402 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



States could be assured that our Cana- meals. This seems almost inconceiv- 



dian brethren would not gobble up all able to those of us who remember this 



of the flow of both streams. In view region in 1904 as a barren waste, remote 



of the fact that we could keep the f rom transportation and absolutely un- 



entire flow of the St. Mary River in inhabited. 



our own country and that it was the Qn the Williston pro ject, North Da- 

 more valuable of the two streams, k r devd d from the Gov _ 

 Canada was obliging enough to enter ernment > s Qwn CQal min {& soW tQ ^ 



into a treaty with the United States Willlst on. On the Strawberry 

 guaranteeing an equal division of the 



combined flow of both streams and giv- Valle y> Utah > and the Truckee-Carson, 

 ing us the right to utilize the channel Nevada, projects power generated on 

 of Milk River in Canada as a carrying the canals is leased to several munici- 

 canal for the waters we shall use in palities. On the Salt River project, 

 Milk River Valley, Montana. Accord- Arizona, a very large power develop- 

 ingly, active work was begun on St. ment has taken place at Roosevelt dam 

 Mary River to impound its floods, a and all the surplus power when avail- 

 great canal is being excavated across able has been leased for a term of years 

 the divide to wed the waters of these to a large mining corporation at Globe, 

 streams and a comprehensive canal sys- The valley towns and large manufac- 

 tem with numerous diversion dams is turing plants are being furnished a 

 being constructed in the Milk River steady supply from additional plants. 

 Valley between Glasgow and Havre. These power plants will probably afford 

 When completed nearly 200,000 acres an opportunity at an early date to wit- 

 of excellent land will be served. ness an interesting experiment in com- 

 The utilization of electricity devel- munal operation of valuable public 

 oped by the Reclamation Service has utilities with the farmer as the active 

 become an important adjunct to the agent in charge of the property, 

 irrigation work. On several of the Up to June 30, 1913, the Reclama- 

 projects a large amount of power has tion Service had constructed about 

 been developed principally for lifting 8,000 miles of canals, several of which 

 water to lands above the gravity canals, carry whole rivers. It had built four 

 A surplus, however, has been made o f the great dams of the world. Its 

 available for the municipalities and has wagon roads have a mileage of "00, 

 been an important factor in their prog- telephones 2,331, transmission lines 

 ress and growth. On the Minidoka 351, railroads 51. It has purchased 

 project, Idaho, the power is so cheap 1,533,544 barrels of cement and manu- 

 that its use is general in the towns for factured in its own plant 433,887 bar- 

 lighting, heating and cooking. Recently rels. The total excavation of rock and 

 a new school house at Rupert was fully earth on that date amounted to 99,- 

 equipped with electricity, heating, light- 245,768 cubic yards. It employed, on 

 ing, power for machinery in manual an average, 7,616 men during the year, 

 training, and heat for the cooking In the past season its canal systems 

 stoves in the domestic economy class, were prepared to irrigate 1,193,374 

 It is the only school house in the world acres and 641,397 acres were actually 

 so equipped. Groups of farmers are watered. The crop returns amounted 

 now making plans to utilize this cheap to nearly $15,000,000 or an average of 

 and useful force on their farms and $25 per acre. The total net investment 

 we may soon record the fact that farm at the close of the fiscal year, June 30, 

 houses are lighted and heated with 1913, was $75,174,283. The total irri- 

 electricity while the housewife utilizes gable area under present projects is 

 the same force in preparing the family slightly more than 3,000,000 acres. 



Fire Losses Small 



Last year the fire loss on the Canadian timber reserves was the smallest ever knuvvn. 

 only one-fiftieth of one per cent of the area being burned over. 



