50 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



t'ebruary, 



encourage others to construct irrigation 

 canals, and this will be its first expe- 

 rience in canal ownership and manage- 

 ment. The operation of the property 

 will be directed by Thomas Cooper, as- 

 sistant to the president of the road , who is 

 familiar with irrigation affairs , and whose 

 policy in all land matters connected with 

 his company has been low prices, quick 

 sales, and speedy development. 



The main Kennewick Canal is 40 miles 

 in length, with about 10 miles of laterals, 

 and covers about 15,000 acres. The 

 Kiona Canal is constructed and in opera- 

 tion for 10 miles, covering about 2,000 

 acres, but will ultimately be extended to 

 the Columbia River, a distance of about 

 24 miles, and will then cover about 23,- 

 000 acres. The lower Yakima Canal 

 was partly constructed for a distance of 

 six miles, but never operated. It will 

 now be completed and put in operation. 

 The lands under these different canals 

 are of the same general character as those 

 which have made the Yakima Valley 

 famous for its fruit, hops, alfalfa, pota- 

 toes, and other products. The elevation 

 being considerably lower than further 

 up the valley, the climate is warmer and 

 the growing season longer. Tacoma, 

 Washington, Neivs. 



Forest Reserves The proposition has 

 for Nebraska. been laid before the 

 President to establish 

 three forest reser\^es, aggregating 558,- 

 720 acres, in the sand-hill region of Ne- 

 braska. 



This region includes about one-fourth 

 of Nebraska, and contains by far the 

 greater part of the ten million acres of 

 government land in that state. The 

 proposed reserves are located in the 

 worst part of the sand-hills, and con- 

 tain but one per cent, of land held under 

 private claim. The land is wholly unfit 

 for agriculture, cannot be irrigated, and 

 is of small value for grazing, 20 to 40 

 acres being required per head of cattle. 



After a thorough investigation, the 

 Bureau of Forestry has become fully 

 convinced that several species of valua- 

 ble pines can be so successfully and eco- 

 nomically grown as to give the land a 

 producing value far above its present 



rate as grazing land. This conclusion 

 is substantiated both by natural condi- 

 tions and experiment. Two of the pro- 

 posed reserves originally were partially 

 covered by a valuable growth of pine 

 and cedar, and even now in places con- 

 tain many young trees which need only 

 protection to make valuable timber. In 

 other places on the reserves there is a 

 more or less pronounced tendency to- 

 ward shrub and tree growth. Added 

 to the favorable natural conditions are 

 the experiments of the Bureau of For- 

 estry, begun eleven years ago. Pines 

 planted at that time under the worst 

 sand-hill conditions are 15 to 20 feet 

 high and growing with great vigor 

 this without the least attention except 

 protection from fire and stock. 



This is the first proposal 'for national 

 forest reser\'es on land principally de- 

 void of present forest cover, and involves 

 the principle of artificial forestation. 

 The Attorney- General has given his 

 opinion to the effect that under the law 

 of March 3, 1891, the President has 

 authority to withdraw from settlement 

 land of this character and set it aside 

 by public proclamation in permanent 

 forest reserves. 



The forestation of the proposed re- 

 serves need not interfere with grazing ex- 

 cept as the land is actually planted to 

 timber. The onl}^ effect of the action will 

 be to withdraw the land from settlement 

 and make it available for forestation as 

 needed. The proposal is highh^ favored 

 by the people and ofiicials of Nebraska 

 generally. Governor Savage, who is a 

 warm friend of forestry and irrigation, 

 has written to the President strongly en- 

 dorsing the plan. Resolutions favoring 

 the plan were recently passed by the 

 Nebraska Academy of Sciences and the 

 State Horticultural Society. 



Labor Unions At the recent cjnven- 

 Favor National tion of the American 

 Irrig-ation. Federation of Labor, 



held at Scranton, Pa., 

 the following resolution, introdviced b}^ 

 Delegate H. White, representing the 

 United Garment Workers, was adopted : 

 Whereas, In his annual message the 

 President of the United States recom- 



