 

 the filing of the list in the land office of the district within 

 which the lands are located, during which period the said list 

 or description shall be prominently posted 

 Advertisement. j n the land office and advertised for a period 

 of not less than four weeks in one news- 

 paper of general circulation published in the county in which 

 the lands are situated: Provided, That any 

 settler actually occupying and in good faith 

 try. claiming such lands for agricultural purposes 



prior to January first, nineteen hundred and 

 six, and who shall not have abandoned the same, and the per- 

 son, if qualified to make a homestead entry, upon whose appli- 

 cation the land proposed to be entered was examined and listed, 

 sha'll, each in the order named, have a preference right of set- 

 tlement and entry : Provided further, That any entryman de- 

 siring to obtain patent to any lands described 

 andZds? 8 by metes and bounds entered by him under 

 the provisions of this act, shall, within five 

 years of the date of making settlement, file, with the required 



a The exception of other counties in southern California was repealed 

 by act May 29, 1008 (Public, 173). 



6962109 16 



