NEWS AND NOTES 



565 



que-ted t" communicate to tlu- 

 Service any facts in tlieir j i ui 



which may throw any additional light 

 on tin- various pha-e- of the question 

 of relation of forest covers to water 

 supply. The letter follow- : 



I'liik- 1 State- I >ei>artmeiit of \.uri- 

 culture. Fore-t Service-. Washington, 

 i iff ice of the Forester. 



August 27, [908. 



The Xational I 'OHMT\ ation Commis- 

 sion appointed hv the 1 'resident as a re- 

 sult of the conference of the governors 

 held last May. has a>ked the Forest 

 Service to furnish information rei^ard- 

 in^ onr forest resources and their re- 

 lation to other natural resources. One 

 of the most important subjects in thi- 

 connection is the relation of forests to 

 the water supply in all it- phases ir- 

 rigation, water power, navigation, and 

 the supply for towns and cities. The 

 Forest Service is planning to take up a 

 detailed study of this problem in coop- 

 eration with the \Yeather Bureau, the 

 Reclamation Service, and the Geolog- 

 ical Survey. In order, however, to se- 

 cure immediate information for the 

 commission and to supplement the field 

 work of the Forest Service, which will 

 necessarily he confined to somewhat 

 limited areas, the following questions 

 are being asked of competent observer- 

 throughout the ("nited Sta'o who are 

 known to be interested in the problem- 

 which concern our national welfare: 



1. Have any in-tance- come under 

 vour notice where the removal of the 

 forest cover from a certain water-he 1 

 has had any definite effect upon the 

 llow of the stream^ which take their 

 rise then-, an! if PO to what extent.' 

 Please give the dates, as nearlv as p. -- 

 -ible. the exact location .if the water- 

 shed, and describe, as nearlv a- you 

 can. the topography, the n.rk. the -oil. 

 and the kin ! of f. .re-t removed. 



2. Have you observed anv relation 

 between the condition of watersheds 

 and the silting up of rivers, pond-, and 

 reservoir- ? 



}. Do you know of anv specific in- 

 stances where the destruction of the 

 forest cover upon watershed- which 



furnish water for the use of towns or 

 cities can be held responsible for the 

 breaking out of epidemic- ': 



4. Do you know of any -pecitic cases 

 \\here -pring- have dried up after de- 

 struction of the f .rest cover, or \\hcr- 

 the\ have returned with it- restoration? 

 IMea.se give the date-, a- nearly a- i 

 sible. the exact location of the spring, 

 and describe- the topography, the rock, 

 the -oil. and the character of the fore-t 

 which was removed or which ha- sprung 

 up again. 



s,. Do \ou kiio\\ of anv install. 



. ' * 



wlu- re artesian wells have dried up. or 

 where they have begun to flow again? 

 ('an anv connection be traced between 

 this and the condition of the catchment 

 basin? (live the date- a- nearlv a- ; 

 sible. the location of the catchment 

 basin, and describe the topography. 

 rock, -oil and the general forest con- 

 ditions. 



6. Can you suggest the names of any 

 persons who would be in a position to 

 give additional fact-: 



Any information which you can give 

 along these lines will be greatly appre- 

 ciated by both the Conservation Com- 

 mission and the Forest Service- 

 early a reply as ;>o-sible is desired in 

 order that the material may be us 

 by the commission in it- report N'ovem- 

 her T. T enclose a franke ' enveloj ' I 

 reply. 



Very truly your-. 



\Y. F. (ox. 

 . Issistun' Forest 



'' ''/ ''c 



Production of Pig Iron in the United States 



Tl 1 1-', pi- iron production of the 

 I'nite 1 S'ates in Kpr- amounte , 

 -S.jSi.V'i long ton-, a- compared with 

 an output of _'5.V'7.i')r ton- in I' 

 ;:nd of -'_'.' i< i-'-.v^ > long ton- in KJO;. 

 cording to a statistical report just pub 

 lished by the I'ni'ed State- Ceolo-- 

 Survey. The smalhie-s of the incr< 

 shown in \>n~ over !<>><> is due to the 

 "ailing otT in demand and i.roduction 

 during the- la-t quarter of the year. If 

 the rate of output of the tir-t hah 



