1904 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 463 



farmers to abandon much of this land, and eroded lands, the land-owners of the 



Of i, ooo acres of once valuable sweet- Kansas River Valley should immediately 



potato land in one body near Wamego, cooperate to secure continuous belts of 



Kansas, only 35 acres were cultivated timber 250 feet wide on both banks of 



last year after the flood, and this is the stream. Such protective belts will 



probably all that will be fit to cultivate be far more serviceable than dikes of 



for many years to come. earth or masonry in mitigating the de- 



The Bureau of Forestry is now sending struction that may occur from overflows, 



to the citizens of the Kaw Valley a The future wealth and productiveness of 



mimeographed circular of recommenda- the valley as a whole will be largely de- 



tions for guidance in forest planting on pendent upon the practice of forestry 



their damaged lands, in which it is said: for protection against devastation by 



' ' Wherever the river has changed its floods. ' ' 



course and straightened its channel, The conditions are peculiarly favorable 



every possible effort should be put forth for the success of tree planting in the 



to keep it straight. Much of the dam- flooded regions. The flood prepared an 



age that was caused in the great flood of excellent seed bed for trees, and willow 



1903 is directly traceable to crooks in the and cottonwood seedlings are growing 



stream. The soft, bare banks should be thick on ground that was too wet to 



covered with willows at the earliest pos- plow last year. The young cottonwoods 



sible moment to prevent the stream from can be taken up and set out on the sandy 



again becoming crooked. In addition ridges which the flood has damaged, 



to the protection of the caving river Thus the nursery stock will cost nothing 



banks and the reclamation of the sanded but a little labor. 



FORESTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF 



MINNESOTA. 



A FULL FOUR YEARS' COURSE OFFERED AND 

 DEGREE CONFERRED UPON ITS COMPLETION. 



TT WARRANTED by the success of region, giving an opportunity of study- 

 VV former forest work and instruc- ing lumbering operations, the use of a 

 tion in forestry which has been carried well-equipped university, agricultural 

 on at the University of Minnesota for college, and experiment station, and 

 the past 14 years, and in response to an the varied auxiliary forest industries 

 urgent demand for it, the course in for- centered in a large lumbering city. The 

 estryin the College of Agriculture, Uni- Minnesota National Forest Reserve in 

 versity of Minnesota, was established in north central Minnesota offers excellent 

 1902, when a change in the curriculum opportunity for observing the best 

 was taking place. This is a full four methods of forest management con- 

 years' course, parallel with the courses ducted by the Bureau of Forestry, 

 in other departments of the University, The Minnesota Forest Reserve Board 

 and leads to the degree of Bachelor of has recently acquired 20,000 acres, and 

 Agriculture in Forestry. It is intended on another tract of i ,000 acres has es- 

 to prepare men to take charge of inde- tablished a nursery and commenced the 

 pendent forest properties, or for the growing of seedlings for forest planting, 

 government forest service, or for posi- Opportunities are here offered to see, 

 tions as teachers. and in many cases to take part in, the 

 The location of a school of forestry at scaling and estimating of timber, and to 

 the University of Minnesota is most work in lumber camps for good pay at 

 suitable because of the many natural practical lumbering operations, 

 advantages, easy access to a timbered The city parks, nurseries, sawmills, 



