132 



CONSERVATION 



forty-two new bulletins were issued, the 

 copies printed numbering 1,100,000, 

 while 443 reprints of bulletins were 

 made in editions aggregating 5,369,000. 

 Bulletins to the number of 55,125,000 

 have been printed and distributed since 

 1889. 



But the department is surpassing 

 itself. It is meeting the requirement 

 of the man from Missouri. In addition 

 to sending bulletins, it is sending men, 

 actually to show the people how to 

 farm by staying for a season in their 

 midst and doing the work before their 

 very eyes. 



And the cost of it all? The appro- 

 priation for 1907 was about $14,000,- 

 ooo less than the cost of one of the 

 battleships Congress seems about to au- 

 thorize. A Congressional investigation 

 had in the same year showed that the 

 annual value of the department to the 

 general public is nearly a quarter of a 

 billion dollars a return of $16.50 on 

 every dollar appropriated. 



Under two Presidents and through 

 three administrations, Secretary Wilson 

 has pushed this titanic work ; and, in 

 no uncertain tone, the people have de- 



clared that he must continue to do so. 

 He must break the longest, as he has 

 already broken the greatest term of de- 

 partmental service. Though, on a his- 

 toric occasion, he was willing to be 

 "sacrificed for General Grant," the 

 farmers are unwilling that he, and the 

 cause of agriculture, shall, for any rea- 

 son, be sacrificed together. Mark Hanna 

 is quoted as saying, "We must keep 

 him where he is, even if we have to run 

 him on a separate ticket." The farmers 

 will keep him there, regardless of 

 tickets. They know a "good thing," 

 and will take no chances on a change. 

 That the American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation must lose from its presidency a 

 man of such ability and fame affords 

 ground for sincerest regret. At the 

 same time, there is cause for congratu- 

 lation that it has so long enjoyed his 

 wise counsel and direction ; and that, 

 under these, it has reached a point 

 where it may not only maintain itself 

 in independence of the National Gov- 

 ernment, but may even extend to the 

 Government a measure of assistance in 

 furtherance of the common cause. 



