FORESTRY AT HOME. 85 



act, contained a clause which authorized the President 

 to reserve tiraberlands on the public domain, and so 

 prevent them from passing out of the possession of the 

 Government. 



THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. 



In all the States and Territories west of the Missis- 

 sippi except Texas, and in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, 

 Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Alabama, and Missis- 

 sippi, all the land orginally belonged to the Govern- 

 ment. This was the public domain. It has gradually 

 been sold or given away until in many of the States it 

 has all or nearly all passed to other owners. But it 

 still includes more than 470,000,000 acres, or nearly 

 one-third of the United States, not including the Terri- 

 tory of Alaska, which has an area of about 350,000,000 

 acres. A large part of the public domain has been sur- 

 veyed by the Government and divided first into squares 

 6 miles on each side, called townships, then into squares 

 of 1 mile, called sections, and these again into quarter 

 sections and smaller divisions. The lines which mark 

 these divisions are straight and at right angles to each 

 other. When any part of the public domain is reserved 

 or disposed of it is usually located by reference to these 

 lines. 



FEDERAL FOREST RESERVES. 



When the President was given the power to make 

 forest reserves, the public domain still contained much 

 of the best timber in the West, but it was passing 

 rapidly into private hands. Acting upon the wise prin- 

 ciple that forests whose preservation is necessa^ for 

 the general welfare should remain in Government con- 



