CONSERVATION is one of the main themes at all our 

 state and national gatherings where ever natural re- 

 sources or their products are discussed. All of our 

 statesmen who have the public interest at heart preach con- 

 servation. All our government and state experiment sta- 

 tions with their experts going out into every county are try- 

 ing to help the farmer raise more on the land he farms so 

 as to better increase the welfare of the state as a whole. 

 One of the strongest things set forth to the farmer, is that 

 of full utilization of everything possible. This principle is 

 one of the dominating factors in every industry. Take the 

 packing house; everything is utilized. Compare the sawmill 

 of today with that of twenty years ago and note the change. 

 Every little stick is used. Look at the up-to-date farmer. 

 All of his land is utilized to the best advantage. A farm 

 with weeds in the corners of th'e fields, acres which support 

 nothing of value are no longer found as they were in the 

 years gone by. It would seem that our state were the home 

 of conservation and complete utilization. Is it? 



Why have we millions of acres of land in this state which is 

 not put to any use? Part of this question must be answered 

 by the immigration department, the irrigation department 

 and other departments, but the part of the question we must 

 answer is, why are there thousands acres of cut-over land which 

 the state now owns, a great deal of which has reverted to 

 the state because the land was too poor for the owners to 

 pay taxes on. 



This question of why is it possible for the state to have 

 so much land capable of raising the finest timber in the 

 country lying idle is a natural one. 



Who, driving along the road where well managed farms 

 meet his eye on both sides of the road would not ask the same 

 question if in part of one farm he would see a field going to 

 waste? If that field were utilized it would more than pay 



3 



