FOREST POLICY. 95 



The acreage annually sold under this law is small, having 

 rarely exceeded 100,000 acres in any given year. 



Third: The Timber and Stone Act, of June 3rd. 1878, permits 

 every citizen or prospective citizen to acquire one hundred and 

 sixty acres of land, unfit for either agriculture or mining, and 

 chiefly valuable for timber or stone, at a price of two dollars 

 and fifty cents per acre. The entrym.an is forbidden to act under 

 previous agreement of sale to some third party. 



From the passage of the Timber and Stone Act to June 30th. 

 1904, 7,600,000 acres (only!!) of timber and stone land were 

 patented under its provisions; and 7,644 claims for 1,100,000 

 acres were pending on the date given (figures from Report of 

 Public Land Commission). 



Simultaneously with the Timber and Stone Act, there was 

 passed, on June 3rd. 1878, another Act permitting citizens and 

 other persons to cut and remove timber and wood (of 8" diameter 

 or more) from any mineral lands in any mineral district of the 

 United States: for building, agricultural, mining, and other 

 domestic purposes. The looseness of the wording of this law 

 has caused it to be used as a cover for timber steals. By this 

 act, however, not the land, but merely the timber is being 

 given away. 



Fourth: The Desert Land Act, of 1877, meant to encourage 

 irrigation, permits the disposal of public land in quantities not 

 exceeding 320 acres. The entries made under this act are as- 

 signable ; the grantee is not required to reside on the land, but 

 must prove the existence of an adequate and permanent water 

 supply. Lands acquired under this act must be incapable of 

 producing a crop without irrigation. 



Fifth : The Indian land laws provide that Indian lands ceded 

 to the United States, if agricultural or irrigable, must be opened 

 to homestead entry. 



Indian allotments, the President allotting to each member of 

 a tribe from 40 to 160 acres according to his or her age, are 

 held in trust by the United States for the allottees, to be con- 

 veyed in fee after the lapse of 25 years. The former Indian 

 territory and some Indian reservations (New York, Nebraska) 

 are exempted from this rule. 



