126 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



March 



given bv various forestry promoters 

 regarding the length of time when 

 the timber supply will be exhausted." 



The Earth 

 Modified 

 by Man 



The Century Magazine 

 says editorially : "In 

 view of the prediction 

 by so careful an authority as Mr. 

 Pinchot, that at the present rate of de- 

 struction there will be a timber fam- 

 ine in the United States within twen- 

 ty-five years, it behooves all executive? 

 and legislators charged with the af- 

 fairs of either Nation or State to study 

 this question thoroughly. To such we 

 confidently recommend the famous 

 and interesting volume by the late 

 George P. Marsh, formerly \merican 

 minister in Rome, entitled "The Earth 

 as Modified by Human Action," the 

 recent reissue of which by the Scrib- 

 ners is a public service. \Ye chal- 

 lenge any one to read the chapters re- 

 lating to the dire effects of forest de- 

 struction in the Mediterranean coun- 

 tries without becoming an an lent 

 champion of a prompt and radical pol- 

 icy, to the end that our own country 

 may escape the same fate." 



Pioneer Fully seven hundred 



Farmers Hear f armer s from Minnesota 

 About Trees amj the ^ Q^^ 



were present at the recent merlin- of 

 the Tri-State Grain and SirK- Gr 

 rr-' Association, at Farg'>. Xorth Da- 

 kota. Though interested in everything 

 which could add to their success in 

 making fruitful the windswept prair- 

 ies, these pioneer farmers were espec- 

 ially eager to learn the secrets of suc- 

 cessful tree planting. One entire day 

 was given over to horticulture and its 

 various branches. The importance of 

 the subject of forestry was brought 

 out by four different speakers. These 

 were G. H. Whiting, a pioneer nurs- 

 eryman, Prof. E. G. Cheyney, of Min- 

 nesota Agricultural College. Prof. C. 

 B. Waldron, of North Dakota Agri- 

 cultural College, and C. A. Kupfer. of 

 the United States Forest Service. 



One of the speakers at the conven- 

 tion made a brief synopsis of the 



points emphasized in the discussion on 

 tree planting, as follows : 



"There is no question regarding the 

 need for tree planting on the north- 

 ern prairies. Every attempt should be 

 made to protect the farm buildings, 

 animals and orchards from the severe 

 winds which are so hot and dry dur- 

 ing the summer and so terribly cold 

 and dry during the winter . months. 

 Comfort in the home, complete success 

 in stock raisin-, and the avoidance of 

 complete failure in orcharding, de- 

 mand this. Farmers should grow their 

 o\vn fence posts, poles, fuel, repair 

 material, and where waste lands per- 

 mit. their lumber for barns, sheds, and 

 other uses. 



"While the demand for fence 

 in thr-r ihrrr States is not very great 

 at the present time, it will continue to 

 grow a- the country develops and 

 farming becomes more intensive. 

 When agricultural development be- 

 comes as great here as in Iowa, whnv 

 over $1,000,000 worth of posts are 

 used annually, the annual outlay for 

 Mich material in these three States will 

 be enormous. It is frequently worth 

 more than the price of the lumber to 

 have a piece of repair material cl> 

 at hand. All these things the farmer- 

 of these States can provide for them- 

 selv< - at a great profit." 



Lumbermen The lumbermen of the 

 North\vr-t are working 

 for an amendment to 

 the Interstate Commerce Law that 

 will allow a hearing on all changes in 

 interstate tariffs issued by transporta- 

 tion companies, previous to their tak- 

 ing effect. The publisher of the Pa- 

 cific Xortlr^'cst states that the rail- 

 roads have practically confiscated the 

 lumber industry of the Northwest by 

 an arbitrary rate, and the manufactur- 

 ers have at present no recourse but to 

 let their plants remain idle. For over 

 three months, it is said, fifteen thous- 

 and men. with an average daily pay- 

 roll of nearly $60,000, have been out 

 of employment in that section. 





