11 



216 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



every year and the situation is exactly analagous to forest fires. 

 Ordinarily if these insects can be cleaned up promptly serious damage 

 is prevented, but if they run on and reach what the entomologists 

 call an epidemic stage, where the swarms multiplv at an enormous 

 rate, the damage may run up into figures that equal the damage from 

 forest fires. We have had that happen. It happened in the Black 

 Hills about 1900. It would have happened in Oregon had not pro- 

 vision been made for suppressive measures. So we would like to 

 get authority to use $25,000 out of this forest fire fighting fund for 

 such emergencies. 



Mr. Anderson. This $25,000 I suppose w^ould be used for the 

 physical work of suppressing the outbreak and not for technical 

 investigation ? 



Colonel Greelfa'. No; it would be used entirely for employing 

 labor to cut down infested trees and to carry out the physical labor 

 of control as experts from the Bureau of Entomology direct it. They 

 always examine these areas and tell us just wliat to do. In fact, 

 they usually furnish a man to direct the work of suppression. 



Mr. Anderson. I do not want to build up in the Forest ^Service 

 another Bureau of Entomology. I can easily see that in a work of 

 these enormous proportions there is a certain amount of physical 

 work that is done by private owners when ownied by private parties 

 and the Forest Service must do the same thing. 



FOR SELECTION, ETC., OF LANDS ^^^TH^N BOUNDARIES OF NATIONAL 



FORESTS. 



Colonel Greeley. The item on page 148, the selection, classifica- 

 tion, and segregation of lands within the boundaries of natitJunl 

 forests that may be opened to homestead settlement and entry 

 under the homestead laws applicable to the national forests, etc., 

 remains the same. Just a word of explanation may be in point. 

 The original purpose of this item has to a considerable extent been 

 accomplished. That was the classification of the lands in the 

 national forests which have agricultural value and their segregation 

 imder the forest homestead law, so that they may be entered by 

 settlers. We have classified to date approximately 143. 000, 000 acres 

 out of 157,000,000 acres in the national forests and have openeil to 

 homestead entry in excess of 3.000.000 acres as a result of this 

 intensive classification. We still have certain areas in Alaska wiiich 

 must be clas.sified and we have a certain amount of work to do in 

 investigating appeals or correcting the original classification where 

 there appears to be reason for reexamination. 



This item also covers the cost of making surveys by metes and 

 boimds in order to permit settlers in llie national forests on lands 

 which liave not yet been covered by the rectangular surveys of tlie 

 General Land Office to offer ])roof and get patents. We iiave from 

 100 to 200 cases of tliat character each year and they cost us about 

 $200 per case. That is a re(|uirement that will continue probably 

 for another IWo or six years, and then it wifi gradually disa|)pear with 

 the completion of the entries nnule upon these laiuls. On the other 

 hand, the work of handling exchangcvs which is piovided for in this 

 ite n is (ine that is going to grow into large j)i-oport ions. Last March 



