98 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



a half acres of private forest land in the 

 South, the Bureau of Forestry has re- 

 quests for the handling of more than 

 2,500,000 acres in other sections. Added 

 to this are nearly 50,000,000 acres of 

 United States forest reserves and state 

 lands, for which the Bureau is asked for 

 technical assistance from time to time. 



Not only have the people throughout 

 the country shown interest in practical 

 forestry, but congress at its last session so 

 far recognized the importance of the gov- 

 ernment's work in this line as to raise the 

 Division of Forestry to the rank of a Bu- 

 reau. The annual appropriation was also 

 increased from $88,520 in 1900 to $185,440 

 in 1901. Still the demands upon the 

 Bureau continue to greatly outstrip its re- 

 sources. 



1,000 KINDS OF GRASS IN AMERICA. 



A report on the work of the divison of 

 agrostology of the Departure of Agricul- 

 u re, since its organization in 1895, has 

 been submitted to Secretary Wilson by 

 Professor F. Lamson Scribner, the gov- 

 ernment agrostologist. 



The report says that of the occupied 

 public lands about 365.500,000 acres are 

 now regarded as fit only for grazing pur- 

 poses, and in addition there are 124,300,- 

 000 acres of forest land, the greater por- 

 tion of which is also used for grazing. 



The relation of the grazing industry to 

 forest reserves, the water supply, erosion 

 etc. , the report says, can be solved only 

 by long and careful investigation of the 

 facts and conditions prevailing. As a 

 result of the field work already done the 

 department has been enabled to recom- 

 mend to farmers and stockmen thorough- 

 out the country the forage crop adapted 

 to their conditions and special require- 

 ments and to carry on experiments with 

 forage plants likely to prove valuable in 

 any particular region. 



Within the United States are grown 

 over 1,000 species of grasses and, perhaps, 



100 or more other plants of sufficient 

 forage value to justify their investigation 

 and cultivation. Because they are native, 

 says the report they have been too often 

 not only neglected, but abused, and in 

 some cases partially exterminated. Many 

 of these grasses have been sho vn by these 

 investigations to take kindly to cultivation 

 and produce much larger quantities of hay 

 and pasture than ordinarily supposed. 



COAST'S GREAT RAISIN YIELD. 



The raisin industry of this country 

 forms a subject of considerable interest 

 because virtually the entire consumptive 

 demand, which was formally met wholly 

 by importation, is now supplied by the 

 single state of California, the only rasin 

 producing state in the Union. 



It is well known that no variety of na- 

 tive American grape has yet been devel- 

 oped suitable for the preparation of 

 raisins. Over twenty-five years ago 

 choice varieties of the raisin grape were 

 introduced into California from Spain, 

 the country from which our raisins were 

 derived. 



The industry did not at once assume 

 commercial proportions, but it is notable 

 that so early as 1885, in the crop year 

 ended September 1, 1886, the efforts of 

 increased production in California began 

 to be shown in a decrease of imports. In 

 the fiscal year 1885-6 imports declined to 

 40,387,746 pounds from 53,703,220 pounds 

 only two years previous. Productions in 

 California on the other hand, began in 

 that year to assume commercial propor- 

 tions for the first time and amounted to 

 9,400,000 pounds against 3,500,000 pounds 

 in the previous year. 



The impetus given to the industry at 

 that time was never relaxed, production in- 

 creased by leaps and bounds until in the 

 crop year ended September 1, 1895, the 

 high record mark was reached of 103,- 

 000,000 pounds. Naturally the effect up- 

 on imports of this remarkable increase of 



