1904 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 29 



At last the signs of coming spring stranded when the flood subsides. At 



begin to be noticed. The remnant of this point the winter work ends and 



the work is pushed through with all the drive begins. Hitherto the men and 



possible speed, and finally all of the the horses have transported the logs by 



logs are lying upon the ice or along the their own muscular power, aided by the 



banks waiting for the breakup. sloping, slippery snow road. Hence- 



If the stream is liable to overflow its forward, in large measure, the men will 



banks when the ice goes out, long booms merely direct and apply the action of 



may have to be built of logs chained end enormous natural forces in the path of 



to end to prevent the logs from float- which they have placed the logs by their 



ing in among the timber and becoming labors of the winter. 



THE BUREAU OF FORESTRY. 



EXCERPT FROM THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 

 FOR 1903, SHOWING THE PROGRESS MADE DURING THE PAST YEAR. 



THE object for which the Bureau It is greatly to be hoped that the 

 of Forestry exists is first of all Bureau of Forestry may not be corn- 

 to secure the highest permanent useful- pelled to let slip this opportunity for an 

 ness of the forests in the present and important public service by inability to 

 future interests of the country. answer the demands which will be made 



Lumbering of the forests now stand- upon it. Experience has shown its 

 ing must go on to supply immediate capacity to do this work. The wide 

 needs. This has made it necessary to knowledge of forest conditions and of 

 find how to make conservative lumber- methods of operation which it has gath- 

 ing profitable, and the great danger ered, and the organization which it has 

 has been that the rising price and grow- developed, fit it to undertake new prob- 

 ing scarcity of lumber would not of lems with a probability of success which 

 themselves bring this about until none can be looked for in no other quarter, 

 but inferior forests should be left on In so vast a country as ours, and under 

 which to practice forest management. forest and economic conditions of such 



It is a safe assertion that the lumber variety, the task of revolutionizing the 



interests of the United States recognize long-established methods of an industry 



today as never before that forestry has like the lumber business is one of enor- 



for them a practical commercial value ; mous difficulty. On the ability of the 



that the way is in many cases already Bureau of Forestry to demonstrate, as 



open to them to consider conservative fast as opportunity permits, that it is 



lumbering as a definite business propo- good business for lumbermen to conduct 



sition, and that this condition has been operations with reference to future crops 



brought about entirely by the efforts of depends in large measure the success 



the Bureau of Forestry to deal with the or failure of the attempt to preserve 



concrete facts of a problem of national what should be our chief sources of 



importance. The evidence of its sue- timber supply. The proper equipment 



cess is not only the cases in which him- of the Bureau for this work is nothing 



ber companies have already begun to less than a national duty, and I have 



put into operation its plans, prescribing recommended that the annual appropria- 



for particular tracts how to lumber with tion for its use be substantially increased, 

 reference to future production, nor the 



, , , , , ADVANTAGES OF COOPERATION WITH 



applications which have been made tor 



similar advice elsewhere, but to the 



surprising interest in the subject which In cooperating with private owners the 



has lately been evidenced among him- Bureau is not expending public money 



bermen generally. to benefit private interests. Scientific 



