44 



THE FORESTER. 



February, 



On the contrary, there is every reason 

 to believe that an organization created 

 for the single purpose will, under all 

 conditions, prove the most satisfactory. 

 If, at any time, a part of the military 

 force becomes available for service in 

 aiding to patrol the forest reservations 

 during the season when there is immi- 

 nent danger from fire, there is no reason 

 to doubt that such service would prove 

 to be a valuable supplement to that of a 

 regularly constituted corps of foresters. 

 Army officers who take intelligent interest 

 in matters pertaining to forest preserva- 

 tion have made the appropriate sugges- 

 tion that such service might well be 

 substituted for, or made part of, the sum- 

 mer practice marches. At the present 

 time, however, the further agitation of 

 any specific proposition for the utiliza- 

 tion of military forces in this capacity, 

 coupled, as it would be, by a further 

 division of authority, would seem to be 

 unwise. This is true not only for the 

 reasons already given, but also because 

 such a course leads to a common mis- 

 conception as to the professional ques- 

 tions involved. For this reason efforts 

 must be made to promote a wider under- 

 standing of the fact that forest adminis- 

 tration, in its strict sense, and forest 

 management, are each quite as necessary 

 as forest protection. With such an 

 understanding established, the creation 

 of a proper organization for the control, 

 management and care of the forest reser- 

 vation system could not be long delayed. 

 In this connection it is well to call 

 attention to the admirable suggestion of 

 Hon. Abbot Kinney, Chairman of the 

 Yosemite Park Commission, that stu- 

 dents of forestry be recognized as the 

 most desirable candidates for employ- 

 ment as forest rangers and that they be 

 given preference as such. This plan is 

 certainly to be commended. Its adop- 

 tion would result in the elimination of 

 partisan politics from a matter where its 

 intrusion is a manifest incongruity, and 

 would have a generally elevating and 

 beneficial effect on the forest service by 

 the addition of discipline and physical 

 ability. At the start the forest student 



who seeks employment as a ranger 

 would prove to be much more efficient 

 than the average political appointee not 

 only on account of his superior intelli- 

 gence but also because he would possess 

 a certain degree of professional enthusi- 

 asm, or pride of service, and an ambition 

 for advancement. With such incentives 

 he would become distinguished for his 

 aptitude, efficiency, and fidelity to duty 

 much more than the man who accepts 

 such employment only because of the 

 wages offered. Mr. Kinney's suggestion 

 is timely and it is to be hoped that it 

 may become the subject of favorable 

 consideration and action. 



THE PROTECTION OF IRRIGA- 

 TION WORKS. 



In the matter of natural fertility, the 

 soil of the arid and semi arid regions of 

 the Western States has few superiors. 

 Though the relative amount of organic 

 matter is small, the elements of mineral 

 fertilky are abundant. This is due to 

 the very fact of aridity. In the humid 

 regions, where there is greater precipita- 

 tion, the soils have been leached of their 

 soluble salts by the washings and perco- 

 lations of ages of rainfall, and now lack 

 fertility because of the loss of these 

 elements which have been swept to the 

 sea. Added to a soil of the highest 

 fertility, the arid regions possess a cli- 

 mate that is distinguished for its con- 

 stant sunshine. With a rich soil and 

 constant sunshine but one other con- 

 dition is requisite for the attainment of 

 the greatest possible returns for all agri- 

 cultural and horticultural operations, 

 and this is moisture. With this con- 

 dition supplied, farming in the rainless 

 regions presents one of the most inviting 

 and promising fields for industry. That 

 its possibilities have as yet been only 

 touched is hinted at in the following 

 paragraph from the Denver Field and 

 Farm, whose editor, a long resident of 

 the West, is the author of the well- 

 known book, "Irrigation Farming": 



If all the land under canal in Colorado were 

 utilized, our State could support a population 





