23 o FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION May 



the foresters' art in the United States, tically the only country having accessi- 



from the point of view of supplies, as ble supples such as we need, are not 



follows: reassuring and may not be expected to 



(1) The consumption of forest sup- lengthen natural supplies appreciably, 

 plies, larger than in any other country (4) The reproduction of new supplies 

 in the world, promises not only to in- on the existing forest area could under 

 crease with the natural increase of the proper management be made to supply 

 population, but in excess of this increase the legitimate requirements fora long 

 per capita, similar to that of other civil- time; but fires destroy the young growth 

 ized, industrial nations, annually at a over large areas, and where production 

 rate of not less than 3 to 5 per cent. is allowed to develop, in the mixed for- 



(2) The most sanguine estimate of est at least, owing to the culling pro- 

 timber standing predicates an exhaus- cesses which remove the valuable kinds 

 tion of supplies in less than 30 years if and leave the weed trees, these latter 

 this rate of consumption continues, and reproduce in preference. 



of the most important coniferous sup- (5) The attempts at systematic silvi- 



plies in a very much shorter time. culture that is, the growing of new 



(3) The conditions for continued im- crops are so far infinitesimal, compared 

 ports from our neighbor, Canada, prac- with the needs. 



THE AMERICAN INDIAN AND IRRIGATION. 



WORK BEGUN BY BUREAU OP INDIAN AFFAIRS 

 TWENTY YEARS AGO HAVING GOOD EFFECT 

 IN ADVANCING CIVILIZATION OF THE INDIAN. 



ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS BY GEORGE BUTLER AND WALTER B. HILL, OF THE 



BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 



THERE are many who have a vague mind of savage and Christian could 



conception of the Indians and make them. 



know there are such within the con- Having curtailed their liberty, re- 

 fines of our country ; but few have con- stricted their territory of occupation, 

 crete knowledge of them, either tribally which was often distant from their old 

 or individually, and still fewer know, haunts, and imposed a new mode of life, 

 or can realize, the labor and effort that the self-created guardian found it in- 

 has been and is being expanded to ad- cumbent to issue rations, clothing, and 

 vance to a better life and make worthy other supplies to mitigate physical suf- 

 citizens of these wards of the govern- fering threatening the Indians in their 

 ment. new r environment. Thus, of necessity, 

 When the Indian, turned from his was inaugurated this factor in the intri- 

 old-time occupations of the hunt, inter- cate Indian policy, that has done more 

 tribal wars, and the like, was forced to than all else to retard and suppress the 

 protect himself from the invasion of the development and advancement of these 

 foreigners, many of whom were not of peoples. 



the better and more considerate ele- While there seemed no alternative 

 ment, the government found ifincum- course, it would appear that the issu- 

 bent to overcome, collect, and hold on. ance of rations and annuities was con- 

 reservations set aside for the purpose templated to continue only so long as 

 the different Indian tribes ; thus ad- the urgency of the case demanded. It 

 vancing as humanely as possible the was to be discontinued just so soon as 

 progress of civilization, while minimiz- the Indian became adapted to the new 

 ing wars between invader and invaded order of things and could, with govern- 

 that were as replete with horrors as the mental aid at first, become self-support- 



