136 



THE FORESTER. 



June 



of the various species. The list begins 

 with the most sensitive. White Pine, 

 Hemlock, River Birch, Mulberry, White 

 Oak, Chestnut Oak, Chestnut, Black Oak, 

 Red Oak, Ash, Willow, Beech, Poplar, 

 Blue Beech, Bellwood, Locust, Honey 

 Locust, Red Maple, Virginia Scrub Pine, 

 Black Gum, Sourwood, Dogwood. 



The last three trees in the list are verj 

 hardy and were found within one-hal: 

 mile of the roasting sheds. It was some 

 what surprising to find the Scrub Pine sc 

 resistent, but it appeared to stand the sul 

 phur better than any other trees excep 

 Black Gum, Sourwood and Dogwood. 

 HENRY S. GRAVES. 



THE INVESTIGATION OF THE GRAZING QUESTION. 



The investigation of the question of graz- 

 ing in the forest reserves has been begun 

 by Mr. Gifford Pinchot, the Forester, and 

 Mr. Coville, the Botanist, of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, who left Washington, 

 D. C., in the middle of May and are now 

 studying the conditions in Arizona. 



The grazing question is the most im- 

 portant one which has thus far come up in 

 connection with the reserves, and in it 

 have been involved most of the strong 

 objections to them. Until the advisability 

 of permitting grazing is no longer an open 

 question, until it has been determined after 

 a thorough and impartial investigation of 

 the conditions in each reserve, the angry 

 opposition to them which exists in some 

 regions cannot be expected to diminish. 

 At present there is probably nothing that 

 could do more to establish the desirability 

 of reserves in the minds of those who still 

 object to them than to make possible an 

 intelligent regulation of grazing. For this 

 reason the letter of instructions which is 

 being issued to its field agents by the Divi- 

 sion of Forestry is both important and 

 interesting. The letter tells its own story 

 and is here given in full. It is being sent 

 to all of the agents of the Division who 

 are to be at work in the Big- Horn. Wash- 



o 



ington, Mount Rainier, Uintah,Gila River, 

 and Yellowstone Park Timber Land Re- 

 serves, and to those in the Sierras and 

 southern California. The letter is as fol- 

 lows : 



" The investigation of the effect of graz- 

 ing upon the national forest reserves in 

 which you are about to engage will be 



governed throughout in accordance witl 

 the following considerations : 



"This investigation is undertaken a 

 the request of the Honorable Secretary o 

 the Interior. In the letter to the Honor 

 able Secretary of Agriculture which con 

 tains his request, after referring to th< 

 preparation of other reports on fores 

 matters for the Interior Department b^ 

 this Division, he says : 



" ' Grazing in the national forest re 

 serves being one of the most important o 

 all the questions which relate to them, wil 

 naturally form a chief subject of the above 

 mentioned reports. In the necessary in 

 vestigations and in preparing these re 

 ports, I have the honor to request tha 

 special attention be given to the following 

 phases of the subject : 



" ' i . The grazing industry in the fores 

 reserves in relation to taxation and thi 

 general propriety of specified localities. 



" l 2. The relation of grazing to fores 

 fires. 



"'3. The relation of grazing to th< 

 preservation and reproduction of forests. 



" ' 4. The relation of grazing to irriga 

 tion and water supply. 



"'5. The relative effect of grazing ty 

 various kinds of stock. 



"'6. Moderate grazing and over-graz 

 ing in forest reserves.' 



" In undertaking the investigation alon<; 

 these lines this Division occupies a conv 

 pletely impai'tial position. It has no cast 

 to prove, no interest to favor except th< 

 public interest, nor any preconceived idea; 

 to establish or defend. Its only concen 



