470 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



October 



of the best trees for mixing with the 

 Green Ash is the Hackberry. Other 

 good species for such a mixture are 

 Boxelder, White Elm, Scotch Pine, 

 and Red Cedar. If grown in pure 

 stands the Green Ash should be un- 

 derplanted with Choke Cherry, Wild 

 Black Currant, or Wild Plum. These 

 shrubs will endure the shade and keep 

 the ground free from grass and weeds. 



ENEMIES. 



Several insects are known to prey 

 upon the Green Ash. In case in- 

 jurious insects appear in alarming 

 numbers upon natural or planted trees, 

 specimens should be sent to the Di- 

 vision of Entomology, where they 

 will be identified and measures sug- 

 gested for their destruction or con- 

 trol. The chief climatic influence 

 liable to injure the Green Ash is a 

 protracted growing season, followed 

 by a severe frost. Such injuries, 

 however, are only temporary, and the 

 tree soon recovers fully. 



POSSIBILITIES AND USES. 



The fairly rapid growth, easy 

 propagation, and unsurpassed hardi- 



ness of the Green Ash make it one 

 of the most valuable trees for general 

 planting in the arid, treeless West. 

 It serves a useful purpose, whether 

 planted for windbreaks, ornament, or 

 timber. The wood is believed to be 

 inferior to that of White Ash and 

 many other species, hence its propaga- 

 tion in humid regions is not recom- 

 mended, but in sections where wood 

 of any kind is of high value because 

 of its scarcity, extensive general 

 planting is advisable. The Green Ash 

 should be planted in place of Cotton- 

 wood in many sections. 



PLANTATIONS. 



Although the Green Ash has been 

 extensively planted in the middle 

 West, figures based on examinations 

 and measurements of well-established 

 plantations are not available. Forest 

 plantations of Green Ash throughout 

 Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South 

 Dakota are, in general, in a very 

 thriving condition. 



THE EIGHT HOUR LAW 



"THE rigid enforcement of the Eight- 

 A hour law upon Government con- 

 struction work during the present 

 summer by the President, has created 

 much disturbance among those con- 

 cerned. 



On account of the enormous amount 

 of work of an engineering character 

 being carried on throughout the coun- 

 try the demand for labor has far ex- 

 ceeded the supply and the large con- 

 tractors have so much private work 

 that they are not willing to take up 

 Government work unless the condi- 

 tions are unusually favorable. 



Practically all the laborers prefer 

 to work 10 hours, as they cannot get 

 the same pay for 8 hours. The con- 

 tractors are not willing to put their 

 men who have regularly worked a 10- 



hour day upon Government work at 

 8 hours, as it demoralizes their forces 

 and they cannot keep their well-trained 

 men unless they pay one and one- 

 quarter times as much for an 8-hour 

 day on Government work as they do 

 for 8 hours on private work. The 

 contractors are therefore bidding at 

 much higher rates on Government 

 work than has heretofore been the 

 rule. Therefore Government officers, 

 especially those who are working on 

 specific appropriations for a given 

 piece of work, find themselves unable 

 to prosecute it upon the plans which 

 formed the basis of the appropriation 

 by Congress. Likewise the contrac- 

 tors who have for many years been 

 working for the Government on a ten- 

 hour day and who are now doing work 



