1904 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 577 



Streams which formerly furnished am- be accomplished through the mainte- 

 ple water for the working of extens- nance of a corps of forest officers to 

 ive properties during the full open sea- whom is intrusted the execution of the 

 son a few years ago are now without law and the rules and regulations gov- 

 a sufficient flow for more than a few erning forest reserves. The forest re- 

 weeks run in the claims. The unof- serve system in the United States was 

 fending climate is held responsible for inaugurated but a few years ago ; it 

 all this. We might paraphrase and is yet in the formative stage, but al- 

 say, "Oh ! Climate, what sins are com- ready its beneficent purposes are rec- 

 mitted in thy name !" ognized and the wisdom of its found- 



The true reason for the unfortun- ers is proven beyond controversy. The 

 ately changed situation is not far to system in providing for the creation of 

 seek. The mountain slopes once for- forest reserves does not sontemplate 

 ested, now denuded, tell the tale of the locking up of the timber from the 

 repeated fires and the consequent re- people ; on the contrary, the forests in 

 duced water-storing capacity of the the reserves are at all times open for 

 country drained by the streams from the satisfying of the legitimate needs 

 which the placer miner's ditches used of the public. Instead of withhold- 

 to be so well supplied. ing timber from use the true forester 



These deplorable conditions, men- encourages the removal of all mature 



acing as they are to the prosperity of stuff and dead material not only to 



every quartz and placer miner, prove meet the present needs of consumers, 



the importance, aye, the absolute ne- but to make room for and stimulate the 



cessity, of preserving the forests if young growth and thereby assure a 



mining is to continue to hold its ex- supply for the future, 



alted place among our industrial pur- Timber may be secured from forest 



suits. reserves in two ways ; by purchase, if 



Protection from fire is the great es- it be wanted for corporate use or for 

 sential in forest reserve work at the speculative purposes, and under what 

 present time, but there are other mat- is known as the "free use privilege," 

 ters connected with the preservation if it be required by an individual for 

 of the forests almost equal in import- his personal use. Any person may get 

 ance ; timber should be economically whatever timber he requires to satisfy 

 used to avoid depleting the supply un- his personal needs free of charge. Thus 

 necessarily, and where cutting is done the prospector or individual miner may 

 it should be so conducted and the re- obtain whatever he needs for the con- 

 fuse resulting should be so disposed of, struction of his cabins, for domestic 

 as to do the least injury to the remain- use, or for the development of his min- 

 ing forest growth and the leave the ing property, entirely without cost, 

 cut-over tract in such condition that But, as any other conservative yet lib- 

 another crop for the use of consum- eral owner of timber would do under 

 ers yet to be shall be assured. The like circumstances, the Government 

 entire population is interested in these will insist that whoever wants timber 

 vital questions, but "whatever is ev- must ask for it, that he take no more 

 erybody's business is nobody's busi- than he needs, that' cutting be so done 

 ness," and so long as the public gener- that the least damage shall be inflict- 

 ally is responsible for the protection ed on the remaining timber, and that 

 of the forests, just so long will they the refuse resulting from his work be 

 be without an efficient shielding hand so disposed of that its agents, the for- 

 and left to the ravages of fires and est officers, can burn the same at the 

 wanton despoilers. proper season and reduce to a mini- 



The proper safeguarding of the for- mum the danger from the spread of 



ests requires that the duty be per- fires. Certainly these requirements are 



formed by persons specially designated so reasonable that no sane man can ob- 



for the purpose. This is sought to ject to them. And then, too, the pro- 



