FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



January 



hauser camps, in Minnesota, and the 

 other two saw the logging operations 

 of Henry Stephens at Waters, Mich., 

 and those of the David Ward estate, at 

 D. Ward, Mich. 



Alaskan The Thursday evening 



Forest Reserve, open meetingsof the So- 

 ciety of American For- 

 esters at the residence of Mr. Pinchot, 

 in Washington, which have proved 

 so instructive and entertaining during 

 previous winters, have been resumed for 

 i he .MMSon of 1903-1904. 



( )n December 17 Mr. W. A. Langille, 

 of the Bureau of Forestry, gave a talk, 

 illustrated by stereopticon views, on 

 tin- proposed forest reserve in south- 

 eastern Alaska. This territory extends 



o miles southeast from Skagway, 

 and forms a strip 30 miles wide on the 

 mainland along the western side of 

 Hritish Columbia, the boundary running 

 through the Coast Range Mountains. 

 It was examined by Mr. Langille dur- 

 ing the past field season. 



The country, which also includes the 

 numerous large islands along the coast, 

 is very rough and mountainous. On 

 this account, and also because the soil 

 is extremely scanty, there is practically 

 no opportunity for agriculture. The 

 rainfall will average about 80 inches. 



Timber grows on the slopes up to 

 snow-line, wherever it can find sub- 



:ence. In a few places heavy stands 

 of Spruce are found, most of which is 

 already ' 'scripped" or staked as mineral 

 lands. Hemlock is the prevailing timber 

 tree, and is reproducing vigorously in 

 all localities. Spruce (Picea sitchcnsis) 

 is second in importance as a type on ac- 

 count of its less frequent occurrence, 

 although it attains much greater dimen- 

 sions than Hemlock. One-fifth of the 

 entire area will cut 15,000 to 20,000 feet 

 of lumber per acre. A large proportion 

 of the timber is rendered useless by rot, 

 starting from heart-shake and "frost 

 cracks. 



The population of the territory em- 

 braced in the proposed reserve numbers 

 10,000, and the main occupations of the 

 people at present are fishing and lumber- 

 ing, though the hope and future wealth 



of the country lies in its mineral re- 

 sources. Indians bring logs to the mills 

 at such low rates that white men can 

 hardly compete in this kind of work. 



Mr. Langille believes that very little- 

 restriction should be put upon the lum- 

 bering of this region. Apparently the 

 difficulties attendant upon developing 

 the country are great, considering the 

 amount of profit in view, and the people 

 need encouragement to induce them to 

 settle and open new enterprises. 



Indictments The United States grand 

 for Illegal jury at Omaha has made 



Fencing. a partial report, return- 



ing indictments charg- 

 ing illegal fencingof public lands against 

 ten wealthy ranchmen of central and 

 western Nebraska. True bills are found 

 against Bartlett Richards, president of 

 the Nebraska Laud and Feeding Com 

 pany; W. G. Comstock, vice-president 

 of the same company, and Secretary 

 Charles C. Jameson, all of Ellsworth, 

 Neb., and former State Senator Frank 

 M. Currie, a large individual cattle 

 owner of Broken Bow, Neb. The other 

 seven indictments are against. extensive 

 ranchmen of Cherry and Caster coun- 

 ties. Each of the ten indictments in t In- 

 land-fencing cases contains three counts, 

 and all are similarly drawn. They 

 charge, first, erecting a fence in viola- 

 tion of the law T pertaining to govern- 

 ment land ; second, maintaining said 

 fences, and, third, obstructing passages 

 across government lands. 



The illegal fencing of these lands. 

 which are located in Cherry. Custer, 

 and other large counties in western Ne- 

 braska, was brought to the attention of 

 the Interior Department several months 

 ago. W. A. Richards, special land 

 commissioner, and Col. John S. M-b\ 

 were delegated to investigate the mat- 

 ter, and as a result it was left in cha 

 of District Attorney W. S. Sumnu 

 John B. de Freeze, a special agent, v - 

 sent to the range country to secure 

 evidence, and is said to have worked 

 up 132 cases where government land 

 has been fenced. About 700 ranchmen 

 are said to have fenced in about 

 6,000,000 acres. 



