4 45 2 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION September 



a matter of dollars and cents, and if I ditions of soil and climate, and accessi- 



had a million dollars to invest I would bility make it seem particularly desir- 



t sooner put it in southern pine lands, able. There would be no expense other 



k where there was some timber and the than the setting aside of the land and the 



t chance for more to grow, with a fire law patrolling of it to keep out fire, as the 



w enforced, than in any other form of in- pine would take care of itself and be 



r vestment that I can think of . It is for- an object-lesson to all the surrounding 



t tunate that men who know the value of country. In fact, the Department of 



t this timber are beginning to buy it up, Agriculture has already spent several 



I and to improve forest conditions through hundreds of thousands of dollars in an 



knowledge and management. Yet when effort to make tea grow in the Carolinas, 



the legislatures of the various states while very little has been spent in tree 



f meet next fall, the subject of practical saving. And, so far as direct returns 



1 forestry should receive the attention it bear on the subject, it would seem that 



deserves, for there is no part of the the trees were worth much more than 



1 country where it is so natural for the the tea, and the relative expense should 



c forests to grow, nor where they are so have been in an inverse proportion. 



1 easily maintained, as in the south At- The western and the Appalachian forest 



f lantic states. reserves are known to be worthy proj- 



t And this brings us naturally to the ects by all who have given the matter 



question of state or national aid in the any consideration, and I would add my 



work of caring for the forest interests plea for a " Southern Pine Forest Re- 



of the great pine belt of the South. It serve," where the Longleaf, Loblolly, 



extends from Virginia through North Slash or Rosemary, and the Shortleaf 



and South Carolina and Georgia, and Pines will grow. This reserve should 



follows the Gulf states to and into be about 50 miles from the coast, and 



Texas. It is about 2, ooo miles long and might include any desired amount of 



approximates 200 miles in width, or, in land. If Congress should pass an act 



other words, it contains more than enabling the United States to acquire a 



250,000,000 acres. When I first went suitable area, perhaps 100,000 acres, 



through this country very little of it was each state in which the lands might lie 



cut, but at the present time much is could set aside the state lands suitable 



being destroyed either through carelesss- for the purpose and let the general gov- 



ness or wantonness. It certainly seems ernment have full control over them, as 



desirable that the national government, in the case of the western reserves. It 



which has created many reserves in the would be the best possible use that could 



West, should turn its attention to the be made of much of the land and an 



needs of this region which has not a invaluable lesson to the citizens of the 



( single reserve where cheap lands, con- entire South. 



i 



I 



t THE ELEVENTH NATIONAL IRRIGATION 



! CONGRESS. 



i 



t THE ANNUAL SESSION WILL BE HELD AT OGDEN, UTAH, 



SEPTEMBER 15-18, 1903 SOME OF THE SPECIAL FEAT- 



URES WHICH WILL MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE AND VALU- 

 ABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WHOLE UNITED STATES. 



t /^REATER effort than ever before suit. In the first place, the State of 



f \J has been put forth to make the Utah, which is to be congratulated on 



t coming session of the National Irriga- the fact, has made an appropriation of 



r tion Congress a notable one. Various $6,000 to make the congress a success, 



causes have tended to produce this re- and is the first state which has taken 



