33 8 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



une 



At the conclusion of Dr. Pardee's serves, and an intelligent conservation 



talk Governor Deneen of Illinois, took of wooded, brushy slopes, has already 



the chair, President Roosevelt retiring, saved thousands of dollars to the 



A paper prepared by H. A. Jastro. stockmen and the irrigation farmers 



of Bakersfield, Cal., president of the of the arid and semi-arid regions, he 



American National Live Stock Asso- said, and the good results that can be 



ciation, was read by Mr. William C. attained by methods such as are fol- 



P.arnes, Mr. Tastro having been taken lowed by the Forest Service and the 



suddenly ill and being unable to de- Reclamation Service can only be meas- 



liver the address himself. ured by the extent of the new work 



Mr. Jastro's paper was confined in which these Services are enabled to 



the main to grazing and stock rais- complete. 



ing conditions in New Mexico, An- Mr. Jastro's paper closed with the 

 zona, and California. In that region, statement that the entire situation in 

 it was stated, tin re are at present over the arid regions can, at present, best 

 <S.o30,ooo head of sheep, nearly 3.000.- be dealt with by the General Govern- 

 ooo head of cattle, and about 700,000 ' mcnt. and, referring again to grazing 

 head of horses and mule-, the gross condition.-, the statement was made 

 estimated value of which i> over Sioo,- that unless a just and equitable law is 

 000,000. This live stock is supported promptly passtd, authorizing Federal 

 almost wholly upon the the open graz- pr< .lection and control of the public 

 ing land- in "the region mentioned, the grazing lands, the native grasses will 

 -razing area being about 135.000,000 soon be completely trampled out 

 acres. This range, it was stated, is through over-stocking, and hence the 

 fast being destroyed by unwise and ben.-iii-ial use of such lands by stock- 

 indiscriminate use and abuse. The HKMI for -razing purposes will be very 

 only exception to this -tatement that materially curtailed, 

 can be noted is on the lands which Hon. Joseph W. Folk, Governor of 

 have been withdrawn for purposes of Missouri, then addressed the Confer- 

 forest protection, and n such lands a enee. making the initial suggestion 

 wise and efficient system <-f manage- that resulted in the inauguration of 

 ment i- rapidly and almost miracu- the movement to form a permanent 

 lously restoring former splendid graz- organization of the Governors, 

 ing conditions. Governor Folk declared that the 

 Mr. Jastro's paper referred to the Conference would be world-wide in 

 stories of range wars and feuds that j ts i n fl uc . niv . He said that at no time 

 are said to have existed between cattle in t i ie x at ion's history would it have 

 and sheep men from the beginning of b een possible for so many Governors 

 grazing on the open range; and refer- lo 11Krt together. Prior to the Civil 

 ence was also made to the disastrous \\- ar< i lc ^j,! transportation facilities 

 conditions that have come about werc inadequate; and after the war 

 through over-grazing and over-stock- tne sec tional feeling for so long a time 

 ing the range, resulting in the tramp- was sucn as to m ake a meeting of this 

 ling out and practical extinction of ^{ m \ impossible. "But now," he said, 

 many of the native forage plants. " we have met here together as mem- 

 Referring to conditions governing bers of one large family. In looking 

 water supplies, it was stated that it is at the map, I have been impressed 

 beyond contradiction that forested with the fact that the states of this 

 slopes surrounding the head waters of Union are, after all, closely connected 

 streams exert a tremendous influence by blood and in interest. Tennessee, 

 in equalizing stream flow throughout my native state, is largely made up of 

 the year, and thus provide ample irri- people from North Carolina and Vir- 

 gation waters during the summer ginia ; Missouri, my adopted state, 

 months. The extension of forest re- composed largely of Kentuckians, 



