96 



THE IRRIQA210N AGE. 



the seed with a light drag, and you will 

 be likely to get a good cutting the first 

 year, but do not pasture it the first or 

 second year, or very late in the fall at 

 any time, especially with sheep, as they 

 eat it down very very close so that it may 

 die out in the winter, as the first winter is 

 the hardest time for alfalfa. The roots at 

 four years old in good land may be 3 feet 

 long with us here, and in the Western 

 world will run down 10 or 12 feet, so it 

 is said. It is their best grass and their 

 main dependence in some of the Western 

 states, and is becoming more and more 

 thought of all over the country and will 

 be used more and more in the Eastern 

 states as we become better acquainted 

 with it, and find our stock of all kinds will 

 thrive and fatten on it. 7 he Practical 

 Farmer. 



BUREAU OF FORESTRY. 



The Bureau of Forestry of the U. S. De- 

 partment of Agriculture continues to re- 

 ceive requests for advice and assistance in 

 the management of private woolands in 

 the South. One of the latest requests is 

 for a working plan for 1,000,000 acres of 

 longleaf pine land in southeastern Texas, 

 the property of the Kirby Lumber Co. and 

 the Houston Oil Co. , of Texas. 



The holdings of these companies cover 

 about eighty per cent of the virgin forest 

 of longleaf pine in Texas. The officials 

 state that they are anxious to exploit their 

 forests on scientific lines, cutting the mer- 

 chantable timber in such a way as to in- 

 sure protection to the young growth. A 

 preliminary examination of this large 

 tract will be made during the winter, by 

 agents of the Bureau. All things con- 

 sidered, this large area of timberland, if 

 handled on the lines which the Bureau 

 will advise, should prove to be one of the 

 most interesting undertakings in the line 

 of forestry by private owners yet attempted 

 in the United States. 



The above request for assistance is but 



one of a number that have recently been 

 received by the Bureau of Forestry. The 

 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. has asked 

 for a working plan for its tract of 125,000 

 acres of mixed hard and soft woods, situ- 

 ated in Nicholas and Pocahontas counties, 

 southeastern West Virginia. Burton & 

 Co. has asked for an examination of their 

 tract of 25,000 acres of pine line situated 

 in Berkeley county, South Carolina. The 

 East Tennessee Iron and Coal Co., owning 

 60.000 acres of hardwoods in the Cum- 

 berland mountains, desires to cut its tim- 

 ber on conservative lines, and has re- 

 quested a preliminary examination of its 

 tract. 



From North Carolina comes a request, 

 from Mr. Hugh McEae. for advice in the 

 handling of 16,000 acres of hardwood sit- 

 uated near Grandfather Mountain. A re- 

 quest has been received from the Georgia 

 Iron & Coal Co., with headquarters at At- 

 lanta, Ga. This company desires advice 

 in the handling of two tracts; one of 16,- 

 000 acres in Bartow County, and the 

 other of 30.000 acres in Dade County. An 

 examination is also asked for by another 

 firm, for 16,000 acres of pine land in Polk 

 County, Ga. Agents of the Bureau of 

 Forestry will inspect these tracts at an 

 early date. 



A working plan is to be made this win- 

 ter by the Bureau of Forestry for the 

 woodlands belonging to the Okeetee Club 

 the preliminary examination having al- 

 ready been made. This tract is located 

 in Beaufort and Hampton counties, South 

 Carolina, and contains 60,000 acres of 

 longleaf pine land. 



The foregoing include only the most re- 

 cent requests for assistance from private 

 owners in the South, The Bureau for 

 more than a year past has been co-operat- 

 ing in the handling of timber tracts in that 

 section. At Sewanee, Tenn., the domain 

 of the University of the South, consisting 

 of 7,000 acres of hardwoods, is being lum- 

 bered according to a working plan made 



