340 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



July 



ing, digging, transplanting or per- 

 forming some sort of nursery work. 

 The men greatly enjoy the novelty of 

 the labor too. 



Often a large gang of men finishes 

 work a few hours before quitting-time, 

 and rather than start in on a new piece 

 of work in which they could hardly 

 make a beginning, this time is spent in 

 the nursery. It surely has proven a 

 great success, and a study of its work- 

 ings would well repay any railroad 

 corporation. 



In forestry the work is going on in 

 a simewhat similar way. Danger 

 from forest fires is a most important 

 factor in railroad management. The 

 Boston & Maine road follows the prac- 

 tice of burning over the right of way 

 by its section men and at once remov- 

 ing all inflammable substances. 



To a certain extent, during a dry 

 time, a system of patrol is carried out. 

 Some of the accompanying illustra- 

 tions show examples of forestry prac- 

 tices as carried out by the Boston & 

 Maine. This road has purchased a 

 number of small tracts adjoining the 

 right of way and is encouraging the 

 adoption of modern methods of for- 

 estry in developing these holdings. As 

 with the work with shrubs, that in 

 forestry is just beginning. 



In one of the small groves eighty 

 cords of wood were cut in thinning, 

 and the growth remaining is far better 

 for it. Mr. Curtis finds that in the 

 -quieter times of the year, it is pos- 

 sible to relieve a man here and there 

 on a section for a day or so and have 

 him report for duty on some of these 

 "wooded tracts, where his work is ac- 

 complished at no extra expense to the 

 -company. The company always finds 

 :ready use for all forest products. 



The beautiful shady groves, such as 

 those at Rockingham Junction, N. H., 

 or Lowell Junction, Mass., are not 

 only valuable forest properties of the 

 railroad, but are more desirable and 

 effective than any other possible sort 

 of planting. To be able to while away 

 one's time in summer at stations like 

 these is a veritable pleasure. 



Trees and shrubs certainly can be 

 made to minister greatly to the com- 

 fort and pleasure of the .traveling 

 public. 



The Boston & Maine planted two 

 barrels of seed chestnuts along the 

 Western Division in 1904. It has also 

 started a large number of white pine 

 seedlings in frames, and a few years 

 ago Mr. Curtis imported a number of 

 catalpa trees which he is experiment- 

 ing with to determine their value in 

 New England. 



The time is not far distant when 

 railroads generally will have their own 

 nurseries, and when the embellish- 

 ment of station surroundings, the cov- 

 ering up of unsightly embarkments, 

 etc., will be a matter of duty to them, 

 as well as a source of pride. 



More and more trees and groves 

 will be planted and cared for, not only 

 for their shade and beauty, but as a 

 part of the railroad's economy in sup- 

 plying ties, telegraph poles, piles, fuel, 

 etc. 



Were railroads to employ experts 

 to formulate forestry plans, the small 

 expenditure would yield abundant re- 

 turns. Such an official could extend 

 his influence by co-operating with the 

 superintendents of parks and with city 

 and town authorities in his district. In 

 farming and wooded sections similar 

 co-operation could be carried out with 

 resulting better crops of fruits, vege- 

 tables and general farm produce and a 

 corresponding improvement in for- 

 estry methods. 



Assistance in this work undoubtedly 

 could be had from the men engaged in 

 teaching these branches at the various 

 agricultural colleges and from the 

 United States Department of Agri- 

 culture. 



The work of beautifying and mak- 

 ing our beloved country one that we 

 can feel proud of at home or abroad 

 is not only one in which governments 

 and corporations, but public-spirited 

 men, women and children everywhere 

 should take great pleasure. 



