10 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION January 



gress in ten equal, annual install- work comes from mountain streams, 



ments. To raise this fund, a bond is- absolutely dependent upon mountain 



sue is suggested. Even at such a forests, 

 price, the work if wisely, promptly and 



honestly done would, from a National Again, the great dram- 

 standpoint, be cheap. An examination, Drainage age question is involved, 

 however, of the President's message Vast areas of swamp 

 will disclose other sources of revenue, land, notably on the lower Mississippi 

 notably taxes on incomes and inheri- and the southeastern Atlantic Coa- 

 tances. A policy so vast and benefi- still exist, constituting a negative 

 cent, so long considered, and designed rather than a positive economic factor 

 for a Nation so great, powerful and _ a source of evil rather than of good, 

 wealthy as the United States, should President George E. Barstow, of the 

 not halt for lack of means. The National Drainage Association, esti- 

 names of its promoters should live in mates that our swamp lands, if drain- 

 our National history as the names of e d j would afford homes of eighty 

 builders of the Republic. acres each to one million families or 



five million people. The value of 



F t Not all who are awak- eighty million acres of land thus re- 

 Fundamental ing to the gravity of the claimed, estimated at only $50 per 

 forest situation appre- acre, would equal $4,000,000,000. The 

 ciate the fundamental character of the annual earning power of this land, es-- 

 forest in our National economy. That timated at $25 per acre, is $2,000,- 

 it has to do with wood and all wood ooo.ooo. 



materials and products is evident. But, in many cases, to attempt mere- 

 With forest destruction, it is clear that ly to drain the swamps is to begin at 

 the lumber business must go, that the the wrong end of the problem. It is to 

 building industry must suffer and repeat the futile method of clearing 

 rents rise. The dependence of rail- river channels by simply removing 

 roads upon wood, notably for ties and silt and soil without preventing its re- 

 structural timbers, means that wood entrance. Swamps are frequently the 

 failure must raise the cost of trans- result of river overflows. To get rid 

 portation. of them, we must first stop the over- 



R e a d e r s of FORESTRY flows - To this end we must store the 



Irrigation AND IRRIGATION also ap- floods : and ' hence ' must maintain for ~ 



preciate some, of the c < 3 on the sl P es ' 

 causal relations between wood and 



water. They are aware, for example, T As noted, our greatest 

 that deforestation is a prolific source Water resource is our inland 

 of floods. They should note, in addi- water. Mr. M. O. 

 tion, the connection between forests Leighton, Chief Hydrographer of the 

 and irrigation. That the great West- United States Geological Survey, puts 

 ern desert may be converted into a the value of the water flowing down 

 fruitful field, it is but necessary that our Western mountains far beyond 

 water be turned upon the sand. With- the fabulous wealth represented by 

 in six years, Government irrigation the metals and minerals lying between 

 has reclaimed a quarter of a million the Rockies and the Pacific. Most of 

 acres, now sustaining twenty thou- this resource is now wasted. Water 

 sand people. Director Newell esti- running idly over Government dams 

 mates that, in another decade, two might be made to yield, he estimates, 

 million more acres may be reclaimed, $32,000,000 per year which, capital- 

 upon which a quarter of a million more ized at 3 per cent, represents an in- 

 human beings may maintain them- vestment of $1,066,000,000. 

 selves. The water, however, for this Again, our annual flood damage he 



