144 



THE FORESTER. 



June, 



; inches diameter has value for boxwood only one day. but I send you a photograph 

 and pulp. There is much to be saved showing where the fire had just killed the 

 now. and more to be had in future years 

 if the trees could be allowed to grow. 



[ resrret that I had a camera with me 



second-growth Poplar. 



YV. H. BOARDMAX. 

 NEW YORK, May iS. 1900. 



\E\VS. XOTES AXD COMMENT. 



Investigations of By recent act of Con- 

 Water Resources, gress the investigations of 

 the water resources of the country being 

 carried on by the Division of Hydrography 

 of the United States Geological Survey, 

 have been notably enlarged. The ap- 

 propriation for this purpose for several 

 years has been S^o.ooo per annum. Dur- 

 ing the last fiscal year, however, this was 

 increased in various ways so that upwards 

 of 890.000 were expended in surveying 

 reservoir sites in the arid region, investi- 

 gating underground waters, and measur- 

 ing the flow of streams both east and 

 west. 



For the next fiscal year the amount of 

 Sioo.ooo will be available. Attempts 

 were made to secure an increase to $2^0.- 

 ooo the lead in this matter being taken 

 by the National Irrigation Association 

 and similar bodies throughout the country. 

 Various Boards of Trade and commercial 

 clubs interested in the development of 

 the country joined in the movement, as 

 well as engineers and investigators de- 

 sirous of having official data upon which 

 to found plans for various projects. 



Although the full amount requested by 

 the various petitions was not received, yet 

 the increase makes it practicable to take 

 up a number of problems throughout the 

 United States. Reservoir surveys will be 

 actively pushed forward in the High 

 S ras. in California and in the Rocky 

 Mountain region, particularly in Montana 

 and Colorado. In the South and East a 

 number of important undeveloped water 

 powers will be examined and detailed 

 measurements made of the flow of the 

 streams. 



Requests and memorials are being re- 

 ceived from various parts of the United 



States for the extension of systematic 

 measurements of important rivers. These 

 are being carefully considered in the light 

 of public importance and benefits of the 

 results. In this connection, the officials 

 in charge desire to have all such requests 

 for systematic measurements of rivers, in- 

 vestigation of underground waters, etc., 

 sent in at an early day, in order that each 

 locality- may have proper consideration. 

 Engineers who have in mind streams 

 especiallv those flowing across State lines. 

 whose waters are important for industrial 

 developments may be able, by making 

 prompt application, to secure systematic 

 measurements of the available volume of 

 water. 



Tree Planting in As is well known, the 

 the Plains Re- tree claims of the prairies 

 gion- of the West while occasion- 



ally successful have nearly all proved fail- 

 ures. This is accounted for by the fact 

 that hitherto the requirements of the trees 

 planted were not known to the plant- 

 ers. This spring however, thirtv-three 

 planting plans are going into operation as 

 a result of the offer of the Division of 

 Forestry in Circular 22, and during the 

 summer similar plans will probably be 

 completed for over one hundred more of 

 those who have applied for them. These 

 plans furnish the owners of the lands for 

 which they are made, with detailed in- 

 structions for planting and recommend the 

 species -best adapted to each tract. 



Of the applications for advice in plant- 

 ing plans. 90 per cent, have come from 

 the treeless regions of Texas. Oklahoma, 

 Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. The 

 results of the first investigations in the 



